Prince William and the British troops are getting ready to celebrate King Charles III at the Trooping the Colour with a special practice on Saturday, June 10.
The Prince of Wales, 40, attended on horseback, where he conducted the formal review of the Welsh Guards for the first time. William, since becoming the Prince of Wales in September 2022 when his father assumed the throne, is the Colonel of the Regiment.
The Duke of Cornwall gave a once-over to the military officers and their plans for the annual event shortly before multiple individuals fainted. As the crew stood at attention in front of William, one such guard collapsed onto the street. A group of four men quickly carried him away on a stretcher. Several moments later, a trombone player in the Band of the Welsh Guards also got woozy while playing his instrument and he fell down without letting go of the brass. The trombonist stood up on his own several moments later.
The Duke of Cambridge — who shares three children with wife Princess Kate — issued a personal note, praising the unit for their participation despite the overwhelming heat.
“A big thank you to every soldier who took part in the Colonel’s Review this morning in the heat. Difficult conditions but you all did a really good job,” William wrote via Twitter on Saturday. Thank you.”
A second tweet read: “Conducting the Colonel’s Review of the King’s Birthday Parade today. The hard work and preparation that goes into an event like this is a credit to all involved, especially in today’s conditions.”
The parade took place in London, where temperatures reached 28 degrees Celsius (82.4 degrees Fahrenheit).
Trooping the Colour is an annual celebration of the reigning monarch’s birthday, which will take place on Saturday, June 17. The festivities will include a parade to Buckingham Palace and a military flypast with many members of the royal family watching the occasion from the palace balcony. This year’s Trooping the Colour will be the first in honor of Charles, 74. His Majesty inherited the British throne after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. The official coronation was held last month, with William offering the homage during the service.
“I, William, Prince of Wales, pledge my loyalty to you, and faith and truth I will bear unto you, as your liege man of life and limb, so help me God,” the University of St Andrews alum said during the May 6 crowning ceremony, giving Charles a peck on the cheek.
The king was crowned alongside his wife, Queen Camilla, before William and the Princess of Wales, 41, joined them on the Buckingham Palace balcony with their three children — Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5 — to see the public for the first time since the coronation.
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Scroll below to see photos from William’s Trooping the Colour practice:
Miranda Siwak
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