London:
King Charles will take part in his first Trooping the Color ceremony on June 17, marking the British sovereign’s official birthday for more than 260 years as monarch, Buckingham Palace said on Thursday.
Charles, 74, took power in September following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
“This impressive spectacle will take place on Saturday, June 17…with His Majesty the King present and saluting,” the palace said in a statement.
British sovereigns celebrate their birthdays twice: privately on the day itself – November 14 in the case of Charles – and then in an official ceremony in June, following an age-old tradition of trying to escape the vagaries of the weather.
The ceremony includes more than 1,400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians.
The birthday parade begins at the monarch’s official London Buckingham Palace residence and ends with a Royal Air Force fly-past, which Charles and close relatives will watch from the palace balcony.
The ceremony has its origins in preparations for war, where all the flags were displayed to the soldiers so that they would recognize them in the confusion of battle.
The 2023 parade will take place just over a month after Charles’ coronation ceremony, on May 6.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and is being published from a syndicated feed.)
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