When is Trooping the Colour? Date, time and how to watch on TV
Trooping the Colour, a centuries-old royal tradition that dates back to the 17th century, is set to take place this weekend.
The parade marks the monarch's official birthday in June, even though King Charles does not celebrate his actual birthday until November.
The annual celebratory summertime event has taken place since 1758, when thousands headed to the capital to partake in King George II's official birthday celebrations.
It is attended by the King and various members of the Royal Family and normally involves over 1,400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians.
There is also a spectacular flyover courtesy of the Royal Air Force's Red Arrows.
Last year, due to his recent cancer diagnosis, the King didn't ride horseback, as tradition states, but instead rode in a carriage.
For those hoping to watch the royal event, the BBC will cover it live – all the details are below.
The parade will begin around 10.45 am on Saturday, leaving from Buckingham Palace towards the Horse Guards Parade.
The King will leave Buckingham Palace around 10.45 am, escorted by the Household Cavalry. At 11:00 am, he will give the Royal Salute before inspecting the guards.
The King will then head back to the palace around 12.20 pm, before the 41-gun salute in Green Park at 12.52 pm.
The Red Arrows will also be doing a flyover at approximately 12.55 pm, with the Royals watching on from their famous balcony.
Live coverage of Trooping The Colour begins on BBC One and BBC iPlayer this morning from 10.30 am, running all the way through until the final flyover– although it could run later. More Trending
And if you're unable to see the event live, don't fret – you'll be able to catch up via BBC iPlayer.
If you're brave enough to go in person, you can see some of the parade for free by standing on the edge of The Mall or St James' Park – but be sure to arrive early.
Official tickets are also sold on the British Army website, from £5 to £15 – but it's likely they're sold out by now.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
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The sweet bond between King Charles and his grandson Prince Louis was once again on show on Saturday as the royals took to the balcony to watch the flyover during Trooping the Colour. While the monarch, 76, is a grandfather of five, it's believed he has a particularly special bond with the Prince and Princess of Wales 's youngest son. And the youngster seemed keen to emulate his grandfather during yesterday's festivities, with video footage from the event showing Louis appearing to copy the way the senior royal was waving while watching the flypast. Lip reader Juliet Sullivan told FEMAIL that His Majesty had a sweet interchange with Louis at one point on the balcony, ensuring he didn't miss out on the action by telling him: 'Louis! Look! The fighter jets!' Meanwhile, adorable video clips and photos show the seven-year-old waving at the crowd in tandem with his beloved Grandpa Wales. The sweet bond between the two royals has long been celebrated by royal watchers. On April 23, 2020 - during lockdown - Clarence House posted a touching picture of Charles hugging his grandson to mark his second birthday. And it appears that King Charles shares one of his special passions with young Louis - it was recently revealed that the soon-to-be-seven-year-old shares his grandpa's love of art. In February, the Princess of Wales shared portraits created by her three children as part of her early years work encouraging parents to draw with their children. And while fans quickly noticed the sheer artistic talent of George who created a line-drawn portrait of his mother sitting in an armchair, it was Louis's attention to detail that wowed. His drawing, which appeared to be drawn in red crayon, featured a beauty spot above his mother's lip on the left side. For more than 50 years, King Charles has used any spare moment he has to create watercolour paintings – some of which have been displayed in exhibitions in London and Australia. He has frequently been seen whipping out his paintbrushes while in Klosters, Switzerland during his family skiing holidays. Previously the chairman of the Royal Collection Trust, Charles has seemingly passed this passion on to young Louis. But the pair are connected not only by their shared interests but their names. Born in 1948, Charles was christened Charles Philip Arthur George. Born 70 years later in 2018, Prince Louis's full name is Louis Arthur Charles. Aside from the obvious use of Charles as a middle name, the name Louis is thought to be a tribute to the King's beloved uncle, Louis Mountbatten, who was assassinated by the IRA in 1979. Although it is normal for senior royals to name their children after other members of the family, it seems Charles is a particularly deserving grandfather. When Prince George was born in 2013, Charles spoke of how 'overjoyed' he was to have become a grandfather. He explained: 'Grandparenthood is a unique moment in anyone's life, as countless kind people have told me in recent months, so I am enormously proud and happy to be a grandfather for the first time.' In a touching tribute to his first grandson, Charles planted trees at Balmoral and called it Prince George's Wood. During a 2018 interview for Prince, Son & Heir – Charles at 70, Queen Camilla said of her husband: 'He will get down on his knees and crawl about with them for hours, you know making funny noises and laughing and my grandchildren adore him, absolutely adore him.' She continued: 'He reads Harry Potter, and he can do all the different voices, and I think children really appreciate that.' In agreement, William described Charles as a 'brilliant grandfather' – although he wished he could spend more time with the grandchildren. Catherine shared a portrait created by Prince Louis as part of her early years work encouraging parents to draw with their children. Fans were wowed by the young prince's attention to detail in including his mother's beauty spot - suggesting he shares an interest in art with Charles 'It's something I'm working more heavily on, put it that way,' William said. 'I think he does have time for it, but I would like him to have more time with the children. 'I think he's… now he's reached his 70th year it's a perfect time to consolidate a little bit because as most families would do, you are worried about having them around and making sure their health's okay. And he's the fittest man I know but equally I want him to be fit until he's 95. 'So, having more time with him at home would be lovely, and being able to you know, play with the grandchildren. 'Because when he's there, he's brilliant. But we need him there as much as possible.' In 2022, the late Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee Celebrations, provided a sweet example of Louis and Charles enjoying each other's company. While watching the Pageant, the young prince showcased an array of amusing expressions as he sat next to his mother Catherine, then-Duchess of Cambridge, in the Royal Box. He was seen clenching his fists, sticking out his tongue, waving his arms in the air, putting his hands over his mother's mouth and standing on his seat for a better view of the spectacle. The restless four-year-old soon became bored with the seating arrangement and asked his father Prince William for 'Pa' indicating he wanted to see his grandfather. When the youngster grew restless during the 2022 celebrations, he sat on his grandfather's knee The restless then-four-year-old appeared to be enjoying himself as he sat beside his grandparents Speaking to MailOnline, expert lipreader Juliet Sullivan revealed William leaned across Camilla to ask Charles: 'Grandpa, can Louis sit on your knee?' to which he replied 'of course'. Catherine stroked Louis's shoulder before he got out of his seat and walked to his left towards his grandfather. The four-year-old prince then sat on Charles's lap who rocked him from side to side, making for some adorable family photos. One royal fan tweeted: 'Prince Charles and Prince Louis have the best bond.' 'Lovely to see Prince Charles in grandpa mode with Prince Louis today!,' wrote another.
