Royal family on parade at Trooping the Colour

London: It was a day of laughter and celebration as the royal family gathered to celebrate Trooping the Colour on Saturday (London time).

Behind-the-scenes footage released by Kensington Palace showed King Charles, Princess Anne and the younger royals appearing to be in a playful mood as they prepared to mark the monarch’s official birthday.

The Instagram video – entitled All set for The King’s Birthday Parade – gave an insight beyond the pageantry of the military parade.

When the royal children took to the balcony for the spectacle, Prince George battled to hold back a sneeze throughout the National Anthem.

The 12-year-old, the eldest child of Prince William and Princess Catherine, waited stoically until God Save the King reached its final notes before letting out a small sneeze on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

The prince, who apologised to his smiling mother, was on his best behaviour during the annual parade to mark the King’s official birthday.

All three Wales children behaved impeccably in front of the world’s cameras – and even Prince Louis, eight, was not caught out pulling a funny face. The only moment when the youngest of the family appeared to forget he was on the world stage was when he was caught briefly picking his nose.

The children sat up straight and quietly in their carriage, waving to thousands of cheering spectators along The Mall.

William, the Prince of Wales, joined his family on the palace balcony to watch the RAF flypast after riding horseback to Horse Guards Parade in his usual bearskin hat and Welsh Guards ceremonial uniform earlier in the day.

The 44-year-old heir to the throne appeared to advise his children about the renowned Red Arrows display as the planes flew over.

The power of the aerobatic show appeared to enthral even most veteran members of the royal family, with the 90-year-old Duke of Kent videoing its start on a mobile phone while holding his walking stick in the other hand.

Others present on the balcony included Anne, Princess Royal, her husband Sir Timothy Laurence, Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, and Prince Richard and Birgitte, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.

The King, meanwhile, smiled broadly as he took in the scenes from the balcony on his fourth official birthday as monarch.

Flanked by Queen Camilla – with both wearing matching Grenadier Guards uniform red – he appeared pleased that events had gone off without a hitch.

The behind-the-scenes footage showed the monarch laughing just before he set off in a Landau carriage for the procession down The Mall.

Kensington Palace also shared previously unseen images of the Princess of Wales and her children just before they boarded their carriage.

Prince Louis was pictured with his blazer buttons done up, approaching the carriage with a subtle swagger.

Prince George walked ahead of his younger brother and 11-year-old Princess Charlotte. The young princess acknowledged the camera as she boarded the carriage.

A closer shot released by the palace showed Prince William smiling under his bearskin as he fed his horse while his father joked beside him.

The horse may have been the same one he rode for the parade, named Darby, which was presented to the royal family by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 2019.

Catherine, wearing a light blue Catherine Walker dress similar to one once worn by Diana, then-Princess of Wales, followed closely behind with her children.

The procession, involving more than 1400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians, has celebrated the official birthday of the sovereign for more than 260 years.

Some 113 words of command are given by the Officer in Command of the Parade, known as the Field Officer in Brigade Waiting, as the parade extends from Buckingham Palace along The Mall to Horse Guards Parade and back again.

Last year, a “delighted” King Charles learnt that the RAF flypast had used sustainable aviation fuel and vegetable oil for their trademark red, white and blue trails.

It followed trials by RAF engineers and logistic teams to try to align with the King’s policy of using sustainable aviation fuel where possible on his travels.

This subtle addition – along with a smaller but jovial working royal family on the balcony – all point towards how the monarch has been making the annual tradition his own.

The Telegraph, London

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