The King will ride on horseback as he takes part in a Trooping the Colour ceremony today (June 17), becoming the first monarch in more than 30 years to do so.
During the ceremony, Charles will take the royal salute as Colonel in Chief of the Household Division’s seven regiments, staged on Horse Guards Parade, as members of the royal family and 8,000 spectators watch.
The colour, or regimental flag, that will be trooped in front of hundreds of Guardsmen and officers will be the King’s Colour of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.
When was the last time a monarch rode horseback for Trooping the Colour?
Queen Elizabeth’s horse Burmese carried her during the 1986 ceremony and this was the last time a monarch rode at Trooping the Colour.
Burmese was a gift from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and was the Queen’s favourite steed for ceremonial occasions.
The horse was ridden by her for 18 years until its retirement in 1986 and she decided to use a carriage for Trooping rather than train another charger.
Who will ride on horseback for Trooping the Colour?
The King will ride from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards and he will be joined by the royal Colonels - Prince of Wales, Colonel, Welsh Guards and the Princess Royal, Gold Stick in Waiting and Colonel, The Blues and Royals.
During the ceremony, the Duke of Edinburgh will also ride in his role as Colonel of the 1st Battalion London Guards, formed last year.
A carriage is expected to carry the Queen and the Princess of Wales and her children.
The royal party will travel in the middle of a Sovereign’s Mounted Escort formed by troops from the Household Cavalry’s Life Guards and Blues and Royals, with two divisions riding in front and two behind.
The King will inspect the Guardsmen, in their scarlet tunics and bearskins during the ceremony as they stand in two rows on Horse Guards before the colour is trooped.
Providing the musical backing during the day will be the massed bands of the Household Division.
Also taking part is the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery who, following the parade, will fire a 41-gun salute in Green Park to mark the King’s official birthday while from the Tower of London, the Honourable Artillery Company will fire 62 volleys.
What will happen after the ceremony?
Once the ceremony has finished, the royal family will go back to Buckingham Palace.
They will gather on the balcony to watch an extended military flypast after the display on coronation day had to be scaled down due to bad weather.
Around 70 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force will take part – including aircraft from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, the C-130 Hercules on its final ceremonial flight, modern Typhoon fighter jets with a red, white and blue finale from the Red Arrows.
How to watch Trooping the Colour
You can watch coverage of the King's Birthday Parade from 10.30am on Saturday, June 17 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
The highlights of the event will be broadcast on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer from 6.10pm.
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