The King is set to break with a royal tradition for a second year in a row at his annual birthday parade.
Charles, 76, will ride in the carriage procession instead of on horseback at Trooping the Colour on Saturday, amid his ongoing cancer treatment.
According to The Times, the monarch may have hung up his riding boots for good.
The King has been receiving weekly treatment since confirming his cancer diagnosis in February 2024.
He rode horseback as sovereign for the first time in 2023 – also marking the first time a monarch had ridden in the parade since Queen Elizabeth II in 1986.
But Charles’s ride on Noble, a black mare presented by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, proved to be a tricky one as the horse broke into a canter during the parade and appeared unsettled.
© GettyThe Princess Royal took the reign of Noble at last year’s Trooping the Colour, expertly regaining control of the horse during one unruly moment.
Trooping the Colour
© Samir Hussein/WireImageWhat is it?
Trooping the Colour is a military ceremony performed by regiments of the British Army to celebrate the official birthday of the British sovereign. While Charles’ actual birthday is 14 November, official celebrations always take place in June.
When is it held?
In 2025, it is scheduled for Saturday 14 June.
Where is it held?
Central London, with the procession route travelling from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade, along The Mall, and back again.
Who attends?
- King Charles III (in recent years, he has participated on horseback).
- Household Division: including the Foot Guards and Household Cavalry.
- Senior royals, such as the Princess Royal and the Prince of Wales often ride on horseback or appear on the palace balcony – like the Princess of Wales
Why is it called Trooping the Colour?
One regiment’s colours (flag) are “trooped” (carried) before the monarch. The event ends with an RAF flypast over Buckingham Palace, viewed by the royal gamily from the balcony.
Historical roots:
It dates back to the 17th century and became an annual event to mark the sovereign’s official birthday under King George III in the 18th century.
Official celebrations to mark the sovereigns’ birthday have often been held on a day other than their actual birthday, particularly when the day has not fallen on a day in the summer.
Where can I watch it?
The ceremony is broadcast live by the BBC and covered globally.
Anne rides again
Anne, who turns 75 in August, is expected to ride horseback once again this year – a year on from a shocking horse-related accident, which left her with head injuries and a mild concussion.
The late Queen’s daughter was hospitalised for five days after being struck by the horse on her Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire on 23 June 2024.
© GettyAnne, who was on her way to see her chickens on her estate when the incident happened, has no memory of what followed, but is thought to have been struck by a horse’s head or legs.
Earlier this year, she returned to Southmead Hospital in Bristol to thank medical staff for their care.
© GettyOn her tour to South Africa in January, the Princess remarked of the incident: “It just reminds you, shows you – you never quite know, something (happens) and you might not recover.”
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