Royal family gathers at Buckingham Palace for King Charles’ official birthday parade
India McTaggart
Updated ,first published
The royal family stepped onto the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch the annual Flight of the Colored Troops flyby.
The King and Queen, who were greeted with applause from the huge crowd, were joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales to celebrate King Charles’ fourth birthday as monarch.
The Welsh children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – waved to thousands of cheering spectators before watching the Red Arrows perform.
Prince George struggled not to sneeze during the National Anthem as the royal family gathered to celebrate the Troops of Color.
The Prince and Princess of Wales’s eldest child, 12, was seen waiting stoically on the balcony of Buckingham Palace until he reached the final notes of God Save the King before letting out a small sneeze.
Apologizing to his smiling mother, the Prince was on his best behavior at the annual parade to celebrate the King’s fourth birthday as monarch.
All three children from Wales displayed impeccable behavior in front of the world’s cameras. The 44-year-old Prince talked to his curious children about the Red Arrows’ display as planes flew overhead.
The Princess Crown, Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the widowed Duke of Kent also appeared on the balcony.
The Duke of Kent, 90, was seen filming the start of the flight on his mobile phone while juggling his walking stick in his other hand.
More than 1,400 soldiers participated in the performance, as well as 200 horses and 400 musicians. Approximately 113 words of command are issued to officers by the Officer in Parade Command, known as the Brigade Standby Field Officer.
Last year the aerobatic display, powered by sustainable aviation fuel, flew directly over Buckingham Palace and featured the brand’s signature colored red, white and blue smoke trails.
Earlier in the day, the King and Queen set off from the Mall to the Horse Guards Parade in the Ascot Landau carriage.
In behind-the-scenes footage that Kensington Palace later posted on social media, the monarch was seen laughing just before setting off in the Landau car for the parade at the Mall.
The Princess of Wales also traveled with her three children on the Ascot Landau, while the Prince of Wales, the Princess Crown and the Duke of Edinburgh followed on horseback.
The Princess of Wales wore a light blue coat dress by Catherine Walker and a Philip Treacy hat, as well as an Irish Guards brooch, in honor of her role as a colonel.
The Duchess of Edinburgh was in Barouche coach No. 1, accompanied by Sir Tim Laurence. The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester also followed Barouche No.
The Queen wears a red silk crepe Grenadier Guards dress by Fiona Clare, and her hat by Philip Treacy is a black beret with white feathers and a Grenadier Guards hat badge.
The Wales family drove to Buckingham Palace earlier in the day; Prince George wore a matching light blue tie and Princess Charlotte wore a white dress and hair clips.
The three children sat upright and silent in their carriage, waving to the public during the ceremony that marked the monarch’s official birthday for more than 260 years.
They arrived at Horse Guards Parade at around 11.15am and were greeted with a royal salute before the King inspected the hundreds of guards lined up in a line from his personal Household Chapter.
Once the morning parade ended, the Royal family departed from the Mall towards Buckingham Palace.
