How to watch Trooping the Colour: From the best viewing spots, every royal on the balcony including Kate Middleton, the parade route and the fly-past timings, everything you need to know about King Charles’s birthday celebrations

Trooping the Colour, the official commemoration of the King’s birthday, will take place on Saturday in London, with Kate set to make an appearance.

Dating from the 17th century, Trooping the Colour is one the biggest military ceremonial events of the year, involving more than 1,400 soldiers, 400 musicians and over 200 horses.

Thousands of people are expected to flock to the streets to watch the parade and the fly-past tomorrow, especially since the Princess of Wales announced today in a heartfelt post that she is feeling well enough to attend.

The Trooping the Colour parade begins at Horse Guards Parade at around 10.30am and the fly-past takes off from the coast of Suffolk at 11am, with the planes expected to fly over Buckingham Palace at 1pm.

It is the second time the event has been held for King Charles since his Coronation last year.

He rode on horseback at his first Trooping the Colour but this year will watch on from a carriage instead as he continues his cancer treatment.

2023 – (From left) Prince George, Kate, Prince Louis, Prince William, Princess Charlotte, King Charles and Queen Camilla at Buckingham Palace for Trooping the Colour on June 17, 2023

Dating from the 17th century, Trooping the Colour is one the biggest military ceremonial events of the year, involving more than 1,400 soldiers, 400 musicians and over 200 horses (pictured: a rehearsal for Trooping The Colour 2024)

The Princess of Wales today announced that she will be attending Trooping the Colour tomorrow

The statement from the Princess of Wales which has been issued by Kensington Palace today

The Mall has been polished to perfection in preparation for the Royal spectacle tomorrow

Rows of seats have been erected for lucky fans who managed to buy a ticket before they sold out

Workers prepare the area and seating ahead of huge crowds arriving to watch the parade tomorrow 

 What will happen during Trooping the Colour?

The popular event will attract big crowds, who will be seen waving flags as the parade moves from Buckingham Palace and down The Mall to Horse Guard’s Parade.

Around 113 words of command will be given by the Officer in Command of the Parade.

The parade route itself will begin at Buckingham Palace extending along The Mall to Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall and back again.

During the ceremony, Charles will be greeted by a royal salute, before carrying out an inspection of the troops, who are fully trained and operational soldiers wearing the ceremonial uniform of red tunics and bearskin hats.

King Charles III (wearing his Welsh Guards uniform) watches an RAF flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping the Colour on June 17, 2023 in London

King Charles III saluted as he departed Buckingham Palace for the Trooping the Colour ceremony at Horse Guards Parade, central London, as he celebrated his first official birthday since becoming sovereign on June 17, 2023

This year’s Trooping the Colour ceremony will take place on Saturday with King Charles III set to observe the event from a carriage (pictured: Charles and Camilla leaving Buckingham Palace by carriage to Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023 for his coronation) 

After the massed bands have performed a musical ‘troop’, the escorted Regimental Colour is carried down the ranks.

The Foot Guards and the Household Cavalry will march past His Majesty, The King’s Troop and the Royal Horse Artillery.

The King is then expected to ride back to Buckingham Palace at the head of his Guards, before taking the salute at the Palace.

His Majesty will then join other members of the Royal Family, including Kate, on the palace balcony for the fly-past.

 What is the Trooping the Colour route? 

The ceremony begins at 10am and lasts until around 1pm, the route is as follows: 

• The King will travel down The Mall from Buckingham Palace with an escort from the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment. 
• Once the clock on Horse Guards strikes 11am the King will arrive to take the Royal Salute from the officers and men of the Household Division. 
• Following the salute, The King will go up and down the ranks, inspecting the troops.
• The bands will then perform a musical ‘troop’ and the Regimental Colour will be escorted up and down the ranks of Guards. 
• The Foot Guards and the Household Cavalry then march past His Majesty, The King’s Troop and Royal Horse Artillery with their guns. 
• The King will head back to Buckingham Palace ahead of his guards before taking the salute in front of the Palace railings as the troops march past on their way to their barracks. 
• The ceremony is due to finish at 12.25pm. 
• The King joins other members of the Royal Family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch a flypast by the Royal Air Force at approximately 1pm. 

The best viewing spots 

With tickets sold out, royal fans will have to head to public vantage points along the route if they want to catch a glimpse of the grandeur. 

The best spots are dotted along the Mall and at St James’s Park although those looking to watch from the park are advised to head to the north-westerly side for the clearest view. 

Those who want to watch the whole ceremony can stand along The Mall or see the pageantry from the edge of St James’s Park overlooking Horse Guards Parade.

The north and east sides of the green space should also offer good vantage points overlooking Horse Guards Parade.

There will be plenty of good spots to witness the procession at the Mall but the north side will be the best bet to ensure a clear view.

The Household Division has advised potential spectators, however, that troops may restrict what people can see from these vantage points.

The best spots are dotted along the Mall and at St James’s Park although those looking to watch from the park are advised to head to the north-westerly side for the clearest view (pictured: The Colonel’s Review rehearsal of Trooping the Colour on June 8)

The public are advised to set up shop at around 9am or earlier before the ceremony begins in order to secure the best spot but are likely to still be able find a decent position around 11am

The public are advised to set up shop at around 9am or earlier before the ceremony begins in order to secure the best spot but are likely to still be able find a decent position around 11am.

Make sure to wait until 12pm and you will be able to see different members of the royal family pass by in their carriages.

Once reaching The Mall, you should try to find a spot about three-quarters of the way up near the barricades, which will open after The King has passed.

Enjoy the ceremony, and wait until the police have opened the barricades to walk to the Palace.

Walk down to Buckingham Palace and aim to get there before 1pm. If the air show begins before you get there you can stay put to watch it.

But if you’re still wanting to catch a glimpse of the royals on their balcony, speed up to catch them as they may shortly go inside.

For those wanting to watch from home, BBC One will be showing the whole event from 10.30am, with programming scheduled to end just after the flypast.

What is the fly-past route?

The King’s birthday flypast route will be a formation of military RAF aircrafts.

According to the Express, the display will include the world-renowned Red Arrows as well as the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight which boasts a Lancaster Bomber.

Typically the show is joined by 12 other aircrafts including Hurricanes, a Dakota, two DHC-1 Chipmunks and Spitfires.

There will be several air restrictions in place before the flypast route begins, namely in the areas of East Anglia, Essex, London.

The Red Arrows will crown the fly-past in customary fashion with a red white and blue display

The Red Arrows pictured flying over Buckingham Palace at last year’s fly-past. Royal fans are advised to walk down to Buckingham Palace and aim to get there before 1pm. If the air show begins before you get there you can stay put to watch it

The flypast will begin on the coast of Suffolk at around 11am, the Express reports.

The slew of aircrafts will then head in land, passing through Ipswich at 12.30pm and then flying over Essex at 12.35pm.

If you call the commuting towns of Colchester of Chelmsford your home, then you may be in for a treat as the aircrafts will zoom by at about 12.40pm.

Finally the magnificent air display will arrive in London from a north eastern direction, jetting above Hainault before reaching the bustling city centre.

It is predicted the spectacular formation will grace the skies above Buckingham Palace at 1pm, with members of the Royal Family – including the Princess of Wales – watching from the balcony.

After celebrating the monarch in the skies, the flypast will make their way out of London heading north west before ending their journey in Reading.