The trooping of the colour

The Trooping of the Colour is a spectacular celebration that has marked the official birthday of the British Sovereign since 1760 when George III became King. It takes place in June even though Her Majesty The Queen’s actual birthday is on the 21st of April! This spectacular extravaganza performed by the regiments of the British and Commonwealth armies travels from Buckingham Palace along The Mall to Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall and back again. It is held on the second Saturday of every June at Horse Guards Parade when the Queen ‘Troops’ (inspects) the soldiers.

1. The Trooping of the Colour
The Trooping of the Colour is a spectacular celebration that has
marked the official birthday of the British Sovereign since 1760
when George III became King. It takes place in June even though
Her Majesty the Queen’s actual birthday is on the 21st of April!
This spectacular extravaganza performed by the regiments of

2. the British and Commonwealth armies travels from Buckingham
Palace along The Mall to Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall and
back again. It is held on the second Saturday of every June at
Horse Guards Parade when the Queen ‘Troops’ (inspects) the
soldiers.

The origins of Trooping the Colour were historically described as
colours when regimental flags of the British Army displayed the
uniform colours and insignias worn by the soldiers of the different
regiments. The principal role of a regiment’s colours was to
provide an assembly point on the battlefield. The officers would
carry their flags and slowly march between the ranks to enable
soldiers to recognise their own regiments’ colours. Hence
‘Trooping the Colour’. This was important because it was too
easy for troops to become disoriented and separated from their
regiments during battles. The Guards are amongst the oldest
regiments of the British Army and have served as the personal
bodyguards of The Sovereign since the monarchy was restored
after the English Civil War in 1660.

3. It’s important to remember that even today, the Guards are front-
line troops, and consider it an honour to provide the sovereign’s
guard in London. They are emphatically not ‘toy soldiers! You
can visit the fascinating Guards Museum next to Buckingham
Palace on Birdcage Walk. Incidentally, just a few yards away
from the museum, there was a house that’s long vanished, was
where the poet Milton wrote ‘On his blindness’.
During the ceremony, Her Majesty the Queen is greeted by a
Royal salute and carries out an inspection of the troops. After the
massed bands have performed a musical ‘troop’, the escorted
Regimental Colour is carried down the ranks. The Foot Guards
and the Household Cavalry then march past Her Majesty the
Queen, and The King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, rank past.
Her Majesty the Queen then joins other members of the Royal
Family on the palace balcony for a fly-past by the Royal Air
Force.

4. In 2020, the ceremony was, instead, held at Windsor Castle, due
to Covid-19 pandemic and the social distancing rules. It was only
the second time that the ceremony was held at Windsor Castle.
The first was in 1895 during the reign of Queen Victoria. The
ceremony was a rather subdued ceremony with a depleted
Welsh guard marching in front of the Queen. There was no public
audience.
Incidentally, Knightsbridge Horse Barracks on nearby
Knightsbridge were built in the 1960s, provide accommodation
for about 300 soldiers and horses of the Household
Cavalry. Rather unusually, the horses are stabled on the second
floor of the building.

5. Tickets for the Colonel’s Review and the Major General’s Review
are available for sale in January of each year. However,
applications for Trooping the Colour can only be made between
January and February.
Trooping the Colour and Changing of the Guard take place at
Buckingham Palace, St James’s Palace and Horse guards
Parade and are open to the public except when it rains! The sites
can be found here at Buckingham Palace, London, SW1A 1AA,
Horse guards Parade between Horse guards Road and
Whitehall, London, W1D 5BR and St James’s Palace at
Marlborough Rd, St. James’s, London SW1A 1BQ. The nearest
tube/underground/metro stations are Charing Cross, Victoria, St
James’s and Westminster stations.
[phone]
[email protected]
Headquarter Office
Westminster Pier, SW1A 2JH
Web: https://www.chilloutlondon.com/