Over the weekend, the British Royal Family participated in arguably the biggest event of the year in the royal calendar, Trooping the Colour.
It’s a day that marks King Charles III’s official birthday and brings together the working members of the royal family for a rare joint public appearance.
And while the event is made up of years of tradition and formalities, it’s almost always the fashions and royal attendees that garner the most attention.
Trooping the Colour began in the 17th century and has only grown in pomp and fanfare over the centuries.
The parade is held in honour of the monarch’s birthday (not their actual birthday) as a way to kick off summer festivities. The first Trooping the Colour was conducted during the reign of King Charles II, whose birthday was in the cooler months, so the event served as an excuse to celebrate in the warmer weather.
This year, 1400 soldiers from seven of the Household Division and King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery participated, with the honour of Trooping the Colour going to the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards for the first time in 90 years.
The celebrations commence long The Mall and Horse Guards Parade with soldiers, horses and royals all taking part in the extravagant procession that concludes at Buckingham Palace.
Continue reading to find out what happened at Trooping the Colour 2026.
King Charles opts for a carriage over a horse
While it is tradition for the Monarch to lead the procession on horseback, King Charles III opted for a carriage. He travelled with his wife, Queen Camilla, for the third year in a row.
This was no surprise as the change came during the first Trooping the Colour to follow His Majesty’s cancer diagnosis.
Princess Catherine’s matching moments
With Prince William riding on a horse during the official procession, Princess Catherine rode in a carriage with her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
While eager eyes waited to see one of Catherine’s most highly anticipated outfit choices of the year, many were quick to catch the seamless coordination of her blue coat dress with the colour of her son’s ties. Princess Charlotte’s all-white outfit also beautifully enhanced the white detailing of her mother’s dress collar and pockets.
However, one of the sweetest touches was, of course, the mother-daughter matching three-string pearl bracelets worn by Charlotte and Catherine. It was quite an adorable touch.
A much slimmer balcony presence
As the march concludes, the royal family come together on the balcony of Bucking Palace. Here they watch the RAF flypast and give their final wave to the public.
Over the years, the dwindling number of family members present on the balcony has been a hot topic following the event.
This is, however, all part of King Charles’ plan to simplify the monarchy and only spotlight current working members of the family.
In 2026, only 14 working royals were in attendance at Trooping the Colour.
Another year, another nod to Princess Diana
Many royalists take great pride in remembering beloved royal outfits. They’re also incredibly good at noticing subtle nods from current royals to those who have passed.
Princess Catherine’s tailored blue Catherine Walker coat dress was very quickly picked up as looking strikingly similar to a favourite of her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana.
Diana would often reach for an almost identical version of a dress by the same label. Sometimes even going as far as to pair it with a similar blue hat.
A cheeky Prince no more?
Prince Louis is all grown up, it seems. The young royal, who was well known for bringing a certain comedic relief to the balcony, showed a new level of poise as he watched the RAF flypast.
However, the cameras stayed firm on Louis, hoping to capture some of his funny facial expressions. However, apart from a few oohs and ahhs, the 8-year-old held his composure.
