Trooping The Colour The Kings Birthday Parade 2023
Huw Edwards introduces live coverage of King Charles Ill's first official birthday parade. From the heart of London, the Welsh Guards troop their colour on Horse Guards Parade in a world-renowned spectacle full of music, majesty and military precision.
Trooping the Colour is a ceremonial event performed every year on Horse Guards Parade in London, United Kingdom, by regiments of Household Division, to celebrate the official birthday of the British sovereign. It is also known as the Sovereign's Birthday Parade.
The Sovereign's birthday is officially celebrated by the ceremony of Trooping the Colour (King's Birthday Parade). This impressive display of pageantry takes place on a Saturday in June by his personal troops, the Household Division, on Horse Guards Parade, with His Majesty the King himself attending and taking the salute.
Over 1400 officers and men are on parade, together with two hundred horses; over four hundred musicians from ten bands and corps of drums march and play as one. Some 113 words of command are given by the Officer in Command of the Parade. The parade route extends from Buckingham Palace along The Mall to Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall and back again.
During the ceremony, The King is greeted by a Royal salute and carries out an inspection of the troops. After the massed bands have performed a musical 'troop the escorted Regimental Colour is carried down the ranks.
The Foot Guards and the Household Cavalry then march past His Majesty, and The king's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, rank past. The King rides back to Buckingham Palace at the head of his Guards, before taking the salute at the Palace from a dais. The troops then return to barracks. His Majesty then joins other members of the Royal Family on the palace balcony for a fly-past by the Royal Air Force.
The first Trooping the Colour which is reviewed by The Major General Usually takes place two weeks before the actual Birthday Parade.
The second Trooping the Colour which is reviewed by The Colonel of the Regiment usually takes.