Trooping the Colour: Royal Family joins King Charles’ for his 78th birthday celebration
- By Umaima Amir -
- Jun 13, 2026
Britain is celebrating King Charles’s official birthday with full enthusiasm!
On Saturday, June, 13, senior members of the royal family including Kate Middleton, Prince William and their children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis as well as the Duke of Edinburgh were seen arriving at Buckingham Palace by car for the traditional Trooping the Colour ceremony, a grand display of military pageantry and royal tradition.
The event, also known as the King’s Birthday Parade, brought together more than 1,400 parading soldiers, 200 horses, and 400 musicians, all marching down The Mall in honour of His Majesty’s official birthday celebration.
The ceremony began with a 41-gun salute fired by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, followed by a royal salute on Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall, setting the tone for one of the most significant dates in the royal calendar.
This year, the Colour being trooped is the King’s Colour of the Grenadier Guards, which was presented by the monarch earlier this week at Buckingham Palace.
The historic regimental flag was escorted during the parade by guardsmen from the King’s Company, continuing a tradition rooted deeply in British ceremonial history.
The Prince of Wales is Colonel of the Welsh Guards, the Princess Royal serves as Colonel of the Blues and Royals, and the Duke of Edinburgh is Colonel of the Scots Guards, all playing key ceremonial roles during the parade.
Crowds lined The Mall under sunny skies, though strong winds added a lively weather for watcher and royals alike as they prepared for the balcony appearance and RAF fly-past later in the day.
While Trooping the Colour is widely regarded as the King’s official birthday celebration, King Charles’ actual birthday falls on 14 November. The tradition of marking the monarch’s birthday on a separate summer date dates back to the 18th century, allowing for better weather conditions for the ceremonial parade.