Trooping the Colour: The Queen's Birthday Parade

The Trooping of the Colour is a military parade in honor of the Sovereign's birthday. Though she began attending the ceremony in 1947 as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, Queen Elizabeth II did not officially preside over the Trooping of the colour until 1951 when, as Princess Elizabeth, she accepted the salute on behalf of her ill father, King George VI. She has presided over the ceremony each year since with the exception of 1955 when it was canceled due to a rail strike that crippled the country. Though Queen Elizabeth's actual birthday is April 21st, the Trooping of the Colour has traditionally been held in June, in what has become the Sovereign's "official" birthday, as there is a greater chance of good weather. This year the ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, June 15th beginning at 11:00 a.m. GMT. 

The origins of this unique parade are necessity based, however, its current pomp and ceremony are solely for honoring the sovereign and the troops who serve Her. In the 1700's - and perhaps even earlier - the Trouping of the Colour was a daily event for members of the military. In those days, the flag representing a Regiment's colors was trouped past the men daily to ensure that they would be able to recognize their colors in the chaos of a battle. Thus, "colour" means the flag that represented the Regiment who was flying it. "Colours" consist not only of the color or colors of the Regiment, but of any symbols or mottos they may choose. The parade itself dates back to the 18th century and was performed for the first time for George III. It was in 1748, during the reign of George IV, that the parade became an annual event to commemorate the Sovereign's birthday. The first Sovereign to attend the ceremony and personally take the salute from the troops was Edward VII who was known for his wish to bring some of the pageantry of monarchy, which was absent for most of his mother's long reign, back to the people.

The Trooping of the Colour is held on Horse Guards Parade, a field that was once a cockpit and tennis courts at Whitehall Palace, the official royal residence of the Sovereign beginning with the reign of Henry VIII and ending with the palace's destruction by fire during the reign of Charles II. Luckily, there are three showings as there is one on each of the two Saturday's preceding the date. This year the two dress rehearsals, that are free to the public, will be held on Saturday, June 1st, (Major Generals Review) and Saturday, June 8th, (Colonel's Review). Though the Queen does not attend the rehearsals, it is a great way to ensure you have an opportunity to witness the grandeur for yourself.

The ceremony itself is divided into distinct sections beginning with the arrival of the Sovereign's family and guests who are the first people to parade down the mall. Once at the parade grounds they enter the Major General's Office where they have a bird's eye view of the ceremony. The Queen arrives next and begins Inspection of the Troops before the Massed Bands Troop begin to play. The actual trooping of the colour is next. The March past of the Foot Guards is followed by the Walk and Trot Past the Mounted Guards. Finally the Sovereign leads her troops back up the Mall to Buckingham Palace where she and her family members stand on the balcony waving to the crowds and watching the Royal Air Force birthday tribute flyby.

Some facts that I found interesting are:

1. The King's Royal Horse Artillery (as they were renamed by George VI) take six 1� ton guns to Green Park to perform a 41 gun salute. The guns go off in 10-second intervals taking a full seven minutes to complete the salute.

2. The largest parade was held in 1920 in Hyde Park and consisted of ten complete guards. Today's parades consist of six complete guards. Each guard consists of three officers and 70 men.

3.  At one time the monarchs of Europe would travel to London to attend the Trooping of the Colour birthday celebration of the reigning monarch.

4. The Queen and the Sovereigns before her used to take the salute while sitting atop a horse. Recently, on the advice of her ministers, Her Majesty takes the salute in one of her horse drawn carriages.

5. The Queen is the first female member of the Royal Family to be a full-time active member of the armed services serving Auxiliary Territorial Service during WWII.

As I mentioned in the opening paragraph, the ceremony serves the purpose of honoring the Sovereign and also the troops. As the "colour" is the flag of the Regiment - also known as the Regimental Colour - it serves as a source of pride for the men and women who serve under it. It celebrates the unique contribution of the Regiment, while commemorating those who gave their lives fighting for its ideals. It is a ceremony that celebrates the traditions of the past that represent the unchanged values that will shape the future. The Trooping of the Colour Ceremony represents honor, tradition, discipline and service, all things that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth symbolizes to her subjects and the world.

For those of you who have more interest in the Trooping of the Colour, there is a website http://www.army.mod.uk/ceremonialandheritage/events/index.htm#june02 that lists the ceremonies, dates and contact information for getting tickets to these events. Hope to see you at one of them!