King Charles beamed as he appeared today for his annual birthday parade, Trooping the Colour – but his appearance at the event looked different to previous years due to his cancer diagnosis
King Charles beamed as he made a very different appearance at this year’s Trooping the Colour.
The monarch, who is undergoing cancer treatment, left Buckingham Palace for the event in a carriage alongside Queen Camilla. It was a marked difference from last year, when Charles actually took part in the parade riding a black horse called Noble. The change reflects earlier guidance by Buckingham Palace that highlighted that each public-facing engagement by the King would be reviewed and adaptations made where advised by doctors following his diagnosis.
Charles, who only recently returned to public-facing duties, is set to conduct the Trooping the Colour review from the Ascot Landau carriage. There are five Ascot Landau carriages, which are used every year for the monarch’s procession during the Royal Meeting at Ascot, kept by the Royal Mews.
Later he will be joined by members of his family on the Buckingham Palace balcony to watch the incredible RAF flypast, which will include the famous Red Arrows. Last year he became the first monarch in 37 years to ride a horse at Trooping the Colour. The late Queen used to ride at the event in her trusted stead Burmese but started using a carriage from 1986 onwards until her sad death in 2022.
It has been a busy time for the King, who earlier in the week appeared at the King’s Foundation inaugural awards ceremony alongside celebrities, including Sir Rod Stewart and David Beckham. He also conducted a ceremony at Windsor Castle on Monday where he paid tribute to the “professionalism, courage and humour” of the Irish Guards ahead of the regiment’s central role in Trooping the Colour today.
Charles’ words of praise came as he presented new colours to Number 9 and 12 Companies, Irish Guards, during a Windsor Castle ceremony, where he highlighted the regiment’s efforts during the Covid pandemic and “vital work to counter terrorism in Iraq and to bolster security across Africa”.
Last week his busy schedule saw him head to Portsmouth as well as Normandy for commemorations for the 80th anniversary of D-Day. However, Prince William stood in for him at one event during the commemorations after it was ruled a “step too far” amid his cancer treatment. It saw William attend an international event at Omaha Beach with world leaders including US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron.
A palace source said last week: “While His Majesty’s doctors are very encouraged with the progress made so far, the King is continuing with his treatment programme – and thus we have to prioritise and protect his continued recovery. On that basis, each event/day has to be carefully calibrated – and given the King’s other commitments on the day, it was advised that the international event later in the afternoon may be a step too far at this stage. He is of course delighted that the Prince of Wales will be attending to represent the nation.”
It was announced yesterday that Princess Kate would be attending the celebration of the King’s official birthday with her family. In a statement released by the Palace, Kate said she has “good days and bad days” amid her preventative chemotherapy treatment. A beautiful new photograph, taken by celebrity and royal photographer Matt Porteous, was shared with her message.
The Princess added that she “hopes to join a few public engagements over the summer” as she continues treatment for cancer “for a few months”. It is understood Kate wanted to take part in Trooping to show support to her children, her family and her love for the King. A spokesperson for Charles said His Majesty was “delighted” by the news of her attendance.
Trooping the Colour is held every year as an official birthday event for the monarch, even though Charles’ actual birthday is November 14. Anti-monarchy campaigners have announced they will protest outside Buckingham Palace during the traditional ceremony. Graham Smith, spokesman for the group Republic, said: “Rather than having the parade to celebrate Charles’s birthday, why not use the moment to celebrate the service given by our armed forces?”