The Queen and Members of The Royal Family attend Trooping the Colour 2019

Published 08 June 2019

Today, The Queen and Members of The Royal Family attended the annual Queen’s Birthday Parade known as Trooping the Colour.

The event took place on Horse Guards Parade in London, and The Queen travelled down The Mall from Buckingham Palace in the Scottish State Coach.

The Parade was also attended by The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge, The Duke of York and The Princess Royal who rode out as Royal Colonels of various regiments.

The Prince of Wales is a Royal Colonel of the Welsh Guards, The Duke of Cambridge - The Irish Guards, The Duke of York - The Grenadier Guards and The Princess Royal of The Blues and Royals. The Duke of Kent is also the Royal Colonel of the Scots Guards.

The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duchess of Cambridge, and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended and travelled along The Mall together in one of the carriages.

The Earl and Countess of Wessex, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, were also in attendance.

The Queen’s actual birthday is 21 April but is officially celebrated in June with Trooping the Colour, which has marked the official birthday of the British Sovereign for over 260 years.

The Queen (then Princess Elizabeth) took part in her first Trooping the Colour parade in 1947.

During her reign The Queen has attended Trooping the Colour every year except 1955 when it was cancelled because of the general strike.

Over 1400 parading soldiers, almost 300 horses and 400 musicians from The Household Division and The Household Cavalry took part in the ceremony today.

The Household Division has spent weeks preparing for Trooping the Colour and has conducted two full dress rehearsals - The Colonel's review in the presence of The Duke of York and The Major General's review.

The Colour of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards Grenadier Guards were "trooped" at the Parade. The colours (flags) of the battalion are carried (or trooped) down the ranks.

Trooping the Colour originally ensured that soldiers recognised their battalion’s colour during battle.

The event ends with a traditional moment when The Queen and Members of The Royal Family walk onto the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch a flypast by The Royal Air Force and The Red Arrows.

The Duke of York, as Royal Colonel of The Grenadier Guards, sent a message to all those on Parade.

I wish to send you my congratulations on an outstanding Queen's Birthday Parade. Last week I had the privilege of being your reviewing officer & that was magnificent; but this parade surpassed that.

The Duke of York

"Your march past in both slow and quick time were faultless. You had to overcome some testing conditions in the wind and you did it in superlative style, panache and discipline," The Duke said.

"I know Her Majesty was brimming with pride at her Grenadiers and I couldn't be more proud to be your Colonel. Thank you for all the work you have put in to making today's parade one we will always remember."