Four Trooping the Colour changes you may have missed are revealed

One of the most prestigious events in the royal calendar has taken place - Trooping the Colour 2024 - with all senior members of the Royal Family taking centre stage.

Princess Kate stepped out publicly for the first time since Christmas Day after announcing she would be attending just yesterday (June 14). Wearing a white and navy ensemble, Kate dazzled and matched daughter Princess Charlotte in inverted colours.

The princess has been undergoing preventative chemotherapy, but was able to make it out in front of excited crowds for the King's birthday parade.

The family made their way out in horse-drawn carriages, as per usual tradition, before congregating on Buckingham Palace's balcony to watch the RAF flypast.

The event was there for people to see along The Mall, and has also been televised. But there are some breaks from tradition that some royal fans may have missed.

See below for our analysis.

The King was not on a horseback

King Charles has also been undergoing his own cancer treatment for months - but has taken a gradual return to public duties in recent weeks.

Royal fans had been curious as to whether doctors would give him the green light to step out for today's Trooping the Colour. But his recovery, and the wet weather, did not stop him from performing his duties - albeit slightly differently.

The monarch was forced to break with the standard tradition of conducting the Trooping the Colour review on the ground, and instead did so from the Ascot Landau carriage.

Last year he was also dubbed the first monarch to attend the event on horseback in 38 years, something his late mother did for decades. In 2023, he rode a black horse, named Noble.

The change was made as part of the message that the King's team would assess each public-facing duty on its own merit, and make adaptations if necessary.

The carriages were different

Eagle-eyed viewers may have spotted the carriages looked slightly different this year in comparison to last. In 2023, the carriages were open topped. This year the carriage carrying Princess Kate, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis was enclosed.

This was probably to keep the royals from getting soaked in what has been a drizzly June so far. But also to keep the Princess safe who is still undergoing treatment for cancer.

Trooping the Colour, marking one of the King's birthdays, always takes place in June - a month of usually-assured sunshine and dry weather. But this year London and the south-east has been plagued by constant showers.

Introducing...Lady Louise

Lady Louise Windsor,  the daughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, made a rare cameo appearance at Trooping this year.

The King's youngest niece, aged 20, made a grand entrance in a stunning floral Suzannah London dress, which she had recycled from the King and Queen's coronation last year. But spectators were not overly impressed with Lady Louise getting drenched.

She first arrived at Buckingham Palace in a car alongside her parents but was later seen in a carriage with a hood only on one side, where Duchess Sophie and the Duke of Kent were sitting.

Eventually, she was pictured underneath the hood, with her and mum Duchess Sophie wearing tartan blankets over their legs to keep dry. She also made a second appearance on the infamous Buckingham Palace balcony, along with her immediate family.

The Buckingham Palace line-up was different

It's one of the most pinnacle moments of the Trooping event, the family congregating on Buckingham Palace's famous balcony to watch the parade and the RAF flypast.

However, the past two years have seen a relatively different shake-up - the first change being made by the late Queen Elizabeth who opted for just senior members of the royal family to make the appearance.

And this year's line-up was different to the last - but the total number of people only increased this year by one. The positions of some were also noticeably dissimilar.

Prince William last year stood next to his father, as heir to the throne, but this year - in a gentle nod to the pair's close bond - the King opted to stand with Princess Kate. Experts believe this is to unify the pair, who are both undergoing treatment for cancer.

James, Earl of Wessex, was missing this year - but it's thought for good reason as the teen may have taken a step back for exam revision. Princess Alexandra, 87, a cousin of the late Queen, who also missed the event last year, was absent.

Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester stood on the far-left along with Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester - both of whom undertake duties on behalf of the royal family. They also share three children.