The highlight of the Royal summer calendar, Trooping the Colour, the Queen's annual birthday parade, took place in London this morning. The display of pomp and pageantry is one not to be missed, with the Royal family gathering in force to celebrate the monarch. The Duchess arriving at Buckingham Palace this morning. This year's parade is a particularly interesting one for fans of the Duchess of Cambridge; it marks her second public appearance since the birth of Prince Louis seven weeks ago. We saw Kate at Harry and Meghan's wedding and since then the Cambridges have been dividing their time between their country home Anmer Hall and back at London where William has been carrying out a number of duties. Today's appearance is expected to be one of just a handful of occasions on which we'll see Kate before the autumn when she resumes engagements. Rumour has it Louis' christening will be held later this month, and it is also thought the Duchess will make an appearance at Wimbledon next month. As always, Kate travelled in a horse-drawn carriage with the Duchess of Cornwall. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The Countess of Wessex and Princess Eugenie. Trooping the Colour is a military parade dating back to the 1700s. Although the Queen's birthday is 21 April, it has long been tradition to celebrate the sovereign's birthday publicly on a day in June, when good weather is more likely. Her Majesty has attended Trooping the Colour every year since 1947 except in 1955 when a national rail strike cancelled the event. Over 1,400 officers and military personnel are on parade, together with two hundred horses; over four hundred musicians from ten bands and corps of drums march and play as one. Some 113 words of command are given by the Officer in Command of the Parade. The parade route extends from Buckingham Palace along the Mall to Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall and back again. More from The Household Division: 'Regimental flags of the British Army were historically described as ‘Colours’ because they displayed the uniform Colours and insignia worn by the soldiers of different units. The name ‘Colour’ continues to be used to this day. The principal role of a regiment’s Colours was to provide a rallying point on the battlefield. This was important because, without modern communications, it was all too easy for troops to become disoriented and separated from their unit during conflict. If Troops were to know what their Regiment’s Colours looked like, it was necessary to display them regularly. The way in which this was done was for young officers to march in between the ranks of troops formed up in lines with the Colours held high. This is the origin of the word ‘trooping’. So, what today is a great tradition began life as a vital and practical parade designed to aid unit recognition before a battle commenced. 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. The ceremony of Trooping the Colour is believed to have been performed first during the reign of King Charles II (1660 – 1685). In 1748, it was decided that this parade would be used to mark the official birthday of the Sovereign and it became an annual event after George III became King in 1760. Today, this colourful spectacular remains a celebration of the Sovereign’s official birthday. Although Her Majesty The Queen’s actual birthday is the 21st April, her ‘official birthday’ is marked by the Trooping the Colour ceremony.' Below, the Queen on her first Trooping as the Sovereign in 1952. People reports: "After retiring her favorite parade horse, a black mare named Burmese, in 1986, the Queen decided to abandon her rough-riding side-saddle days in favor of a horse-drawn carriage." Coincidentally, last Saturday marked the 65th Anniversary of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey. It seems incredibly fitting to celebrate her 92nd birthday only days later. It was revealed yesterday, Her Majesty underwent surgery last month to remove a cataract from her eye at King Edward VII hospital. She was spotted wearing sunglasses at several royal events, but was not forced to cancel or postpone any engagements. The monarch looked resplendent in blue today. Unfortunately, Prince Philip, who turns 97 tomorrow, wasn't present. On horseback were Prince Charles, Colonel of the Welsh Guards; Prince William, who is Colonel of the Irish Guards; and the Princess Royal, Colonel of the Blues and Royals. Prince Andrew was a new addition to the group - succeeding his father as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards. Apparently he's never had a great love for horses or riding, so took lessons in recent months in preparation for today. Kate and Meghan chatting on the balcony. A curtsy for the Queen. Kate, Meghan and Harry curtsying to the Queen on balcony of Buckingham Palace #TroopingtheColour pic.twitter.com/I0Fs8R928O — Jason Ashby (@Jashalee) 9 June 2018 At precisely 12.52 pm, gun salutes were fired across the capital; the Honourable Artillery Company fired from the Tower of London and the Kings Troop Royal Horse Artillery fired from Green Park. Afterwards, the Royal family gathered on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the flypast, in what is a rare opportunity to see so many of its members together. It's become a real treat to see George and Charlotte joining their parents in recent years. George turns five next month and three-year-old Charlotte is at the age where she's changing and growing with each appearance. Louis is too young to make an appearance just yet, but I expect we'll see him with his siblings next year. A closer look at those adorable expressions. Savannah Phillips and Prince George :) Charlotte appeared to be momentarily upset when she fell... ...It wasn't long before she was back watching the flypast with a helping hand from Kate and Savannah. The little royal trio certainly stole the show :) The Red Arrows view of London - as the jets complete Her Majesty's Birthday Flypast. The flypast. An overview. The full turnout on the balcony. A brief video from the balcony. It's the eight consecutive year Kate has attended the event. The Duchess was elegant in a bespoke pale blue Alexander McQueen dress. The defined shoulders and fitted silhouette worked extremely well. Sarah Burton always does an exquisite job with tailoring and today was no exception. A perfect choice for the nature of the occasion. Kate's bespoke statement hat is by Juliette Botterill. The milliner is a royal favourite; her designs are frequently worn by Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie and Zara Tindall. Carole Middleton wore one of Ms Botterill's hats for Pippa's wedding last year. Kate accessorised with her blue topaz Kiki McDonough Eden earrings and necklace. The £3,500 earrings are blue topaz oval and cushion cut stones surrounded by diamonds set in 18ct white gold. We also see the £1400 Kiki Eden Blue Topaz and 18ct White Gold Flower Necklace. It is thought Kate's clutch is by Alexander McQueen. A lovely day for the royal family!
