'Kate's powerful Trooping the Colour change speaks volumes about future'
In a change from last year, the Princess of Wales watched Trooping the Colour on the parade ground alongside the King and Queen - and royal expert Jennie Bond says it was highly significant
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
Evening Standard
2 hours ago
- Evening Standard
Prince William receives heartfelt Father's Day tribute from his children
It comes a day after George, 11, Louis, seven, and their sister Charlotte, 10, joined their parents and other members of the royal family for the Trooping the Colour ceremony.
Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Boil in the bag to mummies in bedrooms - 5 of the most unusual funeral rituals
WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT - With controversial water cremations sparking debate across the UK, the Mirror takes a look at some of the most unique, fascinating and moving funeral rites across the world There is no easy way to say goodbye to a loved one, and since the beginning of time, we humans have sought to find ways to make the passing more bearable. Over in the UK, funerals tend to fall into one of two categories: burial or fire cremation. However, the options available appear to be expanding, with divisive water cremations reported to be on the horizon. Death is naturally one of the most difficult topics to broach, and often we Brits can keep it at a distance, perhaps not wanting to confront that we too will one day pass on, and leave everything and everyone we know behind. Elsewhere across the world, various cultures have found very different ways to approach death, reflected in the diverse range of unique and fascinating funeral rites which are still being practised to this day. Here, the Mirror takes a look at some of the most intriguing ways to say goodbye to the dead. Sky burial In Tibet, people may say goodbye to their loved ones through a sky burial. And although it may seem unusual to those outside of Tibetan Buddhist culture, this tradition holds deep spiritual significance and is rooted in a profound respect for nature. A person's body is first wrapped in cloth and kept at home for a few days, in an environment of great peace. During this time, monks will read aloud scripture to ease the spirit's journey into their next rebirth, in accordance with Buddhist teachings about death being a transition, not the end. Then, on a chosen lucky day, they will be placed on a flat rock or platform at a designated site among the mountains, away from residential areas. For this bit, loved ones will be kept away. Here, smoke is used to attract the birds of prey who graze there, and sutras are chanted to redeem any sins the deceased may have committed in life. The corpse will then be dissected by skilled body breakers who, according to Tibet Travel, will continue to laugh and keep things light as they cut up the body. which they believe will help the person enter the light of their next life. The flesh is then offered up as sustenance to the circling vultures. Anything left behind is collected and burned. Keeping the dead at home While in many cultures, death is kept at a distance, for the Toraja people of Indonesia, it isn't unusual to have loved ones preserved and kept at home for a long period of time after their passing, sometimes for years. As explained by photographer Puta Sayoga in a piece for The New York Times, Torajans view death as more of a "gradual" process, with the soul believed to remain in this world until the death ceremony takes place. This delay also serves a practical purpose, giving the family enough time to save for an elaborate 12-day funeral to honour their loved one. Only then can the dead find peace in Puya, the spiritual realm. Until that day comes, they will live with the deceased almost as if they were still living, even dressing them in new clothes and laying out food for them, as if they were joining family meals. For many, this helps with the grieving process, offering a transitional period in which to say goodbye. Torajan woman, Yohana Palangda, previously told National Geographic: 'My mother died suddenly, so we aren't ready yet to let her go. I can't accept burying her too quickly.' Even after they are buried, Torajans will still stay close to their dead, digging them up again every one to three years to be washed, redressed and remembered, in a ritual known as Ma'nene, or 'care for ancestors'. Hanging coffins For many, being buried in a coffin beneath the earth is a disquieting thought, and they may therefore prefer the hanging coffin traditions practised in the secluded village of Sagada, in a mountainous region of the Philippines. As detailed by Atlas Obscura, elders of the Kankanaey people of Sagada - part of a collective group known as the Igorot tribe - will carve out their own coffins, in what must surely be a confronting experience. Loved ones will take over this important task if their elderly family members don't possess the health or strength to do so. Following a period of mourning, during which the body is prepared, the deceased is taken to a cave or cliff and lowered into their casket, which is then suspended in the air, sometimes at great heights. This practice, which dates back some 2,000 years, is rooted in the belief that spirits have a greater chance of reaching a higher nature in the afterlife if their body is hung in a higher place. This rite is a source of great fascination to tourists, who will often make the journey to Sagada's Echo Valley to see the suspended coffins, many of which date back generations. 'Boil in a bag' cremation 'Boil in a bag' funerals could soon be available across the UK, offering an environmentally-friendly yet controversial way to say your final goodbyes. Water cremation, also known as alkaline hydrolysis, is already available across 30 US states, as well as Canada and South Africa. The first European water cremation facility, or resomation, opened its doors in early 2023 in Navan, Co Meath, Ireland. In a very different process from traditional cremations, the body is loaded into an alkaline hydrolysis machine, which calculates the amount of water and potassium hydroxide required. The machine then locks, and an alkaline solution fills the pressurised tank, which is gently heated to 152°C (305°F). The remains are broken into their chemical components — amino acids, peptides, sugars and salt — leaving behind a liquid that is then cooled in another tank until sterile and free from any remaining tissue or DNA. Around 330 gallons of brown-coloured liquid will be washed down the drain, while the softened bones are ground to powder and presented in an urn to the grieving family. In 2017, Wired journalist Hayley Campbell described the process in vivid detail after seeing a resomator in action at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Hayley wrote: "Over the course of up to four hours, the strong alkaline base causes everything but the skeleton to break down to the original components that built it: sugar, salt, peptides and amino acids; DNA unzips into its nucleobases, cytosine, guanine, adenine, thymine. "The body becomes fertiliser and soap, a sterile watery liquid that looks like weak tea. The liquid shoots through a pipe into a holding tank in the opposite corner of the room, where it will cool down, be brought down to an acceptable pH for the water treatment plant, and be released down the drain." Smoked bodies While many people believe their loved ones are watching over them and keeping them safe, members of the Anga tribe in Papua New Guinea have a much more visual reminder of this. Keeping to an ancient tradition, the Anga, a tribe of approximately 45,000 people, mummify their dead and position them on rock ledges close to their villages In this unique mummification process, the Anga mummify the deceased in a seated position, before smoking them over a consistently roaring fire for a three-month period. As explained by National Geographic, it's vital that no part of the body touches the ground, an error which is believed to invite bad fortune. It's also important that the face is kept intact. German photographer and environmental scientist, Ulla Lohmann, who observed this practice in person, said: "We have pictures, they have mummies. The Anga believe that the spirits roam free during the day and return to their mummified bodies at night. Without seeing the face, the spirits cannot find their own body and would wander eternally."
Times
17 hours ago
- Times
Trooping the Colour 2025: royals pay tribute to Air India victims
It was the instinct of a monarch who is a deeply emotional man. It was also the action of a sovereign who spent decades watching his mother lead by example. The King changed the age-old script for Trooping the Colour to remember the victims of Thursday's Air India crash during his official birthday celebrations. Echoing Queen Elizabeth's decision to alter proceedings in 2017 for the 72 victims of the Grenfell fire, Charles requested a minute's silence to be observed at Horse Guards Parade and black armbands to be worn. Buckingham Palace said the King had personally requested the change, which was highly unusual, 'as a mark of respect for the lives lost, the families in mourning and all the communities affected by this awful tragedy'. For the second year running, Charles, 76, who is still receiving weekly cancer treatment, travelled in a carriage with Queen Camilla, rather than riding a horse to and from Buckingham Palace. Before leaving the palace, Charles was seen feeding carrots to the Windsor greys pulling their carriage. On his left arm, against the brilliant crimson tunic of his Coldstream Guards tunic, he wore a black crêpe armband. Escorting their carriage up the Mall, all in black armbands, were the Sovereign's Escort of the Household Cavalry and the royal colonels: the Prince of Wales, colonel of the Welsh Guards; the Princess Royal, colonel of the Blues and Royals and Gold Stick-in-Waiting; and the Duke of Edinburgh, colonel of the Scots Guards. All three rode horses gifted to the royal family by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Prince William rode Darby, Prince Edward rode Sir John and Anne was back on Noble, a feisty mare nicknamed 'naughty Noble' after proving a handful for Anne last year and for the King, who rode her in 2023. It was the first time that Anne, 74, has ridden in public since being admitted to intensive care in June last year with concussion and head injuries believed to have been caused by one of her own horses. Perhaps finally weary of stealing the show, Noble behaved impeccably. Both William and Anne's uniforms bore cyphers of the King and gold aiguillettes, indicating they are personal aides-de-camp to the monarch. William's Welsh Guards uniform also bore the cypher of Queen Elizabeth, whom he served as aide-de-camp. Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. To cheering crowds lining the Mall, the Princess of Wales, who is in remission from cancer, accompanied her children — Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7 — in an open-topped Ascot Landau carriage from the palace to Horse Guards. Last year, it had rained on their parade and they were partly shielded from view in their Glass Coach carriage. But this year, under brilliant blues skies and sunshine, the Waleses were a picture-perfect happy family unit. Kate wore a striking aquamarine dress coat by Catherine Walker, a hat by Juliette Botterill, and her Irish Guards regimental brooch and ear-rings that belonged to Queen Elizabeth. Matching her mother's colour scheme, Charlotte opted for a mint-green dress. And just as her father's outfit paid tribute to his grandmother, so Charlotte kept the memory of her great-grandmother close, with a diamond horseshoe brooch pinned to her dress — a gift from Queen Elizabeth that Charlotte wore to her great-grandmother's funeral in 2022. A gap-toothed Louis, always full of high-jinks at Trooping the Colour, beamed at his big brother throughout the procession, waved vigorously to the crowds and twinned his brother's outfit, both in smart navy suits and red ties. Joining the royal contingent were the Duchess of Edinburgh, in a green Beulah dress and Jane Taylor hat, who travelled in a carriage with Anne's husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. After seeing her children into the Major General's office above Horse Guards — from where they watched the parade under the supervision of their longstanding Norland nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo — Kate returned to the parade ground. She stood alongside the King's side on the dais, in her role as colonel of the Irish Guards. Last year's parade had marked her first public appearance since announcing last March that she was undergoing treatment for cancer. Then, she had watched the parade from the Major General's office, but retaking her place on the dais, as she did in 2023, will be an encouraging sign that Kate's recovery continues in the right direction. More than 1,300 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians gathered on the parade ground, where the colour of No 7 Company Coldstream Guards was trooped. To the tunes of Bonnie Tyneside and The King's Guard, performed by the Massed Bands, the King inspected the troops from his carriage before taking his place on the dais. Then, at 11.10am as seated spectators were asked to stand, a lone trumpeter signalled the minute's silence with the Last Post. At 11.11am, the trumpet sounded the Reveille, and celebrations resumed. • The India plane crash victims from Britain — what we know so far While the Princess of Wales stood alongside the King on the dais, a high-spirited Louis remained perched above them on a window sill of the Major General's office, providing a lively running commentary to his kin watching with him. By his side at the window, the Duchess of Edinburgh, 60, who is close to the Waleses, appeared to enjoy 'the Louis show'. Back at Buckingham Palace, the King, who shows little sign of reduced stamina despite his illness, stood again on a dais at the Centre Gate taking the salute of the troops returning to their barracks after an impeccable parade. At 1pm, cheers went up again from the Mall as the palace balcony windows opened and the royal contingent, joined by the frail but determined Duke of Kent, 89, emerged on to the balcony for the RAF flypast. Last year, Kate was by the King's side. This year, her youngest son snuck into that spot, prompting smiles and laughter from the King as Louis, rubbing his eyes in the bright sunlight, chatted constantly to his 'Grandpa Wales' as 29 aircraft flew overhead. George, who had his first flying lesson last September at White Waltham Airfield in Berkshire, appeared captivated while Charlotte was laser-focused on following protocol during the national anthem. Louis, less of a stickler for protocol, turned back for another natter with his grandfather during God Save the King and, in a final flourish, gave yet another royal wave to the crowds while being ushered inside by his mother. For the first time, in a special nod to the King's enduring environmental campaigning, the RAF's Aerobatic Team used a 40 per cent blend of sustainable aviation fuel [SAF] and normal jet fuel for the propulsion of the Red Arrows, and a renewable biofuel made of hydrotreated vegetable oil for their red, white and blue smoke trails. It is thought to be the first time anywhere in the world that two environmentally friendly fuels have been used at the same time by a national aerobatic team. A palace aide said of the King: 'He has been encouraging wider use of SAF on royal flights where possible and practical. His Majesty hopes to be an 'early adopter' whose example will help encourage wider availability and use across the aviation sector.' Before the flypast, Squadron Leader Andy King of the Red Arrows said: 'Hopefully the King will be looking up with a smile on his face.' A palace aide said Charles, who beamed throughout, was 'delighted'. Mission fulfilled.
