Trooping the Colour 2024: Everything you need to know about King Charles's birthday parade

Royal fans are preparing for Trooping the Colour 2024, the official term for King Charles's official birthday parade, which will take place on Saturday.

The last two weekends have seen the rehearsals get underway, and on Monday the monarch presented the new Colours of the Irish Guard at Windsor Castle.

The year's event will be taking place amid the General Election campaign and is set to see the monarch break away from a beloved royal tradition, as well as the Princess of Wales making an appearance for the first time in six months. Both royals are currently undergoing treatment for cancer.

Trooping the Colour is held annually as an official birthday event for the monarch, even though Charles's actual birthday is on November 14. It dates back centuries and became an annual event from 1760.

It is one of the biggest military ceremonies of the year, featuring around 1,600 parading soldiers, 400 musicians and more than 200 horses and is usually wrapped up with a RAF flypast over Buckingham Palace, watched by the Royal Family from the Palace balcony.

Here, Express.co.uk takes a look at all the key details of this year's Trooping the Colour, rehearsal times and official timing of the ceremony as well as which royals are set to attend this year.

When is Trooping the Colour?

Trooping the Colour has traditionally been held on a Saturday in June since 1959.

Even though the date is not fixed, from 1979 to 2017, as well as 2023, it was always held on a Saturday from June 11 to 17.

In 2018, it was held on June 9 and in 2019 on June 8, while during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the ceremonies were modified and scaled back, taking place at Windsor Castle instead.

In 2022, the Trooping the Colour ceremony was held on Thursday, June 2 as it coincided with the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

Last year, Charles marked his first Trooping as King on Saturday, June 17, riding onto Horse Guards in Whitehall as the nation's head of state six weeks after his coronation.

Will there be any rehearsals for Trooping this year?

The British Army announced that almost 1,000 soldiers and around 240 horses from the Household Division performed a "khaki rehearsal" of the Trooping parade in London earlier this month.

The rehearsal took place on the Horse Guards Parade in front of an audience of more than 1,000 people as a test for soldiers and horses who had yet to rehearse publicly.

Lieutenant Colonel James Shaw, the Brigade Major of the Household Division, confirmed the troops were of the required standard before they performed at The Major General's Review on Saturday, June 1, The Colonel's Review on June 8 and Trooping the Colour on June 15.

The Army said the Number 9 Company, Irish Guards, were chosen to troop their colour, which means the regiment will march its ceremonial flag through the ranks at the King's official birthday event.

The Band of the Irish Guards with the Pipes and Drums will march the troops onto the parade ground, led by regimental mascot Turlough Mor, an Irish Wolfhound also known as Seamus.

The music is set to have a "distinctly Irish theme", including Celtic folk tunes and new music composed for the parade.

Is Trooping the Colour King Charles's actual birthday?

While Trooping the Colour marks the Sovereign's official birthday, it is not the actual date they were born.

King Charles was born on November 14 1948 and not on June 15, when the celebrations will take place this year but like many monarchs before him, he celebrates two birthdays in a year.

However, while many would assume monarchs celebrate two birthdays due to royal tradition, the answer is much simpler - and it's all down to the weather.

Summer in England, especially June, is the optimal time for a parade - rather than the more unpredictable weather in November.

It's reported the two-birthday tradition was first performed during the reign of King Charles II.

The late Queen Elizabeth's actual birthday was in April, but she also held Trooping the Colour in the summer as her official birthday parade.

What happens at Trooping the Colour?

More than 1,400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians will come together to take part in a grand display of pomp and military pageantry on June 15.

Each year a different regimental colour (flag) is trooped and members of the five Foot Guards regiments take turns with it to lead the parade.

This year, the Irish Guards have been chosen to troop their colour, which means the regiment will march its ceremonial flag through the ranks at the King's official birthday event.

At the start of the ceremony, Charles will be greeted by a royal salute on Horse Guards Parade and a 41-gun salute fired by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery from the Green Park.

His Majesty will then inspect his troops before the Massed Bands of the Foot Guards perform a musical "troop" and the trooped flag is carried through the ranks of the Foot Guards.

The regiment will then march past Charles before the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery and the Sovereign’s Escort of the Household Cavalry ride past.

Charles will then head back to Buckingham Palace where he will join other members of the Royal Family on the balcony to watch a fly-past performed by the Royal Air Force.

Each year, the full parade is actually conducted three times on consecutive weekends.

This includes the Major General’s Review, which usually takes place two weeks before Trooping; the Colonel’s Review, which takes place a week before the King's birthday parade and the official Trooping the Colour parade on June 15.

What are the Colours?

'Colours' was the name given to the flags representing the different regiments in the British Army and were originally used as rallying points for troops on the battlefield. Each year at Trooping the Colour, a different regiment's colours are trooped.

On Monday the King presented new colours to the Irish Guards at Windsor Castle.

Charles, who is Colonel in Chief of the seven Guards regiments of the Household Division, wore his Field Marshall Frock Coat and a wealth of medals and decorations to inspect the guardsmen and officers on parade.

The Chaplain General then consecrated the colours with a blessing and the King presented the colours to two junior officers.

The new colours will be those trooped at Trooping the Colour on Saturday, the King's official birthday parade in London.

What are the timings of Trooping the Colour? How long does it last?

The glorious event typically lasts two hours with the parade usually starting at around 10.00 am and finishing by 12.25pm, when the royals head to the balcony at Buckingham Palace.

The RAF flypast is scheduled for approximately 1pm.

The Trooping the Colour parade route extends from Buckingham Palace along The Mall to Horse Guards Parade, and back again.

Will King Charles appear on horseback this year?

The King has confirmed his attendance at this year's celebrations on June 15, however, he will break a beloved royal tradition.

Charles, who is currently undergoing treatment for an undisclosed type of cancer, will travel by carriage instead of riding on horseback.

Even though he was given the clear to return to public duties in April after a short break, the Palace said that any future engagements involving the King "will be adapted where necessary" to accommodate his recovery.

Charles will also watch the military parade from a podium instead, having travelled there by carriage like his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

Last year, Charles became the first monarch in more than 30 years to take part in Trooping the Colour on horseback.

The late Queen last rode out for the parade in 1986.

Will Prince William have his own Trooping?

When Prince William is next on the throne, he might only get one celebration, unlike his predecessors.

William's birthday is on June 21 - close to the "official" birthday celebration date - so he will decide himself whether he wants to continue the tradition or celebrate just one birthday.

The next in line to the throne, Prince George, was also born in the summer (July 22) so there is a chance after Charles the tradition will not be seen for many years.

Will Princess Kate attend Trooping the Colour?

The Princess of Wales confirmed she will be attending this year's Trooping the Colour.

In a written statement on July 12, Princess Kate announced her attendance at the monarch's birthday parade and gave an update on her health.

Kate is currently undergoing preventative chemotherapy, after having been diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, and this will be her first public engagement in six months.

She wrote: "I’m looking forward to attending The King’s Birthday Parade this weekend with my family and hope to join a few public engagements over the summer, but equally knowing I am not out of the woods yet."

It is understood that Kate will be joined by her and Prince William's children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis in a carriage, while she is also expected to appear on the Buckingham Palace Balcony alongside other members of the Royal Family in time for the RAF flypast.

Who will appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony?

The King will be joined by other working members of the Royal Family once the parade is over to spectate the RAF flypast.

Last year, Charles was joined by his wife, Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.

The Queen Royal was also in attendance joined by her husband, Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence, Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.

When will the RAF flypast take place?

The RAF flypast will enter London at approximately 12.40pm on Saturday, June 15, before having previously flown over several counties around the UK.

At 11am, they will amass off the coast of Suffolk and will head onto land, where they will travel through Suffolk heading heading across Ipswich after 12:30pm and then entering Essex around 12.35pm.

The aircrafts will then pass over Colchester and Chelmsford at about 12:40pm before entering London from the North East, typically flying over the Hainault before making their way into the capital's centre via Stratford.

This is expected at the earliest at 12.40pm with the flyover at Buckingham Palace scheduled for 1pm.

After travelling over the royal residence the planes will exit the city through the North West, heading towards the east of Oxford, before landing in Reading.

Where to watch Trooping the Colour

Members of the public without tickets are advised to stand on The Mall or on the edge of St James's Park overlooking Horse Guards Parade from 9.00am.

The nearest tube and train stations are: Charing Cross - About 6 minutes walk. Bakerloo, & Northern line. Mainline train links. Embankment - 10 minutes walk Bakerloo, Northern, District & Circle line

Tickets for seating in the grandstand surrounding Horse Guards Parade for the King’s Birthday Parade are allocated by ballot.

Tickets for the Colonel's Review and the Major General's Review are on sale now and cost £30.00 for the King’s Birthday Parade, £15.00 for the Colonel’s Review and £10.00 for the Major General’s Review.

Anyone wishing to purchase tickets or enter the ballot can do so by visiting www.kbp.army.mod.uk.

For those wanting to stay at home and avoid the crowds, Trooping the Colour will be broadcast live on the BBC in the UK.

*This article was updated on June 14 with more information on the Princess of Wales's health and attendance, following her second announcement.