Inside the beautiful balcony reunion of four royal generations at Trooping the Colour

And as the King was cheered by the thousands who had gathered to watch Trooping the Colour, his annual birthday parade, the Queen, the Prince and the Princess of Wales – accompanied by Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – watched on with pride.

Four generations of the royal family came together for the moment, showcasing the enduring strength of the monarchy, despite the recent challenges faced by some in the Firm.

On the famous balcony of Buckingham Palace, the nation was presented with a charming image of family unity as the core working members of the royal family took part in a magnificent display of military pomp and pageantry staged in Charles’s honour.

From the dazzling carriage procession and warm interactions between the royals to the thundering RAF flypast overhead, we take you through all the highlights of the 2026 King’s Birthday Parade.

The day’s events began with the royals gathering at Buckingham Palace to prepare for the half-mile procession down The Mall to Horse Guards Parade.

The Princess of Wales looked elegant in a powder-blue Catherine Walker coat dress with white trim, matching wide-brimmed hat by Philip Treacy, pearl earrings by Cassandra Goad and her Irish Guards brooch. 

Her outfit bore a striking resemblance to one worn by Diana, Princess of Wales, at Easter in 1987.

Charlotte, 11, wore a pristine white dress with a delicate blue floral pattern and a bow at the collar, with matching ballet flats and a three-string pearl bracelet. Her wavy hair was tied half up with a matching white organza hair bow by Jane Taylor.

She waved to the crowds alongside her brother Prince George, who turns 13 on 22 July, while Louis sat next to his mother.

The two princes wore pale blue ties to match Kate’s outfit, and Louis, eight, flashed a gap-toothed grin for the cameras.

William and Kate’s youngest son wore a navy double-breasted blazer, perhaps in a nod to the style often worn by the King, their “Grandpa Wales”.

Their carriage followed the King and Queen’s Ascot Landau, drawn by two Windsor Greys.

The Queen looked regal in a red silk crepe Grenadier Guards uniform dress by Fiona Clare and a black beret by Philip Treacy, adorned with a white plume and the cap badge of the Grenadier Guards. She also wore the regimental brooch that was given to Princess Elizabeth, as the late Queen was then, on her 16th birthday in 1942.

The King wore the Grenadier Guards tunic and forage cap, with his medals, the Garter Sash with the Lesser George and his orders of the Garter, Thistle and Bath.

His Majesty rode on horseback in his first Trooping the Colour as King in 2023, but has not done so since starting treatment for cancer in 2024.

Their carriage was followed by the royal colonels on horseback: the Prince of Wales, who is colonel of the Welsh Guards; the Princess Royal, colonel of the Blues and Royals; and the Duke of Edinburgh, colonel of the Scots Guards.

Their horses were all gifts from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; Prince William rode Darby, presented in 2019 to mark 50 years since the late Queen Elizabeth was presented with Burmese, the horse she rode at Trooping the Colour for 18 years. 

The heir to the throne looked dashing in his Welsh Guards uniform, worn with his medals, the Garter Star and the orders of the Thistle and Bath.

Princess Anne, in the ceremonial uniform of the Blues and Royals, rode Noble, a spirited black mare given to the King for his first official birthday parade in 2023. She also carried the Gold Stick as Gold Stick-in-waiting and a Blues and Royals sword.

Meanwhile, Prince Edward, in his Scots Guard uniform, took part on Sir John, who was presented to Queen Elizabeth in 2016 to mark her 90th birthday.

Earlier, the Duchess of Edinburgh, in a white belted dress and hat, travelled in the No 1 Barouche with Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, followed by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the latter wearing a navy and white polka-dot dress and netted hat, in the No 2 Barouche.

As each of the royal colonels arrived at Horse Guards Parade, they saluted the colour, while other family members bowed their heads, the men removing their hats.

The national anthem was played as the King and Queen arrived, the monarch saluting and Camilla bowing her head.

Their Majesties took their positions on a dais, where they were joined by the Princess of Wales, in her role as colonel of the Irish Guards, returning to the action on the parade ground for the second year running.

The monarch gave his daughter-in-law a broad smile as they prepared to watch the spectacle. Despite the bright sunshine, the occasional gust of wind saw Kate holding on to her hat.

Meanwhile, the Wales children watched from a window overhead, joined by the Duchess of Edinburgh, as both of their parents took part in front of around 8,000 spectators, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his wife, Lady Starmer.

The colour, or regimental flag, being trooped this year was that of The King’s Company Grenadier Guards, whose bond with the Crown has lasted 370 years.

Founded in Bruges in 1656 to protect the exiled Charles II, the Grenadier Guards has been the most senior infantry regiment of the British Army ever since, with the British monarch becoming its honorary commander.

Under Queen Elizabeth II, it was the Queen’s Company, and the regiment’s colour was buried alongside her in 2022. After her death, it became known as the King’s Company.

It was the first time in 90 years that the regiment had trooped its colour in front of a King.

It was carried by ensign Second Lieutenant Alec Goschen, who, at 6ft 7in tall – 8ft 6in in his bearskin – was proud that everyone would be able to see it.

“Feeling the weight of that colour, marching past the King in slow time, knowing what that symbol meant to my family through the ages, is a significant moment,” he said. “To be the one chosen to do it in our 370th anniversary year is very special indeed.”

He carried it ahead of an escort led by Major Ben Tracey, a Grenadier Guard and captain of The King’s Company, past the ranks on parade, honouring the historic tradition of displaying the colour to soldiers to train them to recognise it easily on the battlefield. 

Known for their scarlet tunics and bearskin hats, Guardsmen have fought in every major conflict in British military history, from the 17th-century Battle of Tangier to Blenheim, Waterloo, the Crimean War, both World Wars and recent operations in Afghanistan.

Presenting the battalion with the vibrant new colour at a ceremony in the gardens of Buckingham Palace on 9 June, the King had said: “These new colours… bearing 45 battle honours from Tangier to the Gulf, stand as a vivid testament to the courage, resilience and enduring spirit that have defined the Grenadier Guards across the generations.”

Among the 1,500 soldiers taking part in the spectacle, on the parade ground were No 9 Company of the Irish Guards, F Company of the Scots Guards and No 7 Company of the Coldstream Guards. 

The bands of the Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish and Welsh Guards played, while the mounted bands of the Household Cavalry, with their magnificent drum horses, took centre stage.

After a royal salute, it was time for the monarch and his family to return to the Palace, led by the Band of the Household Cavalry – mounted on horseback and wearing their famous gold coats – and the Sovereign’s Escort of the The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals.

Kate was reunited with her children in the Ascot Landau as they prepared to depart the parade ground. She put a reassuring hand on Louis’s neck and, as they set off, appeared to spot a familiar face in the crowd and waved, as did Charlotte. 

They also waved to the sea of well-wishers packing The Mall, along a route lined by the army, the navy and the Royal Air Force.

The Wales children and their mother were all smiles and waved throughout their ride back, with Charlotte showing particular enthusiasm. George, who is on the cusp of becoming a teenager, appeared ever so slightly more reticent.

The Queen beamed at the crowds and she and the King waved as they returned to the Palace.

Outside the gates, the King stood on another dais to take the salute as colonel-in-chief of all seven regiments of the Household Division as they returned. Meanwhile, a 41-gun salute in honour of his official birthday was fired by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery from Green Park.

He was watched from the balcony by the 90-year-old Duke of Kent, the Duchess of Edinburgh, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence and the Gloucesters.

The Duke, a cousin of the late Queen, lost his wife of 64 years, the Duchess of Kent, last September.

After a moment to catch their breaths in the Centre Room of Buckingham Palace, the King and his loved ones emerged onto the balcony at 1pm, to the delight of the crowds below, who had surged down the Mall to catch a glimpse of the royals watching the RAF flypast.

The King and Queen stood in the centre, with William at his father’s left shoulder.

Louis, Charlotte and George took their places at their mother’s side, with the Duke of Kent to their left.

Princess Anne and Sir Tim stood to the Queen’s right, with the Edinburghs and Gloucesters alongside them.

The whole family looked up as three Chinooks led a spectacular flypast, followed by a Douglas C47 Dakota a primary Allied transport aircraft from the Second World War.

The royal children craned their heads to watch it pass overhead, followed by a Phenom accompanied by two Texans.

The King who had spent the best part of two hours on his feet, appeared touched as three cheers for him rang out from below and he responded with a wave.

Next came a A400M Atlas and a C17 Globemaster, the latter being the aircraft that carried Queen Elizabeth’s coffin back to London from Scotland in 2022.

Prince Louis appeared to wipe his nose a few times, perhaps struggling with the pollen from nearby plane trees, as chants of God Save The King rose from the crowds.

A Poseidon, then a RC-135W Rivet Joint flew overhead, followed by the Voyager, escorted by two Typhoons.

Prince William, who earned his wings in 2008, appeared to discuss the aircraft with his children.

Princess Charlotte and Prince George, who took his first flying lesson in 2024, watched closely, while Louis, who has famously stolen the show in previous years, behaved impeccably, at one point sticking out his tongue in concentration.

The aerial display reached a climax as the Red Arrows soared through the sky, leaving behind their trademark red, white and blue smoke trails. 

There was time for one final rendition of the national anthem, after which the King stepped forward to acknowledge the crowd for a final time before going back inside.

Prince George appeared to stifle the urge to sneeze throughout, giving in to it only when the singing ended, which seemed to amuse both him and his mother. Now nearly the same height as Kate, the future king is set to start secondary school later this year and has come a long way since his first appearance at Trooping the Colour in 2015, aged nearly two. 

Prince William then led his family back inside after a final wave, rounding off another stunning display of royal precision, pomp and pageantry.