The historic Trooping The Color military parade, which has left its mark on British identity since the 17th century, has been held in London like every second weekend in June. This year, the event had a special touch, since it was the first time that Carlos III assumed the role of his sovereign during the festivities after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
How could it be otherwise, it is a very special event for the monarch. As colonel-in-chief of the seven regiments of the Royal Household, from his horse he has greeted 1,400 soldiers and 400 musicians, in an act that has been reminiscent of the last equestrian appearance of Queen Elizabeth II in 1986. This is something that has surprised British society, since it was thought that the monarch was not going to ride after several soldiers fainted from the London heat during rehearsals.
The parade began at Buckingham Palace at 10:00 a.m., traveling down The Mall Avenue to Horse Guards Parade. In this historic place, Carlos III received the royal salute and reviewed the troops. He then joined his family to watch the departure of the 1st Battalion of Welsh Guards, before returning to Buckingham for the iconic air parade.
The king was accompanied by his wife, Queen Camilla. She assumed the role of colonel of the Grenadier Guards, a position held by Prince Andrew until he was forced to resign due to the problems of the Epstein case. For her part, Prince William served as colonel in the Welsh Guards, while Kate Middleton took on a new role as colonel in the Irish Guards, previously belonging to her husband. The couple’s three children, Jorge, Carlota and Luis, also attended.
Elsewhere, Princess Anne paraded as a Colonel in the Blues and Royals, and the Duke of Kent was a Colonel in the Scots Guards. Also in the parade were Lieutenant Generals Sir Ed Smyth-Osbourne, as Colonel of the Life Guards, and Sir James Bucknall, as Colonel of the Coldstream Guards.
But not everything was nice. The act has also been marked by the absence of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. This has once again highlighted existing family tensions, especially in the wake of the recent Netflix documentary series and the publication of the Duke of Sussex’s controversial memoirs. And it is that this absence marks a before and after, being the first time that Harry misses this traditional event.
