King Charles Marks His First Public Birthday Celebration as Monarch with Trooping the Colour

The King brought back the tradition of the monarch participating on horseback for his first official birthday parade

King Charles is the guest of honor at Trooping the Colour!

On Saturday, the 74-year-old King was celebrated at the first Trooping the Colour of his royal reign in London. The epic display of military precision has marked the British monarch’s official birthday for over 260 years.

For the event, King Charles wore the tunic of the Guard of Honour Order, the Welsh Guards. The sovereign wears the uniform of whichever Regiment’s Colour is being trooped. He added the traditional bearskin hat with a Blue Garter Sash. The uniform of the monarch bears the cypher of their predecessor — therefore, King Charles' uniform featured the cypher of his mother, Queen Elizabeth.

The King saddled up on a horse named Noble for his ceremonial role as Colonel in Chief of the seven regiments of the Household Division of the British Army, a first for a British monarch in 37 years. Queen Elizabeth last rode during Trooping the Colour in 1986 on her beloved horse Burmese and opted to take a carriage in the years that followed.

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King Charles has had plenty of practice for today’s equestrian procession by riding in many of the past parades — he first rode in the event as Colonel of the Welsh Guards (a role now held by his son and heir, Prince William, now the Prince of Wales) in 1975.

King Charles first attended Trooping the Colour at age 3 when it celebrated his grandfather, King George VI.

For his debut, the little royal rode in a carriage with his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and his aunt, Princess Margaret. His mother, the then-Princess Elizabeth before acceded the throne the following year, was riding horseback in the procession!

The festivities began when King Charles departed Buckingham Palace and rode almost a mile down The Mall to Horse Guards Parade at St. James’ Park. There, he will be greeted by a royal salute and inspect military members. King Charles became the ceremonial head of the Household Division’s seven regiments — the Grenadier Guards, Welsh Guards, Irish Guards, Blues and Royals, Scots Guards, Life Guards and Coldstream Guards — following his mother’s death in September and his subsequent accession.

About 1,500 soldiers, 300 horses and 400 musicians came together for the first Trooping the Colour performed in King Charles’ honor.

At Horse Guard’s Parade, King Charles, Queen Camilla and other members of the royal family will watch the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards "troop their colour,” or present their flag. The King will be specially escorted by the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals, Princess Anne’s regiment as Colonel-in-Chief.

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After the presentation, King Charles, Queen Camilla and the rest of the royal family will travel back to Buckingham Palace, either on horseback or by horse-drawn carriage. The King and his family will then step out on the balcony to see a March Past and flypast — a favorite moment of Trooping the Color.

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King Charles and Queen Camilla’s appearance on the terrace will be just the second of the new reign after their historic coronation on May 6. The newly crowned King and Queen gave a wave from the balcony after the church service at Westminster Abbey to greet the cheering crowds below.

Although King Charles will actually turn 75 in November, it's normal for the parade to not take place around the monarch's birthday. According to the British Army, the ceremonial presentation of the military's regimental flags, called "colours," was first performed under King Charles II, who ruled from 1660 to 1685. The event was formally linked to the monarch’s birthday during the reign of King George II in 1748 — and there was a practical reason for the event not being celebrated on the monarch's actual birth date.

“With a November birthday being too cold for a celebratory parade, he tied his celebrations in with the annual Trooping the Colour military parade,” Royal Museums Greenwich states, and monarchs since have continued the practice of holding the festivities during the warmer weather months.

Trooping the Colour got a permanent spot on the annual royal calendar following the accession of his grandson King George III in 1760 and has continued ever since.

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