Queen’s official birthday marked with ‘mini’ Trooping the Colour military parade at Windsor today
Queen BEAMS as she watches ‘mini’ Trooping the Colour parade to celebrate her official birthday at Windsor Castle
- For the second year, the military commemoration of the Queen’s official birthday is held in Windsor Castle
- The Duke of Kent, Colonel and Scots Guards, will join the head of state for the traditional ceremony
- The changing of the guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace has been stopped since March 2020
The Queen has received her official birthday gift from the nation’s armed forces in a ceremony of pomp and pageantry in her honour at Windsor Castle.
The Duke of Kent, the Queen’s cousin, joined her on a dais in the castle’s quadrangle in his role as Colonel of the Scots Guards.
From her dais, the Queen tapped her foot along as she watched the ceremony unfold with Guardsmen in their scarlet tunics and bearskins and the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment in their breast plates and plumed helmets.
The birthday parade is a gift from the Household Division – the Army’s most prestigious regiments – which has a close affinity with the monarch and is keen to show its loyalty to the Crown.
After a year which has seen the Queen mourn the loss of her beloved husband the Duke of Edinburgh and experience family upheavals following accusations made by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the ceremony was a positive event.
The Colour or ceremonial flag being trooped past the soldiers was the Colour of the 2nd Battalion Scots Guards with the regiment’s F Company given the task of performing the honour.
The Queen smiled during the ceremony as she perched while the Household Division performed at Windsor Castle
The Queen has received her official birthday gift from the nation’s armed forces – a ceremony of pomp and pageantry in her honour
On parade in front of the Queen in bright summer sunshine was an array of socially distanced Guardsmen, mounted Troopers and the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery
The Queen arrives at the Trooping of the Colour parade on Saturday at Windsor Castle in a scaled down version of the ceremony
Lieutenant Colonel Guy Stone and his team have been working for months to stage the event at Windsor Castle which has been dubbed a mini Trooping the Colour
The Queen has arrived for the start of her official birthday celebrations at Windsor Castle in the traditional Trooping of the Colour ceremony
The birthday parade is a gift from the Household Division – the Army’s most prestigious regiments – which has a close affinity with the monarch and is keen to show its loyalty to the Crown
Soldiers and musicians from the Massed Band of the Household Division marched onto the parade area at Windsor Castle ahead of the ceremony
Windsor Castle was the setting for the spectacle dubbed a mini Trooping the Colour, featuring soldiers who have supported communities and the NHS during the pandemic or served overseas on military operations
The Red Arrows fly over Windsor Castle as the Queen received her official birthday gift from the nation’s armed forces
Lieutenant Colonel Guy Stone and his team have been working for months to stage the event at Windsor Castle which has been dubbed a mini Trooping the Colour
The Queen tapped her foot along to the parade on Saturday at Windsor Castle for the traditional Trooping of the Colour ceremony to mark her official birthday
On parade in front of the Queen in bright summer sunshine was an array of socially distanced Guardsmen, mounted Troopers and the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery.
They were joined by a massed band of the Household Division – musicians from all of the five Foot Guards Bands and the 1st Battalion Scots Guards Pipes and Drums.
The servicemen and women on parade numbered almost 275, with 70 horses, compared with the 85 soldiers who took part in the ceremony last summer.
A rare sight on the parade ground were two officers who were father and son.
Colonel Jeremy Bagshaw, Chief of Staff at Army Headquarters London District, was stood close to the Queen’s dais while his 18-year-old son, 2nd Lieutenant Henry Bagshaw, Coldstream Guards, was formed up in front of the monarch.
A small handful of seated guests lined part of the quadrangle – a change from last year when only the military were present.
They were joined by a massed band of the Household Division – musicians from all of the five Foot Guards Bands and the 1st Battalion Scots Guards Pipes and Drums
The playing of the national anthem as a royal salute was given by soldiers signalled the start of the ceremony and the Massed Bands marched past first in slow then quick time.
They performed the feathering technique, named as it resembles the Prince of Wales’s feathers when seen from above, and used to allow the marching musicians to turn 180 degrees and maintain individual distances.
A lone drummer played the Drummer’s Call that signalled the group of soldiers and officers known as the Escort for the Colour to get into position.
Lieutenant Hugh Dingwall was given the honour of carrying the Colour which has deep symbolic significance and it was trooped through the ranks.
The pandemic has meant for the second year in succession the military commemoration of the Queen’s official birthday is being staged in the quadrangle of her Berkshire home rather than in central London, but its scope has increased from last year.
Soldiers and musicians from the Massed Band of the Household Division marched onto the parade area at Windsor Castle ahead of the ceremony which allow the Guardsmen to show their precision marching skills while maintaining a social distance of just over two metres.
The senior military officer who planned the celebrations said his aim was to create a ‘memorable and uplifting day’ for the monarch.
Lieutenant Colonel Guy Stone and his team have been working for months to stage the event at Windsor Castle which has been dubbed a mini Trooping the Colour.
The ceremony allow the Guardsmen to show their precision marching skills while maintaining a social distance of just over two metres
The Kings’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery ride along the Long Walk today for the Trooping the Colour at Windsor Castle to celebrate Her Majesty the Queen’s official birthday
The Bands of the Household Division arrive in the Quadrangle of Windsor Castle for the scaled back event due to the pandemic
The Guardsmen taking part have been supporting local communities and the NHS across the UK during the pandemic or been serving overseas on military operations.
The Duke of Kent, Colonel, Scots Guards, will join the head of state for the ceremony and F Company Scots Guards will Troop the Colour of the 2nd Battalion Scots Guards through the ranks of guardsmen on parade.
Lt Col Stone was asked about planning the Queen’s official birthday celebrations: ‘It’s been extremely demanding; we’ve had to tackle Covid like everybody else, with some people needing to isolate and therefore not being able to be on parade.’
He explained there was the added issue of a lack of daily practice of ceremonial duties, as the changing of the guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace has been stopped since March 2020 to avoid crowds gathering.
The Guardsmen taking part have been supporting local communities and the NHS across the UK during the pandemic or been serving overseas on military operations
The Duke of Kent, Colonel, Scots Guards, will join the head of state for the ceremony and F Company Scots Guards will Troop the Colour of the 2nd Battalion Scots Guards through the ranks of guardsmen on parade
The pandemic has meant for the second year in succession the military commemoration of the Queen’s official birthday is being staged in the quadrangle of her Berkshire home
The senior officer added: ‘So from a skillset perspective it’s been very difficult to achieve what I hope will be a good standard because we’re not doing the Changing of the Guard ceremony every day due to the pandemic – that applies to horses, the musicians and the Guardsmen with their foot drill and rifle drill.
‘Last year we had 85 on parade, this year we’ve got 274, plus 70 horses, so we’re really excited about the event having grown and getting us back to normal for next year we hope.
‘It’s been very challenging, but we like a challenge. Covid has got a lot to answer for in so many ways, it’s made this difficult but what we want to do more than anything is give the Queen a memorable and uplifting day.’
Lt Col Stone, who serves with the Welsh Guards, is Brigade Major Household Division and was in overall charge of the military arrangements for the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral.
Members of the Household Cavalry make their way down the Long Walk towards Windsor Castle ahead of Saturday’s ceremony
Covid guidelines will be followed during the event which will incorporate many elements of the annual Queen’s Birthday Parade
He was made a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order by the Queen in recognition of his efforts.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement: ‘The parade will be led by the Foot Guards, who will be joined in the Quadrangle by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery and the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.
‘Music will be played by a Massed Band of the Household Division, which will include 1st Battalion Scots Guards Pipes and Drums.
‘Upon the Queen and the Duke of Kent’s arrival in the Quadrangle, Her Majesty and His Royal Highness will be greeted by a royal salute, and the National Anthem.
‘The parade will commence with the Musical Troop as the band plays. The Colour will then be trooped through the ranks, and the parade will conclude with a second royal salute.’
What Trooping the Colour looked like in EVERY YEAR of Queen Elizabeth’s illustrious 69-year reign
It’s a tradition that is believed to have gone on since 1748: The Trooping the Colour is an annual celebration of the Queen’s official birthday, which is celebrated every second weekend in June. This year’s celebration will be Her Majesty’s first without Prince Philip, who died in April aged 99. This year’s event will be a scaled-down affair at Windsor Castle, similar to last year’s ceremony at the Berkshire residence dubbed ‘mini trooping’. While the tradition endures, take a look back at how Queen Elizabeth has celebrated Trooping the Colour throughout her illustrious reign…
1952 — A SALUTE FROM HER MAJESTY: The 26-year-old Queen had only been the reigning monarch for a few months at this Trooping the Colour – her father, George VI, died in February of that year, and her coronation would not be held for more than a year later due to the lead time needed to make preparations for the ceremony, as well as traditions dictating that a length of time pass after a monarch dies before holding such celebrations. The young Elizabeth, a keen rider, is seen here sitting side-saddle as she salutes the troops at the Horse’s Guard parade in Central London.
1953 — REGAL IN RED: Elizabeth’s coronation was still months ahead at her second Trooping the Colour as Queen. Here, we see Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, to the left of Queen Elizabeth as she salutes the troops on April 1.
1954 — THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS SAY HELLO: In the first balcony photos from Trooping the Colour, the young Queen waves to the crowd below with Prince Charles (left) and Princess Anne. Prince Philip stands off to the right, surveying the festivities. Months earlier, the 27-year-old Queen made waves when she became the first and only reigning monarch to visit Australia. Since that first visit in 1954, she has returned 15 times.
1955 — CANCELED! In the only full cancellation of the Trooping the Colour in the Queen’s reign, the Trooping celebration did not take place due to a national rail strike that year. On June 1, the Queen declared a national state of emergency due to the supply chain shortages that occurred as a result of the strike, which was eventually called off.
1956 — SMILE AND WAVE PRINCESS: It was back to business as usual in 1966. Pictured: The Queen salutes the troops with Princess Anne, here about six years old.
1957 — THE FULL FAMILY: A crowd at Trooping the Colour reveals the young royal family as they gather to celebrate. From left to right, Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Alexandra of Kent, Princess Anne, the Duchess of Gloucester, Princess Margaret, Prince Philip and Prince Charles.
1958 — WHAT A CROWD: The Trooping the Colour ceremony outside Buckingham Palace. The Mall is in the background.
1959 — TAKING IN THE SIGHTS: Queen Elizabeth, then 33, is joined by the Duchess of Kent (left), as well as Prince Philip and Princess Margaret (right) as they watch an RAF flypast from the view of the balcony at Buckingham Palace for the Trooping the Colour.
1960 — HER MAJESTY AND HER HORSE: Queen Elizabeth, on horseback, is again joined by Prince Philip to take in the Trooping the Colour.
1961 — A DOTING MOTHER: Queen Elizabeth hoists a young Prince Andrew, Duke of York, above to see the crowds at the Trooping the Colour.
1962 — RESPLENDENT SMILES: A young Prince Andrew joins Queen Elizabeth to view the Trooping the Colour. Surrounding them, from left to right: The Queen Mother, The Duchess of Kent, The Duke of Kent, Princess Alexandra, Princess Anne and Princess Margaret.
1963 — THE QUEEN’S MEDALS IN VIEW: A young Prince Andrew with his mother Queen Elizabeth II observe the Trooping the Colour ceremony from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
1964 — A NEW PRINCE: Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip with their baby son, Prince Edward, on the balcony at Buckingham Palace during that year’s Trooping the Colour.
1965 — LIFE LONG PARTNERS: Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip return to Buckingham Palace after the Trooping The Colour ceremony.
1966 — LOOK UP: The Royal Family gaze up on the balcony of Buckingham Palace as 16 Lightning aircraft of Royal Air Force Fighter Command make a ceremonial fly-past over London to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s official birthday. The eager spectators include three of the Royal children – Prince Andrew, 6, Viscount Linley, four-year-old son of Princess Margaret and the Earl of Snowdon, and Prince Edward, 2. Pictured left to right are Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Princess Margaret, Queen Mother, Lord Snowdon (behind), Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Benedikte of Denmark, her father King Frederick and Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh.
1967 — DRUM ROLL PLEASE: Members of the Guards band at Buckingham Palace, London, after Trooping the Colour.
1968 — A MOMENT WITH GRANDMA: The Queen Mother and Prince Charles leave Buckingham Palace to attend the Trooping the Color ceremony and Guards Parade on June 8, 1968 in London. A year later, in 1969, the 21-year-old Charles would be named the Prince of Wales and heir to the throne.
1969 — A FAINTING GUARDSMAN: In 1969, an unconscious Guardsman was carried off as The Queen inspected the 1st Battalion, the Scots Guards, on Horse Guards Parade to mark the official birthday of The Queen. Fainting guards during Trooping the Color have become something of a tradition at the yearly event: Temperatures frequently soar, and despite hours of training, the heat sometimes overwhelms them.
1970 — BACK ON THE HORSE: The Queen makes her inspections at the Trooping the Colour on the Horse Guards Parade.
1971 — HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HER MAJESTY: Queen Elizabeth II sits astride her horse Burmese as she makes her way from Buckingham Palace along the Mall to Horse Guards Parade during the Trooping the Colour ceremony on the Queen’s official Birthday Parade in London.
1972 — ALWAYS A MOTHER: The Queen explains the details of the Trooping the Colour to her youngest son Prince Edward at Buckingham Palace. Also in 1972, the Queen celebrated 25 years of marriage with Prince Philip.
1973 – PRINCELY ARRIVALS: Prince Andrew (left) and Prince Edward in an open landau at the Trooping the Colour ceremony in London.
1974 — A REGAL MOMENT: Queen Elizabeth II takes the salute on Horse Guards Parade during the Trooping the Colour ceremony.
1975 — HISTORY CONTINUES: The Queen takes part in Trooping the Colour ceremony with 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, Horse Guards Parade London, Saturday June 14, 1975.
1976 — RIDING IN: Queen Elizabeth II rides her favorite horse Burmese down the Mall during the Trooping the Colour ceremony. Burmese, a black mare, was gifted to the Queen in 1968 and was ridden by the queen during Trooping the Colour for eighteen consecutive years, from 1968 to 1986. He died in 1990.
1977 — THE SILER JUBILEE: Queen Elizabeth II takes the salute on Horse Guards Parade during the Trooping the Colour ceremony. 1977 would have marked a special Trooping the Color for the Queen, as she was also celebrating her Silver Jubilee. The year was marked with a tour of the Commonwealth and lavish celebrations all over Britain.
1978 — FOLLOWING TRADITION: Prince Charles wore a a Bearskin Hat at the 1978 Trooping the Colour and joined the parade as Colonel of the Welsh Guards.
1979 — HER MAJESTY AND BURMESE: The Queen rides her horse Burmese while leaving Buckingham Palace for Horse Guards Parade and the Trooping the Colour ceremony in celebration of her official birthday in 1979.
1980 — THEY WERE ALL YELLOW: On the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the Queen’s birthday RAF flypast are (left to right) the Queen Mother, Prince Edward, Princess Anne and her son Master Peter Phillips, 3, the 5 year old Earl of Ulster, Princess Alexandra and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
1981 — A FRIGHTENING CEREMONY: Queen Elizabeth II calms her horse Burmese while policeman spring to action after shots were heard as she rode down the Mall. The 1981 ceremony saw Marcus Sarjeant, of Folkestone, Kent, fire six blank cartridges at the Queen as she turned down Horseguards Parade for the start of the Trooping the Colour ceremony. Sarjeant was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment under the Treason Act.
1982 — A PREGNANT PRINCESS: The Royal Family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour ceremony in June 1982. Diana, Princess of Wales was heavily pregnant with Prince William at the time, and gave birth to him a few short weeks later.
1983 — A QUICK CARRIAGE RIDE: Diana, Princess of Wales in a carriage with the Queen Mother during the Trooping the Colour ceremony in 1983.
1984 — ALL THE QUEEN’S KIDS: Members of the Royal Family gather to watch the RAF flypast for the Queen’s birthday. (From left) The Queen Mother, the Prince of Wales, who is holding his son Prince William, the Duke of Kent, Princess Margaret, the Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen, Princess Michael of Kent and the Princess of Wales. (At front, from left) Zara Phillips (daughter of Princess Anne) and Peter Phillips (Princess Anne’s son).
1985 — GRINNING GRANNY: A crowded balcony full of children and smiling faces saw the Queen beaming in 1985. Here: The Prince of Wales with the Princess of Wales, baby Prince Harry, Prince William, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Anne on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, London to watch the fly past.
1986 — THE ROYAL WAVE: An ever-more crowded balcony as members of the extended Royal Family join the Queen on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Trooping the Colour ceremony. This year, Prince Andrew married publishing executive Sarah Ferguson, also known as Fergie.
1987 — FOR THE KIDS: Members of the Royal Family line up on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch the parade march past after the Trooping the Colour ceremony. From left to right (front) are Lady Gabriella Windsor, Peter Phillips, Prince William and Zara Phillips and (rear) the Duke and Duchess of York, Princess Diana, Prince Harry and the Princess Royal.
1988 — GOOD AFTERNOON BRITAIN: The Royal family watch the Trooping the Colour from the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Left to right; Princess Michael of Kent with her daughter Lady Gabriella Windsor, the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales, and Princess of Wales. Foreground; Prince Harry, Prince William and the Earl of Ulster.
1989 — TWO BROTHERS: The Royal Family gather on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London for the Trooping the Colour ceremony. Pictured are Princess Margaret, Diana, Princess of Wales, Prince Harry, Prince William, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh. Diana is wearing a pink dress by Victor Edelstein and a Philip Somerville hat.
1990 — HAPPY TIMES: Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William wave from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Trooping The Colour Ceremony, The Queen’s Official Birthday. (Left to right) Prince Edward, Duchess Of York, the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Prince William, The Grand Duchess Josephine Charlotte Of Luxembourg, Prince Harry, Prince Charles, Lord Frederick Windsor, Princess Diana and Lady Rose Windsor.
1991 — A SERIOUS LOOKING GROUP: Members of the Royal Family appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Queen’s annual Trooping the Colour ceremony in London. Present are the Queen and the Queen Mother; the Duke of Edinburgh; Princess Margaret; Prince Charles and Diana Princess of Wales and Prince Andrew.
1992 — ANNUS HORRIBILIS: Member of the Royal Family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Trooping the Colour in London. The Queen this year marked her 40th year on the throne, but it was not a happy one: it was marked by the separation of Charles and Diana and a huge fire at Windsor Castle, leading the Queen to dub 1992 her ‘annus horribilis’ or horrible year.
1993 — THREE CHEERS FOR THE QUEEN: The Queen leads members of the Royal Family in their applause for the flypast by the RAF, on the balcony at Buckingham Palace, at the end of the Trooping the Colour Ceremony. Notably absent from the photo: Diana, Princess of Wales.
1994 — READY TO RIDE: Queen Elizabeth II in an open carriage at the Trooping the Colour parade. Behind her are Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and The Duke of Kent.
1995 — CHATTING AWAY: Members of The Royal family watch Trooping the Colour from the balcony at Buckingham Palace, (L to R): Queen Mother, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Michael of Kent, Princess Margaret, Princess Michael of Kent, Duchess of Kent, Duke of Kent, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales.
1996 — ENJOYING THE DAY: The Queen Mother with other members of the Royal Family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for Trooping the Colour.
1997 — HAPPIER TIMES: The Royal Family including The Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother and Prince Charles attending Trooping the Colour at Buckingham Palace in London. Princess Di passed away only a few months later, in August 1997.
1998 — LOOK UP! The Queen and Prince Philip watch the traditional fly-past from the balcony of Buckingham Palace following Trooping the Colour in honor of the Queen’s official birthday. Left to right: Lord Frederick Windsor, Prince Michael of Kent, the Queen Mother, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Lord Downpatrick, Grandson of the Duke of Kent; the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, Lady Helen Taylor, the Duke of Kent, Prince Charles, the Duke of York and Prince Edward. The three little girls L-R: Princess Eugenie, Lady Marina-Charlotte Windsor – granddaughter of the Duke of Kent and Princess Beatrice.
1999 — NEWCOMERS: The Royal Family gather on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London following the Trooping the Colour ceremony, marking the Queen’s official birthday. From left: Sophie Ryhs-Jones, her fiance Prince Edward, Captain Tim Laurence, his wife the Princess Royal, the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen Mother, the Prince of Wales, and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
2000 A PRETTY PINK PATTERN: The Queen (in pink) waves on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, London, for the Trooping the Colour ceremony. (L-R) Countess of Wessex, Queen Mother, Earl of Wessex, Duke of Edinburgh, Princess Margaret, the Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal.
2001 — A QUIET MOMENT: From left, The Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth II, The Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the annual Trooping the Colour parade in London’s Horse Guards parade ground.
2002 — THE GOLDEN JUBILEE: The Queen and the rest of the Royal Family celebrate a special milestone in her Golden Jubilee year with her 50th Trooping the Colour ceremony. This is the first ceremony of the Queen’s reign without her mother, who passed away on March 30, 2002 aged 101.
2003 — THE PLAYBOY PRINCE: Prince William and Prince Harry on the balcony at Buckingham Palace after Trooping the Colour on June 14. The ‘playboy’ Prince Harry had recently made headlines once again, after attending a fancy dress party with a Nazi swastika on his arm. The latest scandal followed a succession incidents for the young Royal, including a nightclub scuffle with a paparazzi photographer.
2004 — A SUNNY DAY: Members of the Royal Family watch the fly past from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour ceremony along the Mall.
2005 — A ROYAL LAUGH: The Duchess of Cornwall (second left) joins other members of the Royal Family on the balcony at Buckingham Palace. This was the first appearance on the balcony for the Duchess, who married Prince Charles in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall, on April 9, 2005. The Queen told guests in a speech at the wedding reception that her son, who previously divorced the late Princess Diana, was ‘home and dry with the woman he loves’.
2006 — MATCHING FASCINATORS: Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Princess Beatrice, Prince Andrew, Princess Eugenie, Queen Elizabeth ll, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Harry, Princess Anne and Prince Charles, Prince of Wales look up from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
2007 — GROWING UP SO FAST: Queen Elizabeth II on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with other members of the Royal Family for Trooping the Colour. (L-R) Princess Beatrice, the Duke of York, Princess Eugenie, Prince William, the Queen, Camilla Duchess of Cornwall the Duke Of Edinburgh, the Prince Of Wales, Viscount Linley, the Princess Royal. That year, Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, marked their diamond wedding anniversary on November 18, following 60 years of marriage.
2008 — BEST MATES: Prince William, Prince Harry, The Princess Royal, Vice Admiral Timothy Lawrence (back) Queen Elizabeth II, the Earl of Wessex (obscured), the Countess of Wessex, the Duke of Edinburgh and Peter Phillips (back) watch a flyover from the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London at the conclusion of the annual Trooping the Colour.
2009 — THE BLUES: Members of the Royal Family watch a flyover from the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London at the conclusion of the annual Trooping the Colour. From left to right: Prince William, Prince Harry, The Princess Royal, Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Michael of Kent (back), the Earl of Wessex (back), the Duke of Edinburgh, Vice Admiral Timothy Lawrence, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Prince of Wales.
2010 — A GROWING GROUP: Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh (center) watch a flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace, alongside other members of the royal family (from left) Princess Eugenie, Princess Beatrice, Prince William, Earl and Countess of Wessex, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, the Duke of York, The Duchess of Cornwall and the Prince of Wales, following the Trooping the Colour ceremony at Horse Guards Parade.
2011 — WELCOME KATE: The Royal Family watch a flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace, London, after attending Trooping the Colour, the Queen’s annual birthday parade. This year marked the first time Kate Middleton (left) attended the ceremony, which came just two months after her and Prince William’s royal wedding.
2012 — THE QUEEN AND THE CROCODILE ROCK: Queen Elizabeth II (fourth from left) and members of the British royal family (from left to right) the Duchess of Cornwall, the Prince of Wales, the Earl of Wessex, the Princess Royal, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Duchess of Cambridge, the Duke of Cambridge on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the annual Trooping the Colour parade. That year, the Queen marked 60 years on the throne with a pop concert at Buckingham Palace. Sir Elton John and Kylie Minogue were among the performers.
2013 — HANDS UP: The Duchess of Cornwall, the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of York, Prince Harry and the Duchess of Cambridge on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, in central London, following the annual Trooping the Colour parade.
2014 — THE TRADITION CONTINUES: The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince of Wales, Princess Eugenie, Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Harry, Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke of Cambridge watch a fly-past by the RAF, on the balcony at Buckingham Palace following Trooping the Colour at Horse Guards Parade, London.
2015 — THE FUTURE KINGS: (From left to right) the Duchess of Cornwall, the Prince of Wales, Prince George, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Harry, James Viscount Severn on the balcony at Buckingham Palace following Trooping the Colour at Horse Guards Parade, London. This year marked the first appearance on the balcony of 23-month-old Prince George, who wore the same outfit his father wore at the 1984 parade.
2016 — CELEBRATING GAN GAN: Queen Elizabeth II joins members of the royal family, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with their children Princess Charlotte and Prince George, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, central London after they attended the Trooping the Colour ceremony as the Queen celebrates her official birthday. Prince George, center, appeared to give the planes a salute, while his ‘gan-gan’ waved at the pilots soaring overhead. This was also the first time Princess Charlotte was seen in public.
2017 — THE ROYAL BABES: The Royals including Queen Elizabeth, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George and Princess Charlotte at Trooping the Colour on June 17, 2017.
2018 — A WARDROBE FAUX PAS? Camilla, Duchess Of Cornwall, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Peter Phillips, Autumn Phillips, Isla Phillips and Savannah Phillips stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour parade on June 9, 2018 in London, England. 2018 was the first year that Meghan attended Trooping the Colour, with the Duchess reportedly breaking royal protocol by wearing an off-the-shoulder dress for the occasion.
2019 — HER MAJESTY AND HER SONS: Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Andrew, Duke of York watch a flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping The Colour, the Queen’s annual birthday parade, on June 8, 2019 in London. The annual ceremony involving over 1400 guardsmen and cavalry, is believed to have first been performed during the reign of King Charles II. The parade marks the official birthday of the Sovereign, although the Queen’s actual birthday is on April 21st.
2020 — TROOPING THE COLOUR DURING COVID: Queen Elizabeth II attends Trooping the Colour, the Queen’s birthday ceremony at Windsor Castle on June 13, 2020 in Windsor, England. In line with the Government’s Covid-19 advice, it was agreed that the ceremony would not go ahead in its traditional form.
