Catherine, Princess of Wales, has arrived at Buckingham Palace this morning accompanied by Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis as preparations continue for today’s Trooping the Colour ceremony.
The annual celebration will see members of the royal family join thousands of spectators gathered in Whitehall to mark the King’s official birthday.
A royal carriage procession is set to travel along The Mall, with the King, Queen and Princess of Wales expected to be guarded by a Sovereign’s Escort from the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.
The Prince of Wales, Princess Royal and Duke of Edinburgh will ride in the formation in their roles as colonels of the Welsh Guards, Blues and Royals, and Scots Guards respectively.
Guardsmen wearing their distinctive scarlet tunics and bearskin caps will perform meticulously rehearsed marching displays at Horse Guards Parade, showcasing skills developed through weeks of intensive preparation.
This year’s ceremony will see the King’s Colour of the Grenadier Guards carried through the parade, having been presented by the monarch at a Buckingham Palace ceremony earlier this week.
Members of the King’s Company will escort the regimental flag during the spectacle.
The event represents one of the most significant occasions in the royal calendar, bringing together all three armed services.
Following the parade, the royal family will gather on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the customary fly-past by RAF aircraft, providing a fitting conclusion to the national celebration.
Dan Jarvis, the newly appointed Defence Secretary, is anticipated to attend today’s ceremony alongside other senior cabinet members and the Prime Minister, following John Healey’s departure from the role on Thursday amid disagreements over long-term military funding.
On the eve of the parade, the King visited his King’s Company at their Aldershot barracks to offer his best wishes.
He told the guardsmen: “Since Easter you’ve been practising rigidly and I can hear from Buckingham Palace the sound of the drums thumping away regularly so I know you’re all marching up and down trying to get ready for the parade.”
The monarch, who serves as Colonel-in-Chief of the Grenadier Guards, praised the regiment’s 370 years of service, saying he felt “very proud and privileged” to be with them.
