Since September, King Charles III. in office, now the plans for his first birthday parade as king are clear: On June 17, 2023, the first official birthday parade “Trooping the Color” will take place, as the palace announced. Although Charles won’t turn 75 until November 14, the spectacle traditionally takes place in the summer.
Along with the announcement, the palace also announced that senior members of the royal family will receive new military titles. Charles’ wife Camilla is made “Colonel of the Grenadier Guards”. She takes over this title from Prince Andrew, who lost his military titles because of the Epstein sex abuse scandal.
Prince William also gets a new military title, he can call himself “Colonel of the Welsh Guards” in the future. His wife Kate, in turn, gets William’s old title and becomes “Colonel of the Irish Guards”. It is the Princess of Wales’s first military title.
The three royals’ military promotions are linked to the announcement of the upcoming “Trooping the Color” parade. The parade of troops has been held in honor of the monarch’s birthday for over 260 years. The parade runs from Buckingham Palace via The Mall to the parade ground at Horse Guards Parade.
According to the palace, more than 1,400 guards, 200 horses and 400 musicians will take part in the parade. The soldiers are organized into seven regiments, each of which has a colonel from the royal family or from the military. The king himself will of course also be there. At the conclusion of the parade, Royal Air Force planes and helicopters fly by in front of the royal family.