Trooping the Colour is a ceremonial event performed every year on Horse Guards Parade in London, United Kingdom by regiments of the Household Division, to celebrate the official birthday of the sovereign, though the event is not necessarily held on that day. It is officially known as the Sovereign's Birthday Parade, or the King's Birthday Parade. Similar events are held in other Commonwealth countries. In the UK, it is the biggest event of the ceremonial calendar, and is watched by millions on television, on the streets of London, and in the stands at Horse Guards Parade.
Historically, colours were once used on the battlefield as a rallying point. They display the battle honours of a regiment, and are a focal point of Trooping the Colour. The ceremony has marked the sovereign's official birthday since 1748. Each year, one of the five Foot Guards regiments of the Household Division is selected to slowly troop (carry) its colour through the massed ranks of guards, who stand with arms (weapons) presented. During the slow march-past, the colours are lowered before the monarch, and during the quick march-past the colours fly. The monarch will salute the colours in return.
Prior to the start of the ceremony, the monarch processes down The Mall from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade in a royal procession, with a Sovereign's Escort of Household Cavalry (mounted troops or horse guards). During the ceremony proper, after receiving a royal salute, the monarch inspects his troops of the Household Division and the King's Troop. Music is provided by the massed bands of the Foot Guards and the Mounted Band of the Household Cavalry, together with a Corps of Drums, and pipers, totalling approximately 400 musicians. Once obtained, the colour is displayed at the head of the march past the sovereign in slow and quick time, by the Foot Guards, the Household Cavalry, and the King's Troop. (The latter two elements, being mounted, conduct a walk-past and a trot-past.)
Returning to Buckingham Palace, the monarch surveys a further march-past from outside the gates. Following a 41-gun salute by the King's Troop in Green Park, the royal family make an appearance on the palace balcony for a Royal Air Force flypast.
Sovereign's official birthday and history
In the United Kingdom, Trooping the Colour is also known as the 'King's Birthday Parade' ('Queen's Birthday Parade' when the monarch is female). First performed during the reign of Charles II (1660–1685), in 1748, it was decided that the parade of Trooping the Colour should mark the 'official' birthday of the Sovereign. In 1760, after the accession of George III, it became an annual event.
In 1892, the only member of the royal family to attend was Prince George, Duke of Cambridge, due to court mourning for the death of Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence. Queen Victoria herself only attended Trooping the Colour once, in 1895, when it was held at Windsor Castle. Although some elements of the parade have remained fairly constant, the ceremonial seen today was not fixed until 1889.
Sovereign's 'official birthday'
Edward VII kept Trooping the Colour in May or June, because of the vagaries of British weather (his actual birthday being in November). It coincides with publication of the Birthday Honours List, and usually takes place at Horse Guards Parade by St James's Park, London. It is followed by a 41-gun salute at noon in Green Park, and a flypast over Buckingham Palace, watched by the royal family from the Palace balcony.
Since 1959, it has typically been held on a Saturday in June. From 1979 to 2017 it was always held on the Saturday from 11 to 17 June; however, in 2018 it was held on 9 June and in 2019 on 8 June. During 2020 and 2021, a modified ceremony took place at Windsor Castle, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2022, Trooping the Colour was held on a Thursday, the date of 2 June coinciding with the anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation on 2 June 1953.
In 2023, Charles III's first birthday parade as monarch took place on 17 June.
Trooping the Colour was first broadcast by BBC Radio in 1927, with a commentary by Major J. B. S. Bourne-May, a retired officer of the Coldstream Guards. It was first shown on BBC Television in 1937.
The parade is witnessed by a global TV audience of many millions. In 1961, in return for the BBC covering the Moscow Victory Day Parade, Trooping the Colour was broadcast in the Soviet Union with the Russian commentary being given in London by Yuri Gagarin, the first cosmonaut.
Over the years, commentary for the live broadcast in the UK by BBC1 has been provided by Richard Dimbleby (until 1965), Tom Fleming (1966-1988), David Dimbleby (1989 and 1991), Eric Robson (1990 and 1998-2000), Julian Tutt (1992-1997), Edward Stourton (2001-2002), Huw Edwards (2003-2023), and recently by Clare Balding (from 2024), together with expert guests and interviews with some of the personnel involved. The BBC's live broadcast has become accessible to an international audience via live streaming on BritBox in both the United States and Canada. Beginning in 2019, The BBC also streams the parade live on YouTube.
For the Platinum Jubilee in 2022, additional live videos commentary of the parade for international viewers were provided by Sky News UK and The Daily Telegraph newspaper's YouTube channels.
Queen Elizabeth II attended Trooping the Colour in every year of her reign, except in 1955 when the event was cancelled due to a national rail strike. Having ridden her mare Burmese between 1969 and 1986, the Queen rode in a carriage from 1987. On 13 June 1981, she and her horse were startled by an unemployed youth, Marcus Sarjeant, who fired six blank rounds from a starting revolver.
Her 80th birthday in 2006 was marked by a large flypast of forty aircraft, led by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and culminating with the Red Arrows. It was followed by the first feu de joie ('fire of joy') fired in her presence during her reign, a second being fired at her Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012. In 2008, a flypast of fifty-five aircraft commemorated the RAF's 90th anniversary.