We weren’t thinking of going to the parade, but we were up early going to the flower market. And since we were already in the area, we walked towards The Mall. As we approached Trafalgar Square, all the church bells were ringing.
It was an exhilarating few minutes listening to the sound of church bells all around us and it got us into the mood. Mummy thought – let’s give it a try to see what happens.
We found a spot on the steps along The Mall which gave us a bit of a vantage point. The wait was about an hour before the troops come filing by.
A couple of carriages came by first with some of the royals, and then came the Queen (in bright green) and Prince Philip.Did you see her, Mummy? We only saw feet.
And then there were more horses and riders. After they had all left for the palace, we walked towards St. James Park – but we ran into even more guards!
Along with the thousands, we waited for the balcony appearance but there was first a 21-gun salute! Think it scared Georgie a little but Mummy was holding him. Once that was over, the Queen and Prince Philip first emerged and then the rest of the family came out onto the balcony to the cheering crowds.
And then everyone looked up at the skies …
As the planes came flying past …
And the crowds roared as The Red Arrows flew past
May’s comment: After all these years and so many events later, we finally braved ourselves to go to one. It was so festive and happy – so many tourists, so many foreigners.
We were standing next to a German tourist. She said, we hope you will stay in the EU. We like these things that you do with the royal family. Well, the Queen is part German. Whether we stay in the Eu or not, we will continue our traditions.
As for Darcy and George, they were brilliant! 
They sat close by and they waited with us. I carried George a lot because he’s so dinky, but when we were in crowded areas, I carried them both! Thank goodness they are not too heavy.
Trooping the Colour, a tradition that goes back to the 17th century, is a ceremony performed in London by the various regiments of the British armies to mark the official birthday of the Queen. Though Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday is the 21st April, the official sovereign birthday is celebrated on a Saturday in June.
And the rain held up! Hip, hip hooray!
The custom of Trooping the Colour dates back to the time of Charles II in the 17th. Century when the Colours of a regiment were used as a rallying point in battle and were therefore trooped in front of the soldiers every day to make sure that every man could recognise those of his own regiment. In London, the Foot Guards used to do this as part of their daily Guard Mounting on Horse Guards and the ceremonial of the modern Trooping the Colour parade is along similar lines. The first traceable mention of The Sovereign’s Birthday being ‘kept’ by the Grenadier Guards is in 1748 and again, after George III became King in 1760, it was ordered that parades should mark the King’s Birthday.orge IV they became, with a few exceptions and notably the two World Wars, an annual event.
This impressive display of pageantry is now held on the occasion of the Queen’s Official Birthday. It takes place in June each year to celebrate the official Birthday of the Sovereign and is carried out by her personal troops, the Household Division, on Horse Guards Parade, with the Queen herself attending and taking the salute.
Since 1987, The Queen has attended in a carriage rather than riding, which she did before that on 36 occasions, riding side-saddle and wearing the uniform of the regiment whose Colour was being trooped. The regiments take their turn for this honour in rotation as operational commitments permit.
The custom of Trooping the Colour dates back to the time of Charles II in the 17th. Century when the Colours of a regiment were used as a rallying point in battle and were therefore trooped in front of the soldiers every day to make sure that every man could recognise those of his own regiment. In London, the Foot Guards used to do this as part of their daily Guard Mounting on Horse Guards and the ceremonial of the modern Trooping the Colour parade is along similar lines. The first traceable mention of The Sovereign’s Birthday being ‘kept’ by the Grenadier Guards is in 1748 and again, after George III became King in 1760, it was ordered that parades should mark the King’s Birthday. From the accesssion of George IV they became, with a few exceptions and notably the two World Wars, an annual event.
This impressive display of pageantry is now held on the occasion of the Queen’s Official Birthday. It takes place in June each year to celebrate the official Birthday of the Sovereign and is carried out by her personal troops, the Household Division, on Horse Guards Parade, with the Queen herself attending and taking the salute.
Since 1987, The Queen has attended in a carriage rather than riding, which she did before that on 36 occasions, riding side-saddle and wearing the uniform of the regiment whose Colour was being trooped. The regiments take their turn for this honour in rotation as operational commitments permit.
