One of the most important parts of any major royal event is the Buckingham Palace balcony moment, where senior members of the Firm gather to mark momentous occasions.
And Trooping the Colour is no different: royals were beaming this afternoon as they joined King Charles on the terrace to celebrate the monarch’s official birthday in the historic tradition.
Thousands of royal watchers, many waving Union Jacks, lined the streets in a bid to catch a glimpse of Britain’s most famous family today.
During their appearance, the royals are treated to a celebratory flyover by the Red Arrows that follows an elaborate parade featuring more than 1,000 soldiers, some 200 horses and 300 musicians in a ceremony dating back to the 17th century.
Over the years, the number of royals invited onto the balcony has steadily dwindled – especially during the reign of King Charles, who ascended the throne in 2022 after the death of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
In 2024, 15 members of the Royal Family took to the historic spot on the occasion of the King’s birthday celebrations – with Charles opting stand next to his daughter-in-law Kate Middleton as the duo were both being treated for cancer at the time.
This year, the turnout was even smaller, with just 14 royals taking to the famous spot -amid King Charles’ plans for a more ‘slimmed-down’ monarchy.
Fighting cancer himself, King Charles is thought to prefer the idea of a slimmed-down monarchy and has been selective about which royals appear to wave at the crowds.
This year, unsurprisingly, King Charles and Queen Camilla stood front and centre on the balcony to watch the Red Arrows flypast, with a host of senior royals alongside them. They were joined by Prince William, 42, the Princess of Wales, 43, and their children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, seven.
The King’s younger sister, Princess Anne, 74, also took up a spot on the balcony, alongside her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, 70.
And two other popular royals – Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, 60, and her husband Prince Edward, 61 – were also present. However, Sophie and Edward were not joined by their daughter Lady Louise, 21. Also absent was their son James, the Earl of Wessex, 17, who missed the ceremony last year as well as this time.
Among the older royals to take to the balcony were the Duke of Kent, 89, and the Duke of Gloucester, 80, who was joined by his 78-year-old wife Birgitte, the Duchess of Gloucester.
As expected, Prince Harry, 40, and his wife Meghan Markle, 43, did not attend this year’s celebrations. Having chosen to walk away from being working royals, they have not been present at Trooping the Colour since 2019.
The other notable absentee was Prince Andrew, 65, who remains exiled from royal events amid the fallout from his relationship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein and the claims made by his late accuser Virginia Giuffre – which the royal has denied.
Andrew’s daughters Princess Beatrice, 36, and Princess Eugenie, 35, were not there either, as the focus was kept on working royals, including:
The Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children were among the 15 members of the Royal Family to take to the Buckingham Palace balcony on Saturday
Princess Kate peers to get a good view of the RAF flypast, as George and Charlotte watch on
1. Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester: The Dutch-born Duchess married Prince Richard in 1972 and is a full-time working member of the Royal Family. She shares three children with the Duke – none of whom undertake official duties.
2. Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester: The Duke is the youngest grandchild of King George V and Queen Mary and a paternal cousin of the late Queen. He carries out duties on behalf of the royal family and is patron of many societies.
3. Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh: Sophie, 60, looked stunning in an emerald gown today as she stood on the palace balcony to watch the flypast.
4. Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh: As he did last year, Prince Edward rode during the ceremony today, in his role as Colonel of the 1st Battalion London Guards. This marked a departure from 2022, when he took a carriage with his wife Sophie.
5. Queen Camilla: The Queen, who wore a summery white ensemble, appeared delighted to stand by her husband’s side during the major event.
6. King Charles: In 2023, the king became the first monarch in more than 30 years to take part in the Colour on horseback. It was the first time a reigning monarch has ridden at the Colour since Queen Elizabeth’s horse Burmese carried her during the 1986 ceremony. However, this year, he took a carriage, reportedly eschewing riding on doctors’ orders, due to his cancer diagnosis.
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duke of Kent and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence on the balcony of Buckingham Palace
Queen Camilla, donning a summery white outfit, waves alongside the King in his military gear
The King and Queen stand alongside William and Kate and their three children, George, 11, Charlotte, 10, and Louis, seven
7. Prince Louis: Often referred to as the ‘cheeky’ royal due to his mischievous antics, Louis was on the balcony today alongside his mother, father and siblings. He enjoyed one last wave before being ushered off the balcony by his mother.
8. Prince of Wales: Prince William, heir to the throne, took part in the procession, arriving on horseback while his Kate and the children travelled in a carriage.
9. Prince George: Eldest son of the Prince and Princess of Wales and second-in-line to the throne, George was also pictured alongside his family on the balcony.
10. Princess of Wales: Kate, 43, travelled in a carriage alongside her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, for the traditional procession through London. Kate opted for a turquoise and white jacket, with a matching turquoise hat and drop pearl earrings. The Princess also paid tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth, as she wore drop pearl earrings belonging to Her Majesty
King Charles and Prince William, father and son, speaking on the palace balcony as they prepare to watch the flypast
Prince George appears to try and temper his younger brother Louis, who is enjoying greeting the crowd
11. Princess Charlotte: The Princess was also pictured alongside Louis and King Charles on the Buckingham Palace balcony, wearing a frock in a similar light blue colour to her mother’s.
12. Prince Edward, Duke of Kent: The 88-year-old was present on the balcony alongside the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
13. Princess Anne: The King’s sister, who is often regarded as the ‘hardest working royal’, looked relaxed as she celebrated the annual event with her family. Anne rode horseback alongside Prince William and Prince Edward.
14. Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence: The husband of Princess Anne shared a carriage with the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester today, while his wife rode on horseback.
