Trooping the Colour 2025: Royal family to unite on palace balcony for favourite event of the year | King Charles, Queen Camilla, Kate Middleton, Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis | Explainer

In just a few hours, the British royal family will be out in force for what is typically their biggest event of the year: Trooping the Colour.

Also known as the Sovereign’s Birthday Parade, the spectacle is one full of pomp and ceremony and, in recent years, sees the youngest members of the family steal the show (we’re looking at you, Prince Louis).

It’s one of the few times of the year when senior members of the royal family gather for the celebratory public outing, complete with an iconic photo moment on the balcony at Buckingham Palace.

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What is Trooping the Colour 

The tradition of Trooping the Colour dates back to the 17th century, when it was first performed during the reign of King Charles II (1660–1685).

It was first hosted specifically as a celebration for the official birthday of the Sovereign in 1748 during the reign of George II and later, King George III cemented it as an annual event in 1760.

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George was keen for a large-scale public celebration, but as a November baby the winter months were simply too cold for a parade.

Fortunately, being King has its perks. George awarded himself a second birthday, one combined with Trooping the Colour. So began the monarch’s double birthday tradition.

The event underwent several changes through the years, however the ceremony we see has remained largely unchanged since 1889.

Since 1959, Trooping the Colour has typically been held on a Saturday in June, a time that usually brings pleasant weather.

The ceremony is performed at Horse Guards Parade in London, near Buckingham Palace, by regiments of the Household Division.

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The late Queen Elizabeth II often rode on horseback during the parade and in 2023, for his first Trooping as sovereign, King Charles carried on the tradition.

But in 2024, owing to the monarch’s recent cancer diagnosis, the King chose to ride in a carriage for the procession.

This year the King will once again ride in a carriage for the procession from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade after it was judged to be safer and more comfortable for him.

Princess Anne will ride in the parade in her role as gold stick, the colonel of the Blues and Royals.

Prince William, too, will be on horseback as colonel of the Welsh Guards and the Duke of Edinburgh as colonel of the Scots Guards and London Guards.

Which royals will attend Trooping the Colour?

Although Buckingham Palace has not confirmed the line-up, it’s likely this year’s event will see the main players in attendance.

King Charles and Queen Camilla will lead the celebrations and they are expected to be joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

In 2023, just a few weeks after King Charles III’s coronation, he took to the balcony during Trooping the Colour for the first time as King.

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Charles had long envisioned a more “slimmed-down” monarchy and it showed when he stepped out with a much smaller retinue of senior royals by his side that year.

This year is likely to feature the same royals as in 2023 and 2024, with Princess Anne and her husband Sir Timothy Laurence included along with the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and their adult children, Lady Louise and James, Viscount Severn.

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent will also be among those on the palace balcony.

Unfortunately for royal watchers, other members of the King’s family including his nieces Zara Tindall, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are no longer included in the balcony gathering.

A family affair

Trooping the Colour is one of the rare formal royal occasions where children are welcomed into the public spotlight.

Prince William made his first balcony appearance for Trooping the Colour in 1984, just weeks shy of his second birthday.

A nine-month-old Prince Harry joined his brother for Trooping the Colour in 1985 and made his cheeky personality known from his very first moments on the balcony.

In 1987, William was given the special privilege of riding in a carriage alongside his mother, the Princess of Wales, and the Queen Mother.

In 2015, Prince George made his balcony debut wearing the same outfit his father Prince William wore for his first Trooping the Colour appearance.

There were two reasons to celebrate in 2016, when Trooping the Colour marked both the Queen’s official 90th birthday and Princess Charlotte’s balcony debut.

In 2018, the royal family saw an exciting new addition to the annual Trooping the Colour festivities: Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.

But 2019 would be Prince Harry and Meghan’s final balcony appearance as they chose to step back as senior working royals a year later. In 2019, Prince Louis attended his first Trooping the Colour.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex returned to the event in 2022, which also marked the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, but were not included in the public celebrations.

That same year Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte rode in the carriage procession at Trooping the Colour for the first time, dressed in matching blue and navy outfits.

Last year’s event was significant because it came months after the King and Princess of Wales announced their separate cancer diagnoses.

King Charles and Catherine stood side-by-side on the balcony in what many took as a show of solidarity.

Just hours earlier, Kensington Palace had confirmed Kate’s inclusion in the event. It was her first public appearance of the year, marking the first time she had been seen since Christmas Day in 2023.

What to expect from Trooping the Colour

The military spectacle involves more than 1400 soldiers from the regiments of the British and Commonwealth armies, 200 horses and 400 musicians.

The monarch will lead the royal family in a military parade before appearing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

Many other royals, including the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Princess Royal, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and the Duke of Kent are expected to take part in the procession.

Following a performance by the military bands, the regiments “troop” their colour, meaning their flag is processed down the ranks of soldiers.

This year, Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards will Troop their Colour in the presence of His Majesty.

The Household Division assembly then marches past the monarch, who returns to Buckingham Palace ahead of the soldiers.

Once back at the palace he takes the salute again, before other members of the Royal Family join him on the balcony to witness the flypast.

The RAF flypast is set to take place at approximately 1pm when members of the royal family are on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

When is King Charles’ actual birthday?

King Charles’ real birthday is November 14 and in 2025 the monarch will turn 77.

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