What is the Trooping of the Colour as King marks birthday?

The King has two birthdays with the official one taking place on a Saturday in the middle of June.

This year, his official birthday celebrations will take place on Saturday, June 15 with this being marked with the Trooping of the Colour.

What is the Trooping of the Colour?

Ahead of Trooping the Colour next week, The King has presented New Colours to No. 9 and No. 12 Company The Irish Guards at Windsor Castle.

His Majesty is Colonel-in-Chief of the seven Guards regiments of the Household Division, who are often seen on duty at the Royal Palaces. pic.twitter.com/n51XCSCNKk

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) June 10, 2024

The Trooping of the Colour is used to mark the official birthday of the British head of state (currently King Charles III) with this having been a tradition for over 260 years.

According to the Royal Family website, over 1400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians come together to put on the massive display.

The event takes place at the Horse Guards Parade in London.

After the parade, there will be a flypast by the Red Arrows.

When is the Trooping of the Colour taking place and how long will it last?

The Trooping of the colour will take place on Saturday, June 15 at around 11am (BST) this year.

The event will end at around 12:15pm, meaning it will last for around an hour and 15 minutes.

Recommended Reading: 

Why does King Charles III have two birthdays? Trooping the Colour explained

How to watch the Trooping of the Colour

Those who are unable to make it to Central London to watch the event can see all the action live via coverage on BBC One.

The coverage will take place from 10:30am and be available on regular television and on BBC iPlayer.