On a June morning on The Mall, Princess Anne’s Trooping the Colour appearance once again stood apart from the carriages and crowds: upright in the saddle, in the Full Mounted Ceremonial uniform of the Blues and Royals, riding out alongside Prince Edward and Prince William towards Horse Guards Parade for the King’s Birthday Parade 2026.
A uniform built from nearly three decades of service
The Princess Royal, 75, first rode in the parade in 1999, the year after she was appointed Colonel of the Blues and Royals in 1998. According to Town & Country Magazine, she has worn that regimental uniform for every subsequent Trooping, making this year’s procession the continuation of a tradition now stretching across more than a quarter of a century. In doing so, she followed the example set by her mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who rode on horseback at Trooping the Colour from 1952 until 1986, before making the switch to a carriage for later celebrations.
The uniform itself carries layers of tribute. It is adorned with the Garter Star and Sash, the Thistle Star, the GCVO Star, full-sized medals and a CMM neck decoration. Anne additionally wore aiguilettes, and the uniform bears the cypher of King Charles III, reflecting her role as a Personal Aide-de-Camp to His Majesty.
Emerging from beneath the gates at Buckingham Palace, the Princess offered a salute before beginning her procession down The Mall. She also carried a Blues and Royal Sword and, in her role as Gold Stick-in-Waiting, the Gold Stick itself. People notes that Princess Anne has held the Gold Stick position since 1998, the same year she became Colonel of the regiment.
The Gold Stick and its long history beside the Crown
The office of the Gold Stick dates from the Tudor period, when two officers were placed close to the monarch as personal protection. Since Queen Victoria, those duties have become largely ceremonial. On occasions such as the State Opening of Parliament or the Trooping, either the Colonel of the Life Guards or the Colonel of the Blues and Royals serves as Gold Stick-in-Waiting, riding close to the sovereign as a living remnant of that ancient role.
Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence also took part in the day’s proceedings, though he travelled in a carriage alongside the Duchess of Edinburgh rather than on horseback. Following the parade, both Princess Anne and Sir Tim joined King Charles III and Queen Camilla on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the traditional RAF flypast.
The regiment at the centre of the 2026 parade
This year the honour of Trooping the Colour fell to the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, the most senior infantry regiment in the British Army. It is the first time the regiment will have Trooped the Colour before a King in 90 years. The connection between the Grenadier Guards and the sovereign runs deep: in 1656, King Charles II gave orders that the Captaincy of the first Company of the first regiment of Foot Guards be reserved for the monarch and called The King’s Own Company. That command has been held by the sovereign in every reign since.
The wider royal family assembled in carriages along the route. The Princess of Wales, in a blue and white Catherine Walker creation, was joined by Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. King Charles III and Queen Camilla processed down The Mall together by carriage, and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester were also in attendance. Household Division records place the ceremony among the most elaborate in the military calendar, its origins reaching back to the early eighteenth century or earlier, when the colours of the battalion were carried down the ranks to teach soldiers to recognise them.
This year marks the fourth Trooping the Colour of King Charles III’s reign. The King attended his first parade in 1951, aged three, travelling in a carriage with his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, and his aunt, Princess Margaret. He first rode in the parade himself as Colonel of the Welsh Guards in 1975.