'Kate's powerful Trooping the Colour change speaks volumes about future'
The Princess of Waleses' subtle change at Trooping the Colour sent a powerful message about her future, according to a royal expert. After enjoying a carriage ride down the Mall with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, Kate watched the military parade in a different position this year.
While George, Charlotte and Louis joined other members of the royal family, including the Duchess of Edinburgh in the former office of the Duke of Wellington, Kate took her place next to the King and Queen on the dais, in her role as Colonel of the Irish Guards. Her role with the Irish Guards is a symbolic position and her position on the parade ground was one she was unable to take up last year because she was receiving cancer treatment, and instead watched the ceremony with her children.
And for former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond, Kate's position at the parade was highly significant. She told the Mirror: "I also thought it was highly significant to see Catherine on the dais alongside the King and Queen.
"She was there not only as a very senior member of the Royal Family but as Colonel in Chief of the Irish Guards as they marched by. It was a very powerful image of our next Queen alongside her father-in-law who has made no secret of the respect he has for Catherine, especially after the cancer journey they have shared. It certainly gave you the feeling that royal life is pretty much back on track after the scary past 18 months."
Another change at Trooping this year was the fact that William stood next to his father King Charles on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the RAF flypast. Last year Kate was invited to stand next to His Majesty.
And Jennie added: "I think the fact that William stood next to his father on the balcony was a signal that things are returning to normal. Last year was an exception, with the Princess of Wales taking on her first public duty since her cancer diagnosis, and I think the King was showing his special support for her by asking her to stand alongside him. But today it was the correct order and, in a way, that was quite reassuring.
"I'm not sure that George enjoyed the long carriage ride quite as much as his siblings, but he came to life as soon as the flypast began. He's obviously very keen on aircraft and has already had a flying lesson.
"I thought William, and particularly Catherine, were very careful to watch over the children, tell them what was happening next and make sure there were no embarrassing moments. And there weren't. Everyone was on their best behaviour and, in the glorious sunshine, it was a treat for the huge crowds who turned out to see the pageantry and the Royal Family on parade."
She continued: "It was genuinely joyful to see Catherine looking so well, so dazzlingly elegant and so happy with her children in the carriage.
"Ever the mum, she put a reassuring hand on Charlotte's knee as the carriage rolled down the Mall from the Palace. But the young Princess also looked full of confidence and smiles, she seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the parade.
"Louis was on his best behaviour and George looked rather serious. He seemed rather like a young lad who was thinking 'been here, done it, got the T-shirt!'
"But he has a whole life of this sort of thing ahead of him, and I'm sure he'll enjoy it all the more when he's on horseback escorting his father, or indeed, heading up the parade himself."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
4 hours ago
- Wales Online
Boeing bursts into flames on take-off as passengers send 'final texts'
Boeing bursts into flames on take-off as passengers send 'final texts' A Boeing 757-300 operated by Condor Airlines was forced to make an emergency landing in Italy after its right engine caught fire shortly after taking off from Corfu in Greece Visuals from the scene show the plane's wing engulfed in fire while in the air (Image: X) Shocked holidaymakers have recounted the terrifying moment a jet engine burst into flames just moments after take off. It comes as memory of the fatal Air India- Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash is still painfully fresh in many minds. Approximately 300 passengers aboard a Condor Airlines Boeing 757-300 were left horrified on Saturday night when the aircraft's right engine began spewing massive flames and smoke shortly after departing Corfu in Greece, with video footage showing a spluttering blaze visible from the ground. Travellers on the flight from Greece have since disclosed how they started sending 'final messages' to their loved ones as smoke billowed past their windows, believing they were about to plummet. Flight tracking data reveals the aircraft performing a dramatic U-turn before executing an emergency landing in Brindisi, Italy. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here Those aboard endured further ordeal upon touchdown when they learnt there was insufficient hotel capacity near the airport, forcing some to sleep on the terminal floor, reports the Mirror. Describing her ordeal, one passenger told German newspaper Bild: "I sent goodbye messages thinking it was over. It was a horrible experience. Article continues below "Suddenly, we heard a loud noise, then flames shot out of the engine. It was very scary." Another recounted hearing a "loud clicking noise". The blaze is thought to have resulted from a bird strike. Condor Airlines, which operated the service, has stated that passengers faced no danger during the incident. The German airline Condor has refuted claims of an engine explosion, attributing the fire to a "disturbance in air flow" that made a normal combustion chamber reaction more visible. A spokesperson for Condor told the Mirror: "Flight DE3665 from Corfu (CFU) to Dusseldorf (DUS) diverted to Brindisi (BDS) on 16 August 2025. "The reason was a parameter indication outside the normal range caused by a disturbance in the air flow supply to the engine. Due to the fault message, it was precautionarily decided to divert to Brindisi. "This posed no danger to the guests or crew members at any time. The aircraft landed around 8:15 p.m. at Brindisi Airport, and all 273 guests as well as the eight crew members disembarked the aircraft normally. Another Condor aircraft was dispatched to carry all guests to Dusseldorf on August 17th, 2025. "Unfortunately, there was insufficient hotel capacity in Brindisi, meaning that not all guests could be accommodated in hotels. Additional vouchers and blankets were organised at the airport, and a few shops were allowed to remain open to provide supplies. Passengers who took advantage of alternative accommodation options can submit their expenses for reimbursement. "We apologise for any inconvenience caused, but the safety of our passengers and employees is always our top priority." Article continues below
BBC News
4 hours ago
- BBC News
Huge fire at abandoned Woolton Hall mansion in Liverpool
Firefighters are tackling a major blaze at an abandoned Grade I-listed manor house in in 1704, Woolton Hall previously served as a hotel, an army hospital, a convent and a school but had fallen into disrepair in recent years. Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service arrived at the site, on Speke Road in Woolton, at 20:16 BST and have closed roads in the area as crews try to bring the fire under control. Drone footage shared with the BBC shows the building's roof completely engulfed in flames and partially collapsed. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram, and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
Daily Record
9 hours ago
- Daily Record
Prince Harry's 'painful' letter to royals after William 'gut punch'
The Duke of Sussex left a letter at a war memorial to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, and a royal expert has claimed it sends a "painful" message to the Royal Family. A secret letter that has been left by Prince Harry at a war memorial has been viewed as a significant message to the Royal Family, according to a royal expert. They believe the message is somewhat of a 'gut punch' to his relatives. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, paid a touching tribute to his late grandfather Prince Phillip by leaving the letter placed discreetly at the National Memorial Arboretum on the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. According to reports in the Mirror, the ex-working royal asked a pal to quietly leave the note alongside a wreath of red poppies at the Burma Star Memorial after the national commemorations attended by the King and Queen Camilla. The letter was allegedly placed after both Charles and Camilla had left, in a bid to not detract from the service honouring the sacrifice of Second World War heroes who fought and died for their country. Royal expert and historian Dr Tessa Dunlop suggests that this gesture indicates the "gaping hole" Harry has left. Speaking to the Mirror, she said: "Last week's VJ Day anniversary was heavy with emotion; a sombre recall of the cost of conflict 80 years after the end of the Pacific War beneath the leafy calm of Staffordshire's National Memorial Arboretum. "Thirty-three veterans made the journey and were honoured by King Charles, who assured them they would never be forgotten. A perfect day, but one without mention of his forgotten son, Prince Harry, once the Royal Family's most effective military figurehead. "It was only after the King and Queen had departed that a friend of Harry's discreetly laid the Duke's wreath, dedicated to his late Grandfather, Prince Philip, who fought in the Pacific War and those who served with him." She continued: "The letter was thoughtful, detailing the 'unforgiving terrain' and years of endurance 'far from home' that the service personnel endured: it honoured the 'grit, unity and sacrifice' of the 'Forgotten Army'. Its belated discovery at the foot of the Burma Star memorial has served to remind King and country of the gaping hole Harry's absence has left in the commemorative circuit. "With two outstanding tours in Afghanistan - one cruelly cut short - the Duke's easy manner and dashing presence in honorary uniform are much missed. "Women who have lost sons and husbands in Afghanistan speak to the Duke's exceptional presence in their time of grief. No one in the Royal Family was a better fit for this most important commemorative role." Following Harry and his wife Meghan Markle's decision to leave their royal duties and the firm behind back in 2020 and re-locate to the US, the Duke was forced to surrender his honorary military positions. He was also prohibited from placing a wreath at the Cenotaph during Remembrance Sunday several years back. Tessa explained how this recent letter and wreath serve as a subtle reminder for the royals. She elaborated: "There is much talk of the Sussexes' new life in Montecito, of Meghan's influencer success, of Harry's difficulties outside the Royal Family, far less attention is paid to his leave of absence from that other institution, the army, and the Duke's forced abandonment of all his honorary roles. "Having first laid a wreath at the Cenotaph in 2009, it was a painful reminder of the cost of what he had left behind when in 2020, he was forbidden from continuing the practice. "Doubling down on that pain was Prince William's recent appointment as Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps in 2024, making Harry's big brother the leader of the regiment the Duke once flew Apache helicopters for in Afghanistan. In comparison, the Prince of Wales flew search-and-rescue helicopters in Wales. "One more gut-punch for the estranged Duke, whose long letter honouring the Pacific War veterans was a quiet reminder that Harry has not forgotten the most important role he was forced to abandon when he left the Royal Family, even if his family appears to have forgotten him."
