Royals: King Charles III leaves Buckingham Palace on horseback to celebrate birthday

The “Trooping the Color” procession, in free translation, the “King’s Birthday Procession”, took place in London on Saturday morning (17). King Charles III’s birthday event was attended by over 1,200 soldiers, 200 horses and 300 musicians who paraded through the streets of the British capital.

For his first parade as sovereign, Charles III made his appearance on horseback to a large crowd on the Mall outside Buckingham Palace. This is the first time a reigning monarch has taken part in the parade since 1986, when the Queen Elizabeth took over.

The parade featured a royal salute from the Horse Guards Parade, the Welsh guards famous for their bear fur hats. Prince William, Colonel of the Welsh Guards, made the final review of arrangements last Saturday to ensure his father’s perfect parade.

_{King Charles III’s official cavalry in their first “Trooping the Colour” parade. Photo/Reproduction: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Anadolu}

Also attending the event were royals, Queen Camilla and Princess Catherine riding in a carriage with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

On his birthday, Charles III enjoyed a special version sung by the Household Cavalry band at Buckingham Palace of the song “Happy Birthday”. The song was followed by a 41-gun salute in nearby Green Park and a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London.

Why does the king have two birthdays?

The event that has been taking place for over 60 years does not mark the monarch’s true birthday, who celebrates the date only on November 14. The tradition is believed to have started with King George II in 1748. The public celebration is held during the summer so that Britain’s changeable weather doesn’t spoil the celebrations, regardless of the current monarch’s date of birth.

For this reason, the official event open to the public for the king’s birthday celebrations takes place between May and June, a period of more climate stability in the region.

Featured photo: Royal family waving at Buckingham Palace. Playback/Adrian Dennis/AFP