The King’s Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour) will take place on 17 June 2023

Published 01 January 1970

The Sovereign's birthday is officially celebrated by the ceremony of Trooping the Colour (King's Birthday Parade).

In 2023, this impressive display of pageantry will take place on Saturday 17th June by Regiments of the Household Division, on Horse Guards Parade, with His Majesty The King attending and taking the salute.

His Majesty King Charles III will hold the appointment of Colonel-in-Chief of the Regiments of Household Division. Each Regiment has a Colonel who is normally either a member of the Royal Family or a senior officer.

There are three newly appointed Colonels within the Foot Guards, announced today:

  • Colonel, Grenadier Guards - The Queen Consort
  • Colonel, Welsh Guards - The Prince of Wales
  •  Colonel, Irish Guards - The Princess of Wales

There will be no change to the existing Colonelcies of the other Regiments within the Household Division, which will remain as below:

  • Colonel, Blue and Royals - The Princess Royal
  • Colonel, Scots Guards - The Duke of Kent
  • Colonel, Life Guards - Lieutenant General Sir Ed Smyth-Osbourne
  • Colonel, Coldstream Guards - Lieutenant General Sir James Bucknall

Trooping the Colour

The Trooping of the Colour has marked the official birthday of the British Sovereign for over 260 years. 2023 will mark His Majesty King Charles III’s first Trooping of the Colour as Sovereign. Over 1,400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians come together each June in a great display of military precision, horsemanship and fanfare to mark The King’s official birthday. The parade moves from Buckingham Palace and down The Mall to Horse Guard's Parade, alongside Members of the Royal Family on horseback and in carriages. The display closes with an RAF fly-past, watched by Members of the Royal Family from Buckingham Palace balcony

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