Trooping The Color
Trooping the Color, 2024. It's been a joyous occasion!
The Sovereign's official birthday is celebrated in June with a ceremony known as the King's Birthday Parade. It’s also known as Trooping the Colour.
It’s another great national tradition in the UK with a remarkable turnout from the public. People line the streets to see the magnificent pomp and majesty of the British military and the Royal Family.
Trooping the Colour became associated with the monarch’s birthday during the reign of George III, who was born June 4th, 1738. Not all monarchs are born during a pleasant season like summer, however, so changes had to be made. The first or even second Saturday in June is designated as the monarch’s official birthday, regardless of when they are born (like George VI, who was born in December and Charles III, who was born in November).
Trooping the “colour” is the display of the regimental flags of the British Army. The Household Division is made up of seven different British Army regiments, so in the time before modern communication, it was crucial for the troops to remember who was who, so training consisted of displaying the different regiments’ colors on a regular basis. It was vital to have this visual cue in order to rally the troops out on the battlefield if they became scattered.
This year’s Trooping is especially poignant as both the king and Catherine, the Princess of Wales, were present despite undergoing continued cancer treatment. It has indeed been a joyous occasion to see the king, Catherine, and William, along with the Wales children. The future of the monarchy has never looked more secure!
Everyone looked wonderful.