Crowds have gathered for the annual Trooping the Colour to mark King Charles III’s official birthday.
The parade set off from Buckingham Palace, with King Charles and Queen Camilla making their way in a carriage along The Mall to Horseguard’s Parade.
As royal colonels, the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal and the Duke of Edinburgh rode on horseback, while other attendees included the Princess of Wales and her three children while the Duchess of Edinburgh travelled by carriage.
The celebrations culminated with a Red Arrows flypast, watched by the Royal Family from the balcony at Buckingham Palace.
The King and Queen rode in an Ascot Landau carriage, purchased during the reign of Queen Victoria. The King wore the uniform of the Grenadier Guards featuring the cypher of his mother, Queen Elizabeth IICatherine, Princess of Wales, wearing a pale blue Catherine Walker jacket and a Philip Treacy hat, travelled in a carriage alongside Prince LouisThe Prince of Wales (left), the Duke of Edinburgh (centre) and the Princess Royal (right) – all of whom are royal colonels – travelled on horsebackPrince William is Colonel of the Welsh Guards – a role he received from his father King Charles, who held the title for 48 years, in 2022Crowds lined both sides of The Mall as the Massed Bands of the Household Division paraded from the Palace, representing some of the 400 musicians involved in the eventThe Duchess of Edinburgh, the wife of Prince Edward, and Vice-Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, husband of Princess Anne, rode in the first carriage in the processionThe Red Arrows – officially known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team – flew over Buckingham Palace at 13:00 BSTThe Royal Family watched the flypast from the balconyEight-year-old Prince Louis appeared wowed by the Red Arrow jetsThe title Trooping the Colour comes from the “Colours” – the name given to the flags representing the different regiments in the British ArmyIt marked a historic occasion for the Red Arrows, after it was announced in May that they would begin flying with fewer aircraft for most displays in a bid to preserve the ageing fleetSpectators thronged The Mall, where anti-monarchy protesters from the campaign group Republic were also present. They could be heard shouting “Down with the Crown” and “You are not our King” – slogans which also featured on yellow banners they held aloft, alongside images of Andrew Mountbatten WindsorPrime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Lady Victoria Starmer were among dignitaries watching the annual event
