The King’s official birthday celebrations culminated in a spectacular Red Arrows fly-past over Buckingham Palace, a moment eagerly anticipated by Prince Louis, who appeared keen to catch a glimpse of his grandfather.
The annual Trooping the Colour ceremony unfolded with traditional military pomp and pageantry on Horse Guards Parade. This grand display of the Army’s ceremonial prowess was witnessed by the royal family and thousands of spectators, marking a highlight in the royal calendar.
All eyes were on Prince Louis, the youngest child of the Prince and Princess of Wales, known for his lively presence at major royal events.
From a first-floor window of the Duke of Wellington’s former office, the eight-year-old prince was observed ducking down to peer through a half-open pane, alongside his siblings Prince George, 12, and Princess Charlotte, 11, and other royals including the Duchess of Edinburgh and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.
Below, on the royal dais in the parade ground, stood the King, Queen, and the Princess of Wales. The Princess of Wales wore a striking wide-brimmed blue and white Philip Treacy hat paired with a matching Catherine Walker outfit.
Both royal women paid tribute to their regiments; the Princess of Wales sported the brooch of the Irish Guards, of which she is Colonel, while the Queen, Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, wore a red Fiona Clare dress inspired by their uniform and a black beret with a white plume by Treacy, featuring her regimental cap badge.
Trooping the Colour is a historic ceremony where regimental flags, once vital rallying points in battle, are paraded before soldiers to ensure recognition. This tradition evolved into the celebration of the head of state’s official birthday.
This year, the King’s Colour of the Grenadier Guards, presented by the King earlier in the week, was trooped. The event also served as a social occasion, with stands around Horse Guards Parade filled with approximately 8,000 family members of the guards and officers.
Under the summer sun, the King inspected over a thousand guardsmen from the Grenadier, Scots, Irish, and Coldstream Guards regiments from a carriage, later saluting as the colours were marched past him.
The traditional fly-past of RAF aircraft saw the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent join other royals on the Buckingham Palace balcony.
The aerial display roared over the palace in 10 waves, featuring Typhoon jets, Chinook helicopters, C-17 military transport planes, and the Red Arrows trailing their signature red, white, and blue smoke, joined by four F35-B short take-off and vertical-landing jets.
Prince Louis, smartly dressed in a shirt, trousers, tie, and double-breasted jacket, was seen pulling at his collar. As the Red Arrows flew overhead, he turned to speak to his parents, prompting smiles and laughter from the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Crowds gathered along The Mall to witness the royal family, though the area directly in front of Buckingham Palace remained clear of spectators. Meanwhile, anti-monarchist group Republic staged a demonstration, unfurling umbrellas that spelled out “Stop The Reign” as the royals appeared on the balcony.
