A royal look-see: Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have a playful peek at Trooping the Colour crowds through Buckingham Palace window before joining their parents on the balcony
Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis looked playfully out of a Buckingham Palace window shortly before appearing on the balcony of Trooping the Color today.
In the pictures, 11-year-old Charlotte and her younger brother Louis, eight, looked out the window as they tried to catch a glimpse of the crowds gathered outside ahead of the annual flight marking the King’s official birthday celebrations.
In another shot, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, 61, and the Duke of Kent, 90, joined the young royals as they watched the scene below Buckingham Palace.
Moments later, members of the Royal Family, including King Charles and Queen Camilla, delighted royal fans who took to the balcony to watch the RAF fly by.
Alongside the Welshmen were the Princess Crown and her husband, Vice-Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, whose wife, the Duchess of Kent, died in September 2025, also appeared on the balcony for the Red Arrows parade after missing the royal carriage procession.
Kate, 44, looked typically elegant in a Catherine Walker light blue and white blazer dress and matching Philip Treacy hat.
Meanwhile, the King wore his military uniform while Queen Camilla wore a red silk crepe Grenadier Guards uniform dress designed by Fiona Clare.
Eight-year-old Prince Louis and 11-year-old Princess Charlotte were seen looking out the window before stepping onto the balcony of Trooping the Color today.
It was a family affair for the Firm, with the Prince of Wales riding out on horseback while wearing the Full Ceremonial Order of the Welsh Guards earlier in the day. She was accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh and the Crown Princess, who saluted her as she made her way to Buckingham Palace.
Highlighting the strong bond between Kate and her children, they all wore complementary outfits, from George and Louis’ ties in the exact tone of Kate’s dress to Charlotte’s printed cream dress with a touch of blue.
Known for his cheeky antics, Louis flashed his gap-toothed smile to crowds who eagerly held up their phones to snap photos of the Royal Family during the spectacular display of military pomp and regalia.
George, 12, the future heir to the throne, looked confident as he waved to well-wishers while seemingly joking and chatting with his younger sister Charlotte.
It was an event that once saw the balcony of Buckingham Palace packed with at least 44 royals, including more distant relatives. But in the last few years, only royal family members and children of Welsh people have attended the event.
Today, the guards in their red tunics and bearskin caps put on a delicate march at the Horse Guards Parade; They were developed over weeks of practice and as part of ceremonial duties when not serving as combat soldiers.
The national celebration is a highlight of the royal calendar and came as the Royal Family gathered on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the traditional fly-by of RAF aircraft.
This year’s enlistment color – the regimental flag – was the King’s Color of the Grenadier Guards.
The Duchess of Edinburgh joined Princess Charlotte in looking out the window before appearing on the balcony.
The Duke of Kent sat next to the young royal before stepping out onto the balcony at today’s Trooping the Color event.
Prince George seen taking a sip of water before RAF flight on Saturday afternoon
Charles presented the new color to his regiment at a ceremony in the gardens of Buckingham Palace on 9 June.
The Grenadier Guards were recruited by the exiled King Henry II to protect Oliver Cromwell during his rule over England. It was cultivated by Charles in 1656 in Bruges, Belgium.
Charles, Colonel-in-Chief of the Grenadier Guards, visited the King’s Company at their barracks in Aldershot on the eve of enlistment and wished them ‘great success’ for the big day.
He told the company: ‘You’ve been training hard since Easter and I can hear the drums beating regularly from Buckingham Palace, so I know you’re all walking up and down trying to get ready for the parade.’
The King continued: ‘…for the last 370 years of your existence, you have made all of us in this country incredibly proud of your effort, service and sacrifice, and I feel great pride and privilege to be here.’
The King’s Birthday Parade this year takes place exactly a week after the royal family gathered for the ‘intimate’ wedding of Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling in Kemble, Gloucestershire.
Catherine looked perfectly composed as she arrived at All Saints Church with husband William, 43, wearing a £750 Roland Mouret dress and Jane Taylor hat.
The future Queen was greeted to the sounds of cheering crowds of well-wishers who gathered to catch a glimpse of the royal guests.
Trotting the Color is a military ceremony that dates back to the 18th century and is one of the most high-profile royal events of the year.
This has its roots in the battlefield tradition where regimental flags or ‘colours’ were hung in front of soldiers to ensure they could be identified through the smoke of war.
