The British royal family is gearing up for the annual Trooping the Colour event, a grand military parade held every June to celebrate the monarch’s birthday. This year, the event is particularly significant as both King Charles and Kate Middleton are battling cancer.
King Charles, who turned 75 on November 14, will be participating in his second Trooping the Colour as king, following his coronation on May 6, 2023. The event will see over 1,400 officers and soldiers, 200 horses, and more than 400 musicians from 10 bands parading from Buckingham Palace along the Mall to Horse Guards Parade and back.
The festivities will kick off at 5 a.m. ET on Saturday, June 15. King Charles will be greeted with a Royal Salute on Horse Guards Parade, followed by a 41-gun salute fired by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery from Green Park. Charles will then inspect the troops, and the Massed Bands of the Foot Guards will perform a musical “troop.”
Due to his health, King Charles will modify his participation, riding in a carriage with Queen Camilla instead of leading the procession on horseback. The royal family will later gather on the Buckingham Palace balcony to watch a fly-past by the Royal Air Force.
Kate Middleton, who recently announced her cancer diagnosis and ongoing chemotherapy, confirmed her attendance at the event. This will be her first public appearance since revealing her health condition. In a statement, she mentioned that she is making good progress but has both good and bad days during her recovery.
Despite her health challenges, Middleton expressed her eagerness to attend the king’s Birthday Parade with her family and participate in a few public engagements over the summer. She emphasized the importance of taking each day as it comes and allowing herself the time to heal.
However, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been notably snubbed from the event. The couple, who stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and moved to California, have not been invited to Trooping the Colour since 2019. Their absence follows a series of public criticisms of the royal family, including a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, a Netflix documentary, and Harry’s memoir “Spare.”
Former royal butler Grant Harrold commented on the strained relationship between Harry and the royal family, suggesting that trust has been broken and it remains uncertain whether it can be repaired. He noted that actions speak louder than words, and only time will tell if reconciliation is possible.
As the royal family prepares for one of its most significant annual events, the spotlight will be on King Charles and Kate Middleton, both of whom are facing personal health battles. Their presence at Trooping the Colour underscores their commitment to their royal duties, even in the face of adversity.
