Trooping the Colour 2019
Trooping the Colour, the Queens annual birthday parade, is one of the few events every year that the entire Royal Family comes out for and this year was no exception. Here is the breakdown of everything you need to know.
The Queen rode in a carriage by herself since her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, is now retired from public life. The Queen has developed a practical but impressive uniform of sorts through the years and has proven she can pull off any color. This year she wore a cream coat dress paired with her signature black block heels and black handbag.
The Prince of Wales rode behind the Queen carriage in his role as Colonel of the Welsh guards, a position he has held since 1975. The Duchess of Cornwall rode in a separate carriage with the Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex before appearing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace alongside her husband.
The Duke of Cambridge rode alongside his Father, Aunt and Uncle in his role as Colonel of the Irish Guards. Prince William has held the position since 2011 and also married his wife, Kate Middleton, in the uniform of the Irish Guards. The Duchess of Cambridge had ridden in a carriage with the Duchess of Cornwall at every Trooping the Colour she has attended however, this year her brother-in-law and his wife, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, rode with the pair. The Cambridge children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are always a highlight of the parade when they make an appearance on the balcony, and this year was no exception. While Prince George seemed to be squinting up at the sun the whole time, waiting for the fly over (a highlight for all the children, especially George who is said to love planes), Prince Louis was waving at the massive crowds, seemingly very happy in both his mother and fathers arms. Princess Charlotte was also present, providing the crowd with her signature 'royal wave'.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex both attended, though the Duchess is still on maternity leave. In a change from last year, they rode in a carriage with the Duchess of Cornwall and Duchess of Cambridge. They took a smaller role during the balcony appearance in order to allow some of the children a better view at the spectacle. The parade took place just over a month after the birth of their son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten Windsor.
The Duke of York took his place as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, a position he took over from his father, the Duke of Edinburgh, in 2017. Princess Beatrice rode in a carriage alongside her sister, Princess Eugenie who was joined by her husband, Jack Brooksbank. The couple married in October and this was the first Trooping the Colour that Jack had attended. Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have attended nearly every year since they were born.
The Earl and Countess of Wessex were also in attendance with their children, Lady Louise and James Viscount Severn. They also made a brief appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony but stayed towards the back in order to allow younger children and newer additions to the family to enjoy the parade.
Trooping the Colour takes place every year on the second Saturday of June to signal the monarchs official birthday celebration (Queen Elizabeth's actual birthday is in April). Until then we likely won't see the entire family together until a wedding or Christmas. xx