King's Official Birthday Celebration
King Charles Marks Official Birthday in London with Grand Trooping the Colour Parade
King Charles III marked his official birthday on June 13, 2026, with the annual Trooping the Colour ceremony at Horse Guards Parade in London. Over 1,350 soldiers, 200 horses, and 400 musicians took part in the parade, according to The Household Division.
The Princess of Wales, Catherine, made a prominent appearance alongside the King — her second Trooping the Colour since completing chemotherapy in 2025. It was Charles's fourth as monarch. The event drew thousands of spectators to Whitehall, with the ceremony culminating in a Royal Air Force flypast over The Mall at 1:00 pm BST, according to Changing-Guard.com.
King Rides in Carriage as Health Protocol Takes Hold
For the third year running, Charles did not ride on horseback. He travelled in the Scottish State Coach with Queen Camilla, a change first made in 2024 due to his ongoing cancer treatment, Newsweek reported. Camilla wore a red Grenadier Guards uniform dress by designer Fiona Clare and the late Queen Elizabeth II's Grenadier Guards brooch, according to Town & Country.
The King arrived precisely as the Horse Guards clock struck 11:00 am. A 41-gun salute fired from Green Park and a simultaneous 62-gun salute at the Tower of London marked the moment, Jackery UK noted. Charles then inspected the troops, followed by the royal colonels — Prince William, Princess Anne, and Prince Edward.
Grenadier Guards Colour Takes Centre Stage This Year
The regimental flag trooped this year was the King's Colour of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards — the most senior infantry regiment in the British Army. The regiment was raised in 1656 to protect Charles II in exile, according to The Royal Family. Charles had presented the Colour to the regiment at a Buckingham Palace ceremony earlier in the week.
At that ceremony, the King told the Grenadier Guards: "Ever since the last 370 years of your existence you have made us all in this country so incredibly proud... I feel very proud and privileged to be here," as reported by The Independent. Prince William rode on horseback during the parade on a horse named Darby, gifted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, according to Royal Central.
Wales Children Watch from Wellington's Office, Join Balcony
Prince George (12), Princess Charlotte (11), and Prince Louis (8) watched the parade from the Duke of Wellington's former office at Horse Guards before joining the balcony appearance at Buckingham Palace, according to Perspective Media. Catherine wore a baby-blue Catherine Walker coat dress with white piping and the Irish Guards Brooch, as noted by HELLO!.
The balcony appearance was limited to working royals — a format set during the Platinum Jubilee that now excludes Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and Prince Andrew. William and Catherine remain the most popular royals, with a 74–77% positive rating, according to YouGov.
Protests Outside as Monarchy Support Slides to 45%
Anti-monarchy group Republic gathered on The Mall from 8:30 am. CEO Graham Smith called the event "another costly celebration of a corrupt and dishonest institution," according to Republic.org. The Metropolitan Police drew criticism for placing protesters behind railings and banning flags or noise-making equipment until the parade ended, GB News reported.
A February 2026 Savanta poll found support for the monarchy has fallen to 45%, while 33% prefer an elected head of state, according to Slugger O'Toole. Support for a republic is as high as 59% among those aged 16–34, a NatCen/BSA survey found. Royal historian Anna Whitelock told The Guardian that the monarchy faces a growing "transparency crisis" over its finances, even as Charles earns praise for his diplomatic work abroad.
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