gb news. way. >> good morning. on this beautiful saturday. and welcome to trooping the colour. i'm andrew pierce, alongside ellie costello. and over the next few hours, get ready for an impressive display of pomp and pageantry as we celebrate the official birthday of his majesty the king. all morning will be live across the capital at buckingham palace , on the mall buckingham palace, on the mall and at horseguards parade as thousands of soldiers and musicians march in front of the king. and you won't want to miss a moment of this incredible

celebration showcasing the very best of british. >> and of course, we'll be joined by the most superb guests , experts in their fields, in the studio and of course , the studio and of course, overlooking the palace. two. >> walker all morning will be bringing you a front row seat to the parade. the fly—past and of course, that momentous balcony appearance in just a few hours. this is gb news trooping the colour . colour. >> now, of course, today is all about the king. it is his official birthday, but it's also about. >> she's back. the princess of wales. princess cake! we're expecting to see her. she's put out a statement saying each day as it comes. but she will be there for trooping the colour will be the first time we've seen her since christmas day. >> and isn't that just the most wonderful news? and we could see, couldn't we? just then the crowds gathering outside buckingham palace. we can imagine more people will be coming to buckingham palace just

to capture a glimpse. >> much as people love the king, they love the princess of wales and be their way of showing their gratitude and the fact that they're thrilled that she's coming back. and she says in that beautiful statement, she's released, she's got to take each day as she comes. but this is a big moment . big moment. >> yeah. and of course, she is the colonel of the irish guards. she is today is all about them. they are trooping their colour today in front of the king. so it is so fitting, isn't it? for the first time, seeing her in six months, that she chooses today to be the day that she would be back. it was hoped that it would be this day. it's been whispers around , hasn't it, that whispers around, hasn't it, that it would happen at trooping the colour. >> we heard rumours, didn't we, in the week, but we did like to believe them. >> but it is just the most wonderful news. and cameron walker is down at buckingham palace for us now, and we can imagine the atmosphere is really building there. and such wonderful news that princess kate will be there today . kate will be there today. >> yeah, it really is wonderful news, ellie, that the princess is going to be here. and the crowds have been slowly building throughout the morning. when i first arrived here very early indeed , it was beautiful sun and

indeed, it was beautiful sun and sunshine. now unfortunately it's raining. there's a sea of umbrellas, but that's definitely not deterring the crowds. the first crowds to arrive arrived yesterday . actually 3:30 pm. is yesterday. actually 3:30 pm. is the earliest person to arrive. they were desperate to get a glimpse of the royal procession riding from buckingham palace down the mall to horse guards parade for the start of the king's birthday parade. and then, of course, the news at 6:00 last night that the princess of wales would be joining has certainly only added to the celebrations here. there are also some protests and counterprotests to some very noisy republic protests, but some counter pro—monarchy protests too. >> i bet she's in green. >> i bet she's in green. >> yes, well, she has to be. i think today she was in green last year, wasn't she? >> it's the irish guards. she's a stickler for tradition colours. there'll be such a huge interest in the way she's looking. >> oh, absolutely. i mean, i hope that she looks really well. she will. we know that she's obviously going through chemotherapy . that's what she chemotherapy. that's what she says in her statement.

>> and it's ongoing. >> and it's ongoing. >> it is ongoing and of course, unprecedented. >> the king to fighting his own cancer problems i know. >> yeah. really difficult year for them. it'll be wonderful to see them all together today. >> it certainly will now. but before we do anything else, sam francis has all the latest gp news headlines . news headlines. >> andrew, ellie, thank you very much and good morning to you. >> it'sjust much and good morning to you. >> it's just after 10:00 and as we heard there, the princess of wales is set to attend his majesty's birthday parade later, with the king saying that he is delighted at that news. a new image of princess catherine, taken by an independent photographer, was released ahead of trooping the colour , her of trooping the colour, her first official public appearance this year . first official public appearance this year. and in a statement, she says she is making good progress regarding her cancer treatment, but admits that she has good days and bad days because of chemotherapy . former because of chemotherapy. former subpostmaster sir alan bates says his newly awarded knighthood is recognition of the

sheer hell that hundreds of post office workers went through . office workers went through. he's been recognised in the king's birthday honours for his campaign to expose the horizon. it scandal cyclist mark cavendish has also been knighted, and there are damehoods for artist tracey emin, actress imelda staunton and designer anya hindmarch . and designer anya hindmarch. former prime minister gordon brown has also received the highest award possible. the champion of honour. the prime minister says that he will stay on as an mp if the conservatives lose the general election. rishi sunak says he'll fight to the last day as he responded to a question about a recent yougov poll , which shows that reform uk poll, which shows that reform uk has overtaken the tories for the first time. the reform uk leader, nigel farage, has suggested that he can be the voice of opposition to labour and elsewhere on the campaign trail. labour leader sir keir starmer and his shadow health secretary, wes streeting are promising 40,000 extra nhs appointments each week, but

experts are questioning the funding details behind that pledge. meanwhile, lib dem leader sir ed davey is campaigning in surrey. he's pledging to scrap police commissioners to boost frontline policing and reform uk's nigel farage claims that his party is the main challenger in northern red wall seats . rishi sunak will red wall seats. rishi sunak will be absent from election campaigning today, though, as he attends trooping the colour this morning before flying to a ukrainian peace summit in switzerland . world leaders are switzerland. world leaders are gathering there to put pressure on russia to end their war with ukraine. china, though, is staying away after moscow was frozen out for dismissing the event as a waste of time . and event as a waste of time. and kyiv has rejected what president zelenskyy has called the absurd peace conditions put forward by president putin. back here in the uk, specialist teams are beginning a fresh search for the body of a man whose torso was discovered in salford in april. body parts of 67 year old stuart everett were found at kersal

dale and three other locations. police say they're now searching an area of worsley woods . two an area of worsley woods. two men have been charged with the 67 year old's murder and finally , there's a warning of a potential rise in domestic abuse when england play serbia in their first game tomorrow. in their first game tomorrow. in the euros, a study found that there was a 38% increase in incidents when the squad lost matches between 2020 and 2010. the metropolitan police says it wants victims to be aware of the support that is available to them during the tournament. that's the latest from the gb newsroom. for now . for more, you newsroom. for now. for more, you can sign up to gb news alerts. just scan the code on your screen or go to gb news. common alerts .

alerts. >> a very good morning to you. it is 10:07. and welcome to our special programme , gb news special programme, gb news trooping the colour. over the next few hours , we'll be taking next few hours, we'll be taking you through the impressive display of pomp and pageantry as we celebrate the official birthday of his majesty the king. >> and we're going to have some expert guests across the next three hours to make sure you don't miss a moment of this incredible celebration. >> well, this is how today is going to pan out. so at 1045 this morning, his majesty the king will leave buckingham palace at 11:00. >> trooping that we have the trooping the colour parade. >> yes, we certainly do . they'll >> yes, we certainly do. they'll make their way down. horse guards down the mall. sorry to horse guards. and then we will have that wonderful appearance by the royal family on the balcony, which many people will be just so excited for. >> will and will, that little prince, will he behave? well? >> i hope not, actually , i quite

>> i hope not, actually, i quite like it when he's. >> i'm sure he'll be mischievous. he probably be his handsin mischievous. he probably be his hands in his ears, pulling faces. but that's why we love him. yes, and then because they'll be there, of course, for they'll be there, of course, for the fly—past by the raf at exactly 1:00. >> yes, there is so much to look forward to. so let's speak now to gb news royal correspondent cameron walker, who is at buckingham palace for us this morning. and cameron, we can imagine the crowds are building up. they're hoping to capture a glimpse of not only the king on his official birthday, but of course, the princess of wales too. >> yeah, absolutely. ellie, despite the rain, the crowds are out in full force here outside buckingham palace and indeed starting to line the mall down to horse guards parade. and they are starting to be entertained by a number of the household bands as well, just marching down the mall ahead of that parade taking place , i'm joined parade taking place, i'm joined by doctor tessa dunlop, the author of elizabeth and philip and also a historian. tessa. welcome to gb news. hello and trooping the colour on this bit

of a wet day. >> yeah, but finally the band is out doing the rain and the protesters , yes, they're protesters, yes, they're certainly the loudest here for sure. there was a cacophony of sound , wasn't there earlier and sound, wasn't there earlier and we weren't sure which was going to win. >> there certainly was . first of >> there certainly was. first of all, let's talk about the princess of wales, of course, announced last night that she will be attending her first pubuc will be attending her first public engagement since christmas last year. >> yeah, this is great news. and of course, i thought released into the public domain a very fitting image of her in the woods and windsor when she said in her statement, you know, i'm not out of the woods yet, but at the prospect of trooping without kate, who is the royal star turn,it kate, who is the royal star turn, it was a bit like sort of england's summer sunless flat. so she will give the day a lift even if we're not going to get a break from mother nature. and i think that is a real it's an upfick think that is a real it's an uptick really, isn't it? this is part pageantry , part part pageantry, part performance, yes. worth bearing in mind that it's also a hugely military occasion. i bought my trooping the colour brochure at the end of it. i'm apparently too long in the tooth to sign up, but how to apply for the

army? so a reminder that we're here for our colonel in chief, the king. but he does not only need a military support, but likewise support from his royal family. and kate's coming out in force today. >> but of course, it is the king's birthday parade. but as you say , it is the princess of you say, it is the princess of wales, perhaps, who's starting to be the focal point. but the king has given his blessing and has spoken to the princess. >> oh, totally. he's 100% delighted. he understands . >> oh, totally. he's 100% delighted. he understands. i mean, he's we're counting his medals. i think some of them , medals. i think some of them, he's got 11 medals to be wearing today and several are for long service . he's been around the service. he's been around the block, charles. he understands the magic of monarchy. >> in fact, we've only just arriving ahead of the parade outside buckingham palace. i believe that is the duke and duchess of edinburgh and lady louise windsor in that first car. i can't quite see who is in the rest of them. princess anne, the rest of them. princess anne, the princess royal, colonel of the princess royal, colonel of the blues and royals , of course, the blues and royals, of course, he will be on parade today was in the car behind them and unfortunately all the other range rovers and land rovers are blacked out. so i can't tell you exactly who should say. >> lady louise will be in one of the carriages today. i believe

possibly we're not quite sure yet. >> we'll have to wait and see, but hopefully it would suggest if i've just saw her in the car, as everyone else did, down the mall. so she'll be clearly taking part, some some way in that, let's taking part, some some way in mauasmm taking part, some some way in that, let's talk about the noise of the crowds , and the of the crowds, and the protesters, of course, we've got the big anti—monarchy protesters here, and they had a bit of a clash with police earlier this week. >> yeah, i think checked in on on the protesters. and i feel they were a bit nonchalant. the police, you know, they're always a bit put upon on days like this. aren't they doing their job on a saturday. but i think we've learned from the coronation that you can't smack down protests too hard. it's a hugely british tradition and actually this royal family tracks right back to the hanoverians, and we were never more vocal than during those hanoverian times, which is when trooping of the colour became an establishment set piece. it was under george the third and the press. there was this hugely republican anti—monarchy. i mean, the hanoverians were a pretty disastrous bunch in so many respects. we're lucky to have our current family in

comparison. so there is that heritage and, you know, they're not allowed loud speakers. you were saying we're going to be of louder voice than they are. but there they were. there flags . there they were. there flags. there was nothing personal. it was just down with the crown, you know, it wasn't charles's name emblazoned on this. it's about being anti an institution. and we should allow that space. >> they're hugely outnumbered though by royal fans as well. well yeah i mean you did say oh there's counter pro royalty protesters. >> and i was like but the whole day is pro royal. i mean it's a it's a wonderful royal performance. well pro—monarchy that's why we're sitting here today talking about it. but i think britain's a broad church and that needs to be represented. >> well, tesla will be going to be hearing a lot more from you later on in the program. but for now , back to andrew and ellie in now, back to andrew and ellie in the studio. >> cameron walker, thank you very much. >> the rain will not dampen the ardour of the queen and the king and princess as royal subjects . and princess as royal subjects. it will add to the merriment and the character of the occasion. i totally agree, and i think if anything, it just makes it even more british. >> doesn't it? absolutely does. people have packed their rain, max. they've got their brollies .

max. they've got their brollies. we can do it in any weather. we're still going to see the pomp and pageantry and it really is truly what we do best. >> it may be june, but it's not always flaming june. it's obviously chucking it down and they won't mind at all. >> they won't mind a bit, especially when they get to see the princess of wales later on on that balcony. and indeed in the carriage. well, we're joined now by legendary broadcaster and journalist alastair stewart and the royal broadcaster and historian rafe heydel—mankoo. very good to see you both today. thank you for joining very good to see you both today. thank you forjoining us. thank you for joining us. >> it's a delight to be here. >> it's a delight to be here. >> well, we are delighted to have you with to us have you alex batty and i actually i've got a real soft spot for trooping the colour because as cameron and tessa were just saying, it is a lot of pageantry and it does have a raf fly—past. >> although it's a funny day in the sense that there's one unexpected show which is the princess of wales. hurrah for that. and sadly , there's one that. and sadly, there's one unexpected no show which is the

great memorial flight of the battle of britain, because the spitfire went down. yes, losing the pilot, sadly. but the aircraft that are taking part are using the same callsign. the rf have decided it'll be the memorial flight callsign, so that's good. but the other thing is, you were both saying in your introduction, this is about the military. it's about history. tesla just nodded to the hanoverians. and george, the third one, was a good farmer and one went mad. but there we go. that's all history and rafe, i'm delighted that you're here. as i was saying to you, when we were outside, it's also about security and the language of it. the life guards , the formerly the life guards, the formerly queen's company and the king's company, and the colour itself as a rallying point in battle . as a rallying point in battle. this is about security as well, dating back to my ancestor names

. sake of the current king charles ii, when he fled after his dad had been decapitated by the republicans . that's his dad had been decapitated by the republicans. that's right. >> this is the household division. so these are the bodyguards of the sovereign, the senior regiments are the life guards and the blues and royals. second senior. these are all regiments founded not in this country , but when the king was country, but when the king was in exile, this was they were founded in the 1650s. the monarchy was only restored after the english civil war in 1660. so these were very much the sort of the defence for the king when he was on the run. and then, of course, when he became king, he brought them back with them. and they have always remained both they have always remained both the foot guards and the horse guards. the most important defence for the royal family. this is quite a special trooping for me, because on monday i was lucky enough to be invited by the irish guards to windsor castle for the king's presentation of colours. i don't know if there's no camera showing, but the, the, the colours are actually these colours are actually these colours are actually these colours are going to be flown , colours are going to be flown, which you can't see on camera at

the moment, but it was great to be with them for that special day with the king looking in fine form, gave a five minute speech and last month i went up with the raf to fly for seven hours in a training for the fly—past today. >> you're now just showing off so . 50. >> so. >> so it was actually it was a wonderful experience for me. seven hours we got to refuel some typhoons, which will also be taking part in the fly—past today, and of course, the colours are so important because they were the critical method of communication in a time when you didn't have radio or anything like that. and the colours were a rallying point for troops who got disoriented on the battlefield to know where they could go to for safety. >> let me butt in. i'm just saying to the director, i don't know if you can see this on on camera two, but it's there we are. it also makes another crucial point. and that is, if you look here, listed on the colour are the battle honours, thus proving the point. and as the ministry of defence have stressed to us in the incredibly helpful briefing that they

always give us ahead of these occasions, all of the soldiers on parade now looking pretty and beautiful in their red jackets and tight trousers, and the rest of it are fighting men and fighting women. and on those battle honours there are things like afghanistan. there are things like iraq. here we have one of the, one of the bands of the household division , it's the the household division, it's the household division of the guards, but they have their own bands as well. and after putin's invasion of ukraine, a lot of the soldiers on parade today have also been involved in training ukrainian troops on salisbury plain. >> that's right. and the irish guards today, number nine and number 12 company have been involved in training on ieds around in africa as well. but also, as you say, in ukraine, important. so what these soldiers are really they're called dual role soldiers. they have a ceremonial function, but also importantly they are battle ready and they have operational

experience too. >> it reminds me of seeing the military. we should never forget that the king or the monarch is always commander in chief. and we know we just saw the extraordinary d—day commemorations the other week . commemorations the other week. our own king, then george, wanted to be in that first wave with the prime minister, but both of them were stopped from doing so. >> that's right. so the king wanted to go. he was obviously told that was impossible. and winston churchill then was determined to go on hms belfast to go for the d—day landings. and it was only the king's direct intervention when the king said, well, if you're going to go, i'm going to go. and that puts an end to all of that. but very important to note, yes, the king is commander in chief. he's also the colonel in chief of all of the regiments. we're going to be seeing today. and that connection between the sovereign and the regiments and the monarch and the army in general, is so important because their loyalty is not to the government, it's to the monarch. and, you know , that's a very and, you know, that's a very important check against a potentially despotic government. yeah. >> there is such. >> there is such.

>> and you just saw there them wheeling left on to horseguards parade, having come past the, along the mall, what used to be the stables, the mews. and there's a full lovely top view of horseguards parade, the white building to the top right hand corner of your screen is the old war department, still hugely popular with tourists . it's also popular with tourists. it's also the headquarters of the london division, who are very much in charge of today's parade. and in there, where members of the royal family, whether they're in cars or coaches, will sit and watch this parade take place. the king will be working from a carriage rather than on horseback. the late queen was always very keen on doing it on horseback and famously on burmese. her beautiful black horse, which i've always said would be a perfect statue for the fourth plinth in trafalgar square. queen elizabeth ii on

burmese. that's my vote for the fourth plinth. >> you know, she was riding burmese when the lunatic fired the air pistol six times. >> in stopping, the crowd pulled a gun. >> absolutely, absolutely . and >> absolutely, absolutely. and goodness me, did you see a display of brilliant horse workmanship? yeah, totally under control from her majesty. >> she did . >> she did. >> she did. >> bannau always as always. alastair stewart rafe heydel—mankoo. thank you very much. going to be with us all morning. don't go anywhere as throughout the morning we'll be live across the capital at buckingham palace on the moon as one of the best tickets in town. >> there. the people who've been able to, get into the, into the seated including many members of families

welcome back. it is 1024, and this is our special program. gb news. trooping the colour . and news. trooping the colour. and we are approaching the start of

today's spectacular events. but of course, preparations have been going on for weeks. indeed. months but his majesty king charles the third will shortly depart from buckingham palace and make his way down the mall to horse guards for his official birthday parade. >> and of course, once the king arrives, he then reviews his guards riding down the ranks of foot guards and cavalry, then the colour is trooped through the colour is trooped through the ranks before the foot guards march past the king, and it is going to look slightly different this year, because the king, of course, is going to be observing and overseeing the troops from a carriage rather than by tradition. he'd be on horseback, but as you know, he's fighting his own battle with cancer . we his own battle with cancer. we saw him on d—day. he had to even leave that slightly early . he leave that slightly early. he had permission to do that. unlike prime minister, we might add, and so he will be in a carriage. but the great excitement , carriage. but the great excitement, apart from the carriage. but the great excitement , apart from the fact excitement, apart from the fact we're going to see the king, it's princess kate . it's princess kate. >> just the most wonderful news. yes it is. >> who'd have thought it? >> who'd have thought it? >> the return of the princess.

that wonderful statement from her yesterday , confirming that her yesterday, confirming that she will be at the king's official birthday parade today. >> quite significant statement. she said she's not out of the woods yet. and they released the photograph of her in the woods. yes. at windsor. beautifully done. >> yeah. and she looked beautiful. i'm sure she's going to look beautiful today as well. well, gb news royal correspondent cameron walker is there for us at buckingham palace . very good morning to palace. very good morning to you, cameron. we can imagine the excitement is really building in those crowds there. despite the rain . rain. >> yes, certainly is early. the crowds are out in full force , as crowds are out in full force, as you say, despite the rain we've just had. you just missed them. afraid the king's troop, royal horse artillery, filed past around the victoria memorial. they will be firing a 41 gun salute in green park after the parade. just before the raf fly—past around 1252. so it's quite precise, but the whole parade is very precise. but of course, the king's birthday parade is about celebrating the official birthday of the monarch

. and as you were talking about there. and you, anneli, some adaptations have been made to allow for the king's cancer diagnosis. and of course, his ongoing treatment. so he will be riding in a carriage as you said, rather than riding a horse down the mall. he also inspects his troops from the carriage on horse guards parade . now, i was horse guards parade. now, i was also very lucky because a couple of weeks ago , i actually got to of weeks ago, i actually got to witness the rehearsal for trooping the colour. i dub it a bit of a tech rehearsal, to be honest. they were all wearing a khaki, but i got to speak to lieutenant colonel james shaw. now he is the brigade major of the household division , and the household division, and later on, we're going to see him lead the king down the mall at the front of the royal procession. he will also be on a horse. but he spoke to me about his reaction to the king being actually able to take part in this parade. >> it's absolutely amazing news. i've literally just got off my horse and to hear that just changes everything. the king is our colonel in chief, so now he's on parade, it's just wonderful to know. and the birthday parade needs to be even better than normal. we wish the colonel of the irish guards the

best of best wishes for her recovery . and again, the irish recovery. and again, the irish guards are hugely proud to have her as their colonel and want to put on a really special show this year. >> so the last couple of years we've had the very sad demise of queen elizabeth ii, the state funeral, the coronation. now we're in trooping. is it a bit quieter this year? can you focus more on trooping the colour, or is it as busy as usual? >> it always seems to be busy. we always think next year will be quieter . we always think next year will be quieter. it's a we always think next year will be quieter . it's a little we always think next year will be quieter. it's a little bit quieter because we haven't got those big state events. but as we were talking about earlier, just with the news of the king, we've got to make this birthday parade really special for our for our colonel in chief and just repay some of that amazing service that he's still showing at the moment. >> a celebration for their colonel in chief. the national anthem has just started to be played outside buckingham palace. of course, it is a huge celebration of the monarch's official birthday. i'm joined again by doctor tessa dunlop here at outside buckingham

palace. i mean, what a spectacle. as we're starting to build up to the start of the parade. >> yeah, it is immense, actually, and it's worth bearing in mind just how physically. demanding it is being in public present, dressed. if you're a military player, you'll remember it's extraordinary to think it was just a year ago when three guardsmen fainted during one of their reviews. that's how different the weather is this year. different the weather is this year . but the different the weather is this year. but the head of all this, we have the king, who's an old man, and he's not a well man. and he's just done normandy , and he's just done normandy, portsmouth. massive d—day commemoration and now here he is heading up his troops, taking the salute . i'm not surprised the salute. i'm not surprised he's not on horseback today. to be honest. i don't think i'll be on horseback today. >> but do you think that shows his determination to really take part in an event like this? because this is a very important eventin because this is a very important event in the royal calendar. >> it is. i mean, interestingly , >> it is. i mean, interestingly, i was horseguards parade two years ago for the platinum jubilee when he took the salute for his queen, his own mother , for his queen, his own mother, who managed the balcony despite being months from her own death.

you know, this is a family who knows it's about being seen come what may. which is why we've got charles. yes not in even the carriage we expected him to be in. because i believe he's in a rainproof one. now, that suddenly changed, hasn't it? >> quite possibly . haven't made >> quite possibly. haven't made quite made the decision yet. but if you're if you are watching on television, you're just watching the lifeguards. you can you can see their red tunics and white plumes riding their horses just past the victoria memorial, which is the big memorial directly outside the gates of buckingham palace. they're going to form part of the royal procession , down to the horse procession, down to the horse guards parade. a little bit later on. earlier this month, on the 10th of may, tessa the king, was at windsor castle presenting the king's colour to the irish guards, who will be trooping their colour and of course, kate is honorary colonel of the irish guards . guards. >> and had things been business as usual, she would have taken the salute. she'd have been a formal part of the military parade. we're not going to see that today, but i think it

doesn't matter. we're just grateful that kate's going to be there. we're excited to see what she's going to be wearing. yeah, it's interesting. i was referencing what seemed like a very long time ago when hillary mantel, our late, great, writer, wrote of her being sort of a polished doll , you know, a polished doll, you know, a mannequin for rags on which they could be hung. but in some ways, yes, that's what royalty is about. >> his majesty the king and queen are just arriving at buckingham palace. no, it's not the king and queen actually , it the king and queen actually, it might be the prince and princess of wales. is it difficult to tell? really difficult to tell from our position. but the royal standard is not on the car. which makes me think it's the prince and princess of wales. so this would be if i'm right. i can't confirm it because i can't see from where i am. but this would suggest that this is the first. this is the first time we have seen the princess of wales on an official public engagement since christmas day, 2023, the princess arriving back at

buckingham palace with the first time in well over six months. of course she is colonel of the irish guards, who are trooping their colour today. so a bit of a moment. >> yeah, no news on what she will be wearing, but i'm hoping she's got her thermals on because it's a little bit parky . because it's a little bit parky. it is a bit cold. yeah, weather unpredictable, but the royal family, they are a lightning rod for the nation in so many ways, and this is a bellwether moment for them . unlike other royal for them. unlike other royal ceremonies, whether it's coronations or funerals or weddings, we know every june we expect this to display of pomp, pageantry. yes, it's also a big day for the military. 1400 troops are going to be doing their thing. do you know not only 200 horses? and we have three recovery stories. we should credit the horses rather wonderfully named as trojan vanquish. and what's the third name that will totally, suitably in tennyson? tennyson will be out there strutting their stuff. yes. they're the ones who bolted that they've made a recovery. >> they did. and they will be out on parade today. you also just saw on television, seamus, which is the irish guards mascot, and his handler, drummer

dean and i actually spoke to drummer dean a little bit earlier on, and he told me the role of the mascot in today's parade . parade. >> he tends to lead all the battalion on on parades. so if, for example, if we do a king's guard, he will lead the blokes in and that into the buckingham palace or into windsor castle, for example . but he will always for example. but he will always lead the irish guards in front. >> and how long has he been a mascot for? >> so he's been the mascot for three years now. he's four. he's four years old, so he's pretty used to all of this. yeah, he's used to all of this. yeah, he's used to all of this. yeah, he's used to it all sometimes now and again . if he's not done it for again. if he's not done it for a while, he doesn't like the sound of the bass drum. but as soon as it gets going, he gets going. he's all right. >> and who looks after seamus when he's not on parade or doing something official for the army ? something official for the army? >> so he lives with me 24 over seven. >> got a big bond between you two, then? yeah. >> i can't leave him out of my sight. >> there's lots of animals taking part in today's parade. 200 horses, and of course, seamus as well . 200 horses, and of course, seamus as well. but 200 horses, and of course, seamus as well . but we're seeing seamus as well. but we're seeing pictures now on horseguards parade of the foot guards. and,

of course, the bands lining up ahead of this parade. tessa. lots of rehearsal, lots of military precision and lots of tradition. we're going to see today. >> absolutely. five regiments represented grenadier , represented grenadier, coldstream, scots, irish and welsh. it's the irish big day. as i said, kate's the colonel of the irish. they'll be glad she's there. she's not going to be taking part in the military parade , but very much all other parade, but very much all other royal family members will be who are working, will be taking the salute led by the king. as you mentioned, he's going to be in a carriage beside his queen. he's not actually going to be on horseback, but you know, if i'm going to be honest, you don't want to be on horseback when you are riding alongside princess royal anne, because she looks so incredible. she's anyone else looks like a sack of potatoes. you know, she's just built to be on a horse . on a horse. >> well, next olympian, of course. >> naturally. yes, well , >> naturally. yes, well, lieutenant colonel james colby, he's a field officer in brigade waiting , and he he's a field officer in brigade waiting, and he is he's a field officer in brigade waiting , and he is taking the waiting, and he is taking the command of parade today.

waiting, and he is taking the command of parade today . and he, command of parade today. and he, at the start, orders the guards to line in into line in even and to line in into line in even and to fix bayonets. but he spoke to me about the precision that needs to happen during the trooping. during trooping the colour and the king's birthday parade. >> i am repeatedly going through the parade in my head. it is very to easy lose concentration with everything that's going on around you. so i am repeating the next part. i'm repeating the next part so that should something happen , i know what's something happen, i know what's coming and or i know how to do something slightly different if needs be and everything's timed to the second. >> so not a lot of leeway. >> so not a lot of leeway. >> pretty much. it's pretty tight . tight. >> well, as soon as we spot any other members of the royal family either arriving or departing from buckingham palace, we will be sure to let you know. so keep tuning in to gb news on this special trooping the colour program. elianne andrew, back to you . andrew, back to you. >> thank you so much. cameron walker there live for us and we have got the breaking news. >> we've been waiting for the princess of wales. we can confirm she has arrived at buckingham palace ahead of trooping the colour. she's in the back seat of a daimler big limo. it appears she appears to

be wearing something. some white, but certainly a pale outfit. looking out the window , outfit. looking out the window, accompanied, of course, by the prince of wales. >> in this picture at the we can see in front of us right now. she does look an absolute vision . she does. she's got a hat kind of perched to the side of her head. of perched to the side of her head . looks like pearl earrings. head. looks like pearl earrings. she looks beautiful, radiant . she looks beautiful, radiant. >> yeah. and we're all looking forward to seeing her very well. absolutely. so that's confirmed . absolutely. so that's confirmed. it was announced yesterday that she would be there. she's arrived at the palace, so we will see her very shortly in a carriage with other members of the royal family. so welcome back. >> welcome back. >> welcome back. >> it is, i say, very, very to good see you. >> and so fitting as well as she is, of course, colonel of the irish guards, fitting that today is her day of return, and they will be so delighted to see her because they have such a special relationship, don't they? we're joined in the studio now by rafe heydel—mankoo and alastair stewart. rafe. there is such a special relationship between the princess of wales and the irish guards, isn't there? but that

was clear last week when that letter was read to them saying that she wouldn't be able to make the colonel review. there was a real emotion in that statement, wasn't there? from the princess of wales. >> you could tell how much she regretted not being able to be there , because of course, the there, because of course, the colonels review and she is colonel of the regiment takes place one week ago. yes. and there was every hope and anticipation. and i was speaking to some, to some guardsmen actually at an event on wednesday, and they had said that they had hoped that she would have been able to make it, but they had their fingers crossed about today because they were. it is so important when you are the actual regiment who is trooping your colour, to have your colonel present there. you were asking, what was she going to wear, as you said last year, she wore green. in fact, the green is not the official colour of ireland. it's actually azure blue and the, the guards are one of the last places where you'll see that traditional blue in the colour of their plumes, which comes from the order of saint patrick. so there's every chance, perhaps, that that her royal highness may be in a, in a, in a as your blue colour. it

was lovely to see seamus as well there. the only mascot that's allowed to be walked out of any guards regiment. i got up close to it on wednesday , actually, at to it on wednesday, actually, at a reception that i went to such a reception that i went to such a well behaved dog, since 1902, the irish wolfhound club have provided the dogs originally in the hope that it will make the breed more popular. and it wears a glorious silver collar which has all of the names of all of the other mascots that were present. so, you know, there are so many different aspects of the tradition and history here, and it's those things that unite a regiment, because ultimately the regiment, because ultimately the regiment fights for each other first and foremost. and it's things like the ceremonies that create that sense of camaraderie, trooping before the colour and acknowledging your the insignia and the colours , to the insignia and the colours, to provide a very special moment. and of course, all hoping that the king will stop and talk to you when he does his inspection of the troops on monday. he did that for a number nine company at windsor castle, and you could tell it was the proudest moment in each guard's life when he stopped and spoke with them. he's done this more than anybody else, as it used to be. the case with the queen, and he knows

what to look for when he's inspecting the guard, and it will be the highlight of their career for many of them today. >> i'm sure . i mean, alister, >> i'm sure. i mean, alister, it's really important to reflect, isn't it, that it's not only about the pomp and the pageantry and the ceremonial role that we're seeing them do so very well today. they are also serving fighting men and women, aren't they? >> i always want to say at this point, and so i will say it, nobody does it better. no army anywhere in the world gets anywhere in the world gets anywhere near this. and if you want to know why there is such precision that james colby was talking about shortly before fixed bayonets, a number of sergeants and warrant officers are sent out as markers, and you'll see them there just to make sure that these troops to whom the colour is being trooped, are absolutely , trooped, are absolutely, perfectly in position for the inspection by his majesty the king. just look at those lines. absolutely perfect. and we're looking down beautifully there on horseguards parade, with admiralty arch in the background there, trafalgar square, off to there, trafalgar square, off to the right there and there was

some speculation about the princess of wales . i think she princess of wales. i think she and all the other members of the royal family would be going up to wellington's old office so that they could look down on horseguards to see this fantastic parade unfold before their very eyes. and in that office is wellington's old desk , office is wellington's old desk, where he commanded successfully the predecessor of all of these amazing men and women, and defeated napoleon. >> yes, i mean horseguards from the 18th century up until 1858 was the centre of the british empire. militarily, that's where the british empire was run, was run from. we've just seen an image of the guards in an l shape, and that's called a hollow square, reminiscent of , hollow square, reminiscent of, again, wellington's famous squares, with which he won the battle of waterloo. now, horseguards has had many different , you know, life different, you know, life lifespans, if i can say in 2012, people may remember it was the volleyball court in the london olympics, but it's got a connection with knights and

horses and the military going back 500 years to when saint james's park was actually a hunting ground and horse guards was king henry vii's jousting tournament grounds. >> i think one of the most moving aspects of who's here today is that the guardsmen who were in iraq at the time were flown back to , to, work at the, flown back to, to, work at the, funeral ceremony of the late queen and with those extraordinary pallbearers who carried the body , those very carried the body, those very men, those very guards are there today on parade for king charles the third. >> that's right. and we can see on the screen the very important guards memorial, the cenotaph, if you will, to the five regiments, which is a reminder of the military and operational function that these guards have. aside from their ceremonial dufies. aside from their ceremonial duties . and there we can see the duties. and there we can see the bronze statues of five guardsmen, one representing each of the regiments, the grenadiers , coldstream, scots, welsh and irish guards , pockmarked with

irish guards, pockmarked with bomb damage from from the blitz. but that is the spiritual centre of the of the of the soldiers, of the of the of the soldiers, of course, for whom so many lost their lives and service . their lives and service. >> important moment for the king and the princess of wales, rafe because they've both been through, they're both going through, they're both going through this battle with cancer. and there was that extraordinary image i remember of the king in his dressing gown and slippers , his dressing gown and slippers, shuffling down a corridor in the london clinic to go and visit somebody who was also recovering from cancer. the princess of wales. who'd have ever thought that would have? something happenedin that would have? something happened in our modern monarchy and they were already close. but you can just sense that's brought them even closer together. >> well, and of course, we had confirmation today of the king being delighted that the princess of wales is there. he knows that she is the strength and stay and the future of the monarchy. yeah. and she has done so much, i think, to rise above everything else. that's been happening on and provide that symbol of constancy and stability , much like her mother stability, much like her mother in law and indeed the queen mother did as well. and you know the power behind the throne as king george vi knew was the queen mother. and i think to a great degree, her role as the

princess of wales will prove to be that vitally important strength for prince william in the years ahead. and when he eventually becomes queen and, you know, the images of her back much as people were interested in the king will be worldwide every newspaper, every i mean, cameron, cameron and tesla were saying about the noise down there and the crowd versus the weather. >> but interestingly , although >> but interestingly, although james colby is bellowing out the orders a little later on, the orders a little later on, the orders directly to the guardsmen and women will be done with the swish of the sword and they know exactly what that is. whereas for the massed bands , it will be for the massed bands, it will be done with the trombone. >> certainly. well, well, let's go down to cameron walker now, who's at buckingham palace for us.she >> well jenny packham for the high ali. >> we have just had the first members of the royal family leave buckingham palace. so we've got two barouche carriages, the first of which unfortunately because it's raining the covers on. but i can tell you in the first carriage is the duchess of edinburgh ,

is the duchess of edinburgh, lady louise windsor, her daughter and the duke of kent. now this is significant because lady louise windsor is not a working member of the royal family, and i think that perhaps speaks volumes that she is part of this procession in the second carriage, we can just about see, lady louise there in the white, in the second carriage, we have the duke and duchess of gloucester, of course, both working royals and vice admiral sir tim laurence, she, tim lawrence , of course, is the lawrence, of course, is the husband of princess anne, the princess royal, who is also colonel of the blues and royals. so they are making their way down the mall towards horseguards parade ahead of the royal procession kicking off in just a couple of moments time and they'll be watching, presumably the parade from the major generals office at horse guards parade. the royal standard . if we can get a shot standard. if we can get a shot of the now massive royal standard , above buckingham standard, above buckingham palace has changed to the state,

to the one used only for big important royal state occasions. it's the size of a tennis court , it's the size of a tennis court, and the last time i think it was flown was last year's trooping the colour. and before that, it was the coronation. so it's probably only once a year. it's actually, used . so we're just actually, used. so we're just getting, the, the man. we're just getting the bands coming past, buckingham palace now, ahead of the royal procession. kicking off, as it were. but just to recap, we've had the duke of duchess of edinburgh, lady louise mountbatten—windsor and the duke of kent, leave buckingham palace to wards horseguards parade alongside the duke of gloucester, duchess of gloucester and vice admiral sir tim laurence, historian tessa dunlop, it's pretty significant that lady louise is part of this. >> yeah. lovely to see her in a carriage. of course, she shared her passion for carriages with the late duke of edinburgh . the late duke of edinburgh. philip. and this is very much a family affair. i know we get our knickers in a twist about who's

a working royal who isn't which honorary military, role goes to which royal, but actually it's about what fits, what works on the day . and she looked the day. and she looked exquisite there. she's. i really those two children, the duke and duchess of edinburgh's children have never put a foot wrong. they're discreet, they're loyal , they're discreet, they're loyal, and they know when to step up. and clearly today is her day. and clearly today is her day. and i'm sure the whole family will be thrilled. of course, we're sitting here holding our breath a bit, aren't we, for the arrival of the princess of wales in her carriage. but it's worth beanng in her carriage. but it's worth bearing in mind that this is an action packed day in so many respects. i think it was the late queen in 1981 on her wonderful horse burmese, that she was devoted to. there she was trundling, well, actually riding rather beautifully, as she always did, down the mall when those blank bullets were fired. she didn't know they were blank. she was totally , in blank. she was totally, in control of the moment. her horse tried to bolt, but she brought it back into into check. >> and, we are just having some

more carriages come outside of buckingham palace . the glass buckingham palace. the glass coach, which should. which should be the princess of wales. and is it the king? his majesty the king, his majesty the king and the king and the queen we are just seeing here they are in the scottish state coach. of course, adaptations have been made for his majesty to take part in this royal procession. and indeed , the king's birthday and indeed, the king's birthday parade due to his ongoing cancer treatments, he clearly has been very determined . historian tessa very determined. historian tessa dunlop to take part today and originally , i think the plan was originally, i think the plan was for him to, parade down the mall in the ascot landau, but that has been revised because of the weather. >> sometimes the horses hooves and their sounds are being the princess of wales, the princess of wales. we have . oh, this is of wales. we have. oh, this is exquisite. this is a beautiful jenny packham dress . i exquisite. this is a beautiful jenny packham dress. i believe she's a massive fan of, jenny. she wore that wonderful gold glittering dress. do you remember the time to die

premiere, the james bond premiere. here she is now, wearing white, and i believe she's got an irish guards regimental brooch, if we can get any detail there. >> so we just see the king and queen there, riding past behind them in this carriage. just coming into view now, is the princess of wales alongside her three children. prince george, princess charlotte and prince louis in the gold coach, the princess, wearing white jenny packham as tessa just said, and a philip treacy hat, hat and the irish guards regimental brooch just to get them away. >> i'm giving them an unprofessional way back. come on. good for them. and they've nailed it. even if the weather hasn't. it's quite wonderful, isn't it? >> prince george, princess charlotte, prince louis looking out the window at us, the media and about to see the huge , and about to see the huge, crowds which have listened to the royal see them. yeah yeah, of the crowds, here, i think incredibly excited, of course, to see the king, but perhaps the princess of wales as well. >> come on. can you hear that? there was a massive uptick there, an endorphin boost on the

mall as kate and her children, parade down in their carriage, and she's looking exquisite. this is. it's very physically taxing to go out there mid cancer treatment . two major cancer treatment. two major royal players, putting it out there for the country , for the there for the country, for the troops. i think it is a special day and even those of stone heart who have got their down with the crown flags . hopefully with the crown flags. hopefully we'll recognise the human element to this parade and just have a moment of recognition. >> and of course, the atmosphere here is just such a celebration. we have people who brought their own bunting , their own flags, own bunting, their own flags, their own banners cheering on their own banners cheering on the royal family and but especially the king and the princess of wales. >> absolutely. and i was accosted midway through green park and encouraged to by the trooping the colour catalogue or program. and i've got to say, the time and the effort and the history. it is something that we do well . i'm always cautious of do well. i'm always cautious of saying, oh, we've got fighting in our dna when it's worth beanng in our dna when it's worth bearing in mind on the continent, in switzerland today, zelenskyy met with major european players about how to bnng european players about how to

bring peace in the east. we're a we're a continent at war. we need to revere and look after our military. we need to encourage recruitment and one of the ways of keeping them centre stage in their story is by, of course, marrying them to the royal family, which they've always been right back since post—civil war, when this tradition first started under charles ii, became an establishment event, national event under the hanoverians and george the third. and here we are today, even putting their best foot forward when it's not been an easy year for the royals. for the king, for the princess of wales. but that bond is firm . and they are. yeah, is firm. and they are. yeah, just like the troops that they're taking the salute from today. they're absolutely stalwart national players. >> absolutely. and we should just say that, of course, the prince of wales, the princess royal and the duke of edinburgh are all riding horses in the royal procession. the prince , royal procession. the prince, the prince even riding a horse called derby. the princess royal called derby. the princess royal, colonel of the blues and royals riding noble and the duke of edinburgh , colonel of the of edinburgh, colonel of the london guards, is also is riding

a horse called sirjohn, so they a horse called sir john, so they are part of the procession. leading the procession is brigade major , sorry, lieutenant brigade major, sorry, lieutenant colonel james shaw and of course four separate divisions, the blues and royals, of course, one of them as well. so it's taken a lot of practice to get this parade right, hasn't it ? parade right, hasn't it? >> yes. >> yes. >> huge amount of rehearsing, and, we'll go back to last year when there were those, guardsmen who fainted during one of the reviews. there was astonishingly hot weather. it's hard to believe it's the same country, but i think that's again why this is such an important event. come what may. this is such an important event. come what may . you know, come what may. you know, trooping the colour happens. you know, it is a sort of staple in the royal calendar, even for those who aren't tuned into monarchy, who aren't massively royal. they'll look at their diary and today it will pop up all king's birthday parade. it's sort of a national fixture, and i think that it's also a way of checking where we're at every june. where is the royal family? who is on the balcony and this

bellwether moment, and actually the messaging that's coming out is, you know, it's not business as usual, but we're doing our absolute best. and it's hard not to respect that, isn't it, cameron? >> it certainly is. i think, and you just have to listen to the crowds cheering and the real respect and the love they have for the royal family and the military. pomp and pageantry. there is no other country in the world that has a military procession quite like this . procession quite like this. >> and it's interesting because as i referenced, europe has seen war in a way that we haven't seen war since 1945, and it's ongoing and it's brutal . and you ongoing and it's brutal. and you see, military parades take place in places like saint petersburg because putin loves the military parade. and i think actually, what's kind of wonderful about marrying royalty, this apolitical institution with our military is, if you like it, sort of takes the sting out of the tail. it's the reminder that they can coexist. you know, your military arm, that institution alongside the royal one. and there is this kind of intersection , this crossover. so intersection, this crossover. so it becomes a family event as

well as something that showcases what is the security arm of the nation. >> and that is a very important point, actually, tessa, because the household division is not only here for the military pomp and pageantry, all of them serving soldiers and have served on the front line in various wars and have their own different tasks 100. >> and we know that today, obviously, they're in their finery. there's, a disproportionate number of bands. i think ten bands in total, huge numbers of musicians, 200 horses. it ain't like that. you know, when they're trained. no you know, i think it's quite a lot of british military at the moment in places like poland and estonia. and you can be sure that they're not all wearing gold finery and playing a trumpet. but i'm at the moment doing a massive amount of research on commemoration, and it's just really important to remember that if you sign up and serve for the military , there's serve for the military, there's a chance, if you're called to go to war and you can't pick or chooseif to war and you can't pick or choose if you told to go on to an afghanistan, you go, you know, or iraq and you're not all going to come back. and i think,

therefore, you have to counter therefore, you have to counter the brutal reality of being a service man or woman with days like this that honour the risk you take in the name of king or country. >> and of course, they've all had a huge task to rehearse for this, and a number of horses taking part in this parade 200 horses, three of which were in the headlines just a few weeks ago because they bolted when they were spooked. but they have been cared for so brilliantly by the army that they can be back in time for trooping the colour. >> yeah, they've seen, absolutely. in, in the sort of military hospital. in fact, i did see a, a horse ambulance go past earlier. >> hopefully that's a safe and sorry won't need another one of those. >> so best of luck to tennis and trojan and vanquish. i think there's trojan and vanquish are particularly well named aren't they. they've come back from recovery. yeah. totally aligned with the princess of wales and the king. and you know, the kind of carrying on regardless. but there's two more i think, that we're still holding out for. it's worth saying i think the parade, i think, is halfway down the mall. it's quite a long stretch, i've got to say. i'd rather be encouraged than on foot today.

>> yeah, certainly is. and we've got the first and second divisions ahead of the king's carriage and the royal family of the sovereign's escorts, the first division commander, lieutenant de—man of the life guards, second division commander, captain jamie redfarn, who's only 28 years old, actually, of the life guards as well. then, of course, we had the carriages . just we had the carriages. just a reminder in the first barouche carriage we had the duchess of edinburgh, lady louise mountbatten—windsor and the duke of kent, who probably aren't far off horseguards parade. actually, the second carriage we had, the duke of gloucester, the duchess of gloucester , vice duchess of gloucester, vice admiral sir tim laurence, the husband of the princess royal as well, riding the horses as part of this royal procession is the prince of wales as colonel of the welsh guards , he's riding a the welsh guards, he's riding a horse called derby. the princess royal horse called derby. the princess royal, who is colonel of the blues and royals, riding a horse called noble and the duke of edinburgh riding a horse called sir john. edinburgh riding a horse called sirjohn. he edinburgh riding a horse called sir john. he is colonel of the scots guards , and the london scots guards, and the london guards as well. the king and queen in the scottish state.

coach and the glass coach contains the princess of wales for the first time since december 2023. we've seen her and her three children prince george, princess charlotte and prince louis, it's clearly, quite a sight for the crowds who've lined them out despite the weather. >> yeah, i always think it kind of plays so well to the different personalities . i know different personalities. i know that kate, ordinarily, as the honorary colonel of the irish guards and of course, them who've trooping their colour today , would be part of that today, would be part of that military parade. but i do love that the princess royal is colonel of the blues and royals . colonel of the blues and royals. hasn't got to wear a frock. no. you know, she's leaving that to the queen and the princess of wales. and we should say that i believe camilla is wearing an anna valentine. i didn't get a very clear look because obviously we're protecting , you obviously we're protecting, you know, a few few sentences. >> i'll leave that up to you. i'm certainly not out of alpine, i'm certainly not out of alpine, i'm told with a with a philip treacy hat , but i haven't had i'm told with a with a philip treacy hat, but i haven't had a clear look. >> but i just think that i bet hans thinking i'm glad i'm in uniform today. you know, i'm on a horse where she's happiest . a horse where she's happiest. >> and i think she said in one interview, actually, when she was asked about the coronation

well, being gold stick in waiting or riding a horse because of course, she's the ceremonial bodyguard of her, her brother , the king as well today, brother, the king as well today, like she was for the coronation. but it means she doesn't have to worry about what she's wearing because she's just going to be wearing military uniform. >> yeah, and i think that's where she's happiest. she's very much in her comfort zone. but also, i can't stress enough how important it is to have that kind of disney princess moment with super trouper. may i, kate, turning up today, remember, if you're on horseguards parade and you're on horseguards parade and you're watching in the stands and you've got your ticket, if you're not military, it can seem quite a lot of sort of marching and commands. i think it's 113 and commands. i think it's113 military commands are given or something like that. and then suddenly when the royal carriages, once they arrive at the other end of the mall and they cross horseguards parade, there is a disney princess moment . you're like, oh, there moment. you're like, oh, there she is with her beautiful hat and her lovely children. and it is a sort of yeah, it's a throwback in time in some ways. that's why we put them in carriages. it's not like they couldn't be in a car, but i think we like to remind ourselves in britain that we're tied back to this extraordinary

history through this one family. and why not? >> and normally we would see the princess of wales on the dais here at horseguards parade as colonel of the irish guards, who are, as we've been discussing, trooping their colour, this yeah trooping their colour, this year. but adaptations have been made for her to be in the major general's office with her children this year. and it's, lieutenant general james bucknell, who will be taking the royal salute on her behalf. >> yeah, indeed . i'm just hoping >> yeah, indeed. i'm just hoping that beneath the jenny packham dress, she's got a thermal sock because i'm a little bit chilly. i don't know about you. i love the fact that she's warm, white. it's it reflects the light. it's a good colour. it's kind of a flattering colour. if you're not feeling 100. and i know that she's absolutely been a long time fan of jenny packham. some of her sort of hallmark moments . of her sort of hallmark moments. you remember that was just post covid when we were suddenly out of lockdown and that was that huge james bond premiere, and she was dressed in gold and i can't remember what. camilla was wearing something in dusty blue shoes. >> so this is , his majesty the >> so this is, his majesty the king. here we are arriving. queen. i believe we've arriving at horse guards parade ahead of

the start of the king's birthday parade. he will be inspecting his troops. his majesty will be from a carriage last year, of course, we saw his majesty ride a horse. but because of his ongoing, treatments for cancer, we are being told that his majesty will inspect, from , from majesty will inspect, from, from from the carriage. so, of course, as his majesty arrives at horse guards parade, i'll hand back to andrew pierce and eddie costello . eddie costello. >> cameron walker, thank you very much indeed. we are just seeing these carriages enter into horse guards parade there into horse guards parade there in the scottish state. coach, his majesty the king. and of course , her majesty the queen. course, her majesty the queen. the king, the colonel in chief of the household division, wearing the tunic of the guard of honour. order the irish guards with the blue garter sash. and you can imagine how he's feeling , andrew being in a he's feeling, andrew being in a carriage rather than on horseback . horseback. >> he would want to be. he. it's

in, it's in the royal family's dna. they love horses. they all love riding horses. but he's got to he doctor's orders. and the doctors have clearly said , you doctors have clearly said, you can't, sir. he was riding a horse last year, so he's in the carriage, and that's no bad thing, the other senior royals will be riding horses. the prince of wales, prince edward, the duke of edinburgh, and of course, the indefatigable princess royal. >> princess royal? yes they are all riding horses that have been gifted from the canadian mounted police. you can hear the national anthem playing there. as we can see the glass coach with the princess of wales seen for the first time since christmas day alongside her children, prince george, princess charlotte and prince louis. and you can only imagine the emotion in that carriage when they were going down the mall and the people had been camped there since last night. >> i bet a few tears have been shed because the news won't have got out to everybody, that the princess of wales was going to be back with us in public for the first time since christmas

day . she's the first time since christmas day. she's made a very typically moving statement confirming that she's still not out of the woods. to use her expression . woods. to use her expression. there's still ongoing chemotherapy treatment, but from the glimpse we saw of her through the carriage, she looks extraordinary . of course she extraordinary. of course she does. she is the rock star royal, isn't she ? the rock star royal, isn't she? the rock star princess carriage doors are opening now . you're listening to opening now. you're listening to us on gb news radio, bells ringing, crowd. you can see them craning their necks to catch a glimpse. >> prince louis steps out first in shorts. >> yes, prince george looking very much the older brother . and very much the older brother. and there she is, the princess of wales. white shoes , white wales. white shoes, white outfit, fabulous hat . she looks outfit, fabulous hat. she looks slim, but she's always slim. >> she's always slim, and she's always exquisite looking. absolutely beautiful in a jenny packham dress . it's a white packham dress. it's a white dress, white shoes, white hat with navy detailing on there. and we do believe she's wearing asswell , an irish guards asswell, an irish guards regimental brooch as well. of course she is colonel of the

irish guards. >> she's wearing white. make sure she's seen . and that was sure she's seen. and that was the queen's maxim, wasn't it? makes visibility. the royal family's about visibility to be seen. >> and how wonderful, andrew, to see the family together. yes those children. we've only seen prince george. so far this year. we've seen pictures of princess charlotte and prince louis, haven't we? but that's the first time that we have seen catherine and charlotte and louis since christmas day . christmas day. >> they'll be pages in the papers tomorrow. i can guarantee it as a newspaper man, but i think it's interesting as well that we've seen, lady louise windsor, age 20. she's about 17th or 18th in line to the throne, and the duke of kent, who's 88, who's 41st in line. and because, of course, the royal family is thinner in number. >> yes. well, we know that we do now have a slimmed down, no prince andrew monarchy, no prince andrew monarchy, no prince andrew, no prince harry and meghan. a very interesting that lady louise, not a working royal, but in that first carriage that we saw leaving buckingham palace, she has truly

blossomed , hasn't she? she's blossomed, hasn't she? she's over the past few years and we know how passionate she feels about horses, how passionate she feels about carriages . she had feels about carriages. she had that in common, didn't she, with the late duke of edinburgh ? the late duke of edinburgh? >> yes she did. they were very close. so lovely to see her so wonderful to see rafe heydel—mankoo and alastair stewart are joining us in the studio now. >> how wonderful to see the king and queen here. wonderful to see the king and queen, isn't it? alastair? i call him. >> well, the king is indeed, as predicted, inspecting his guards from the comfort of that, coach with the queen sitting next to him. the queen? we didn't mention the soldiers who were on duty down at buckingham palace as well. that's the queen's gurkhas signals, who are experts with drones and signal communications on the battlefield. and we're now into the opening phases of this pageantry on horseguards parade.

so the colour will be trooped to the foot soldiers, but also to the, mounted divisions, who you saw a little earlier , arriving saw a little earlier, arriving and lining up behind . there are and lining up behind. there are some of them there, behind the, foot soldiers. one little note , foot soldiers. one little note, because people like this sort of thing talking about gold sticking , waiting. the princess sticking, waiting. the princess royal sticking, waiting. the princess royal, unlike white stick in the state opening of parliament. gold sticks for real. last line of defence. gold stick and silver stick with the two who would beat to death anyone who attempted to take the life of the king. so there we are, if you want a big sister to look after you, the princess royal is the one. >> well, the king has arrived. rafe on horse guards parade to take the royal salute. and actually arriving two minutes early. rafe? yes, well , i mean, early. rafe? yes, well, i mean, the anthem started right on 11. >> the clock at, horseguards parade was the only clock in westminster before big ben was built in 1859. everyone took the

time from that, and that's always marked the beginning of the ceremony at horseguards parade, and of course, we've seen the royal family in their carriages. last year, the king became the first sovereign since 1986 to ride on horseback. so he would obviously be disappointed. but just being here, i think, is what counts. and the fact that he's here must mean so much to him as it will to all those regiments, because of course, he is the colonel in chief of all of the regiments who are parading today. and it's important to note, this is not something that the king is putting on for the army. this is the army paying tribute to the sovereign. it's the king's birthday parade. it's the irish guards who are honouring the king. the regiments are essentially saying happy birthday to the king. >> just a reminder for the history of it, rafe because we had that darkest hour in the monarchy when king charles the first was beheaded by the by oliver cromwell, who had the revolution, the monarchy was restored with his son charles ii i >> -- >> this fload almost from that for a need for the monarchy to

be seen. >> that's right. so when the when, when king charles the second was in exile, because of course britain was a republic for 11 years, he had around him his core praetorian guard, if i can say, the royalists in exile. and they formed his bodyguard, and when he was restored to the throne in 1660, he brought his life guards with him, and, the foot regiments became the essentially the core household division responsible for protecting the monarch and would always troop on the king's birthday. originally trooping the colour was purely done for military reasons, so that regiments could recognise their their colours, their flag on the battlefield, to serve as a rallying point in case they got, disoriented . but later on it disoriented. but later on it became united with the king's birthday. originally it would be tied to the actual monarch's birthday itself. queen victoria had 63 trooping in may on may 24th was her birthday, and when king edward came to the throne, his birthday was in november, which he thought was a bit too dreary a month to have it, and

so it was decided to have it, in the summer. and it's now traditionally on the second weekend in june that it's held andifs weekend in june that it's held and it's been held not just in horseguards parade, it's been held previously in hyde park . of held previously in hyde park. of course, during covid it was held more and more intimately within the grounds of windsor castle. and now here, of course, we're so we're just about to see his majesty the king has now exited the carriage in his irish guards uniform . last year he wore the uniform. last year he wore the welsh guards uniform because they were presenting their colours, and he's going to go up to the desk and inspect the troops now, and we could see him reviewing the guards already from the carriage and commenting to queen camilla, who is of course by his side as they entered horse guards parade. >> it is, of course, his second trooping the colour of his reign, but he attended his first one, aged three, in 1951, riding in a carriage with his grandmother, the queen mother and he first rode in the parade himself as colonel of the welsh

guards in 1975. so such a history here for the king as well. rafe. >> yes. nobody knows this better than than than the king. of course, everyone thinks you know his late mother, queen elizabeth the queen. elizabeth the second knew knew about these things more than anybody else. but we have to remember he was at her side all through her reign as well. so this is second nature to him, and he's got a very good for eye the steadiness of the soldiers in particular. that's what all the guardsmen say . soldiers in particular. that's what all the guardsmen say. he's they know that he's looking for they know that he's looking for the steadiness. and also he's a stickler for polish shoes. we know that, and so , he's got know that, and so, he's got a very good eye. so he will have been noting all of that. >> and he will make comments, won't he, as he inspects the troop later to those lucky guards that he does get to speak with later on monday, i was with number nine company who who are who are presenting their colours and they were lined up and it's always wonderful to see at what point is he going to stop you? >> no one knows. it's sort of like a lottery to see who's going to be lucky enough. and there's always, even though they try to , not you can see a small try to, not you can see a small little smile on the guards faces once he passes on by afterwards.

>> it must be the highlight of their career , because we mustn't their career, because we mustn't underestimate the amount of preparation . that goes into this. >> the drilling takes place for literally months and months, and it's only through that repetition that we get to see this most minute perfection . but this most minute perfection. but from our from our regiments, the queen as well. we see there now she is colonel of the grenadier guards. last year she wore a wonderful haute couture version of a guards uniform . and look, of a guards uniform. and look, look quite splendid in that you mentioned the duke of kent as well. so until two months ago he was colonel of the scots guards, and he's only very recently stepped down due to his advanced age, and the duke of edinburgh has taken over that role. prince edward, and in fact he's now colonel of two regiments because he's also colonel of the london guards , which are the reservists guards, which are the reservists for all five foot guard regiments. >> and they've got the duke of gloucester there as well. he's 79. i mean, they're still turning out, aren't they? >> well, i'm sure they were probably all expecting a bit of an easier life had the history not turned out the way that it

had. but with the departure of the duke of york and the duke of sussex, it has meant that the more elderly members of the royal family have had to do a bit more work than perhaps they were expecting. yeah >> and what are we seeing in front of us right now, alastair? >> i've just waiting to see the that shift, as i was saying earlier on where the orders see this to be bellowed out, but a billiard and given and confirmed with a stretch of the blade. and now that the, bands are parading before the king and queen as well, there are the officers who march in front of the band with the mace, who tell them to turn left and right and the rest of it, but also the trombonist will be signalling to his fellow musicians as well. so the king, as you said earlier on, inspected his foot soldiers from the carriage. but now they will be trooping the colour in front

of him. and the queen as he and her majesty sit there on the dais with the royal colonels in chief just to their left. >> yes, we can see the king and queen have taken their seats ready for that inspection. the queen, wearing a pale green silk dress and coat from anna valentine and a hat by philip treacy . we also know she is treacy. we also know she is wearing her grenadier guards military brooch. they are clearly so passionate about this. rafe yes , i mean here we this. rafe yes, i mean here we can see the massed bands from all the regiments. >> now how do you distinguish them? the grenadier guards, who are senior , have buttons singly are senior, have buttons singly spaced coldstream guards have buttons in pairs down their tunic. the scots guards have them in threes, the irish and fours and the welsh and fives and the plumes. you can see there the white and green. that's for the welsh guards . that's for the welsh guards. that's for the welsh guards. that's another way to distinguish them is by their plumes or by their collar badges. the grenade for the grenadier guards, the garter star for the coldstream guards and then the shamrock , thistle

and then the shamrock, thistle and then the shamrock, thistle and leek for the, for the welsh guards. >> and we've got the distinctive blue plume of the irish guards, which we will see a little bit later on. and that's got the most fascinating story behind it hasn't it. >> yes. because, you know, people may not realise this, but actually blue as your blue is the official colour of ireland. if you think about the british coat of arms, it's the blue background to the harp of ireland. that is the colour and the, the irish guards take their colour from the order of saint patrick. the most illustrious order, it's the senior order of ireland and whereas the order of the garter was dark blue and the thistle of scotland was green, they had to have another colour that didn't clash with those which is why they have light blue. and that's reflected in the, in the plumes as well as the, in the plumes as well as the choir robes of saint patrick's cathedral. not many places you can see it, and in the very far back we can see the, the drums of the of the household division . now, those household division. now, those are the oldest continuously worn ceremonial uniforms in the british army. they date back to

the 17th century and are quite spectacular, embroidered with gold and gilt thread. as alister was saying , the trombonists are was saying, the trombonists are the ones who dictate the procession. here and when to turn, and the centre centre trombonist from the welsh guards will raise his trombone to a sort of 45 degree angle, at which point they will turn 400. >> musicians are taking part. >> musicians are taking part. >> there's a new drum on parade today for the first time. you know, i read and it takes , up to know, i read and it takes, up to three years to train those lovely horses so they don't have a panic when they hear boom, boom, boom immediately in their ears . and pipers, their ears. and pipers, their bagpipers bringing up the rear behind the snare drums , there behind the snare drums, there are 400m tunes taken. >> it's the story about the irish guards plume being blue, and the then duchess of richmond. >> true that she dipped it in an inkwell because the original plume was green, and that

clashed with the irish fusiliers i >>i -- >> i think that's more apocryphal than anything else, but it's a nice tale. why let the facts get in the way? >> it's a good story anyway. it is. >> it is is.- >> it is a is. >> it is a good story. yeah. therefore unsuitable because it did match the royal dublin fusiliers, as you say, alastair. so it was the quick thinking she dipped her husband's white grenadier plume into an inkwell to produce that new blue plume, which has been used since some of the people who were there lucky enough to be there, privileged enough to be there, watching from horseguards parade i >> -- >> many charities i associate with with the royal family, i imagine. yes >> so your voluntary organisations, charitable organisations, charitable organisations will get an allocation of tickets. members of the public can also ballot for tickets if they're lucky enough to be there, you'll also get diplomatic representation to obviously and members of the guards families and so forth. you know what a wonderful point in your life to see your son or your brother or your father or husband actually taking place, taking part in this momentous ceremony. and it is quite

glorious, a spectacle to see here. >> and there's nobody that does it like the british. >> i've just about to say that actually. >> does anyone do it better than the brits? >> it's also tradition in the guards, isn't there, of handing the sword down through the family . family. >> so there are swords on parade, as it were today , that parade, as it were today, that were previously earned by dad, owned by dads and grandads before and are out and about today again . today again. >> yes. very much. a very important part of military families is that tradition of continuing, you know, membership in the same regiment and also carrying on the sword where appropriate . appropriate. >> and for family members of the irish guards in particular, i mean, they have served with distinction, haven't they? rafe. but every opportunity that the two not that many nowadays for that dreadful cliche of eton, oxford and the guards , this is oxford and the guards, this is very much a commonwealth set of regiments as well as british and irish. >> of course, the irish guards are drawn from the republic of ireland as well as northern ireland. >> that's right. the irish guards are actually quite a

recent a recent unit. the other guards, the scots, the coldstream and the grenadier go back to the 17th century, but it wasn't until the 1st of april 1900 that queen victoria founded the irish guards to commemorate their valiant efforts during the boer war, and most of their troops were actually taken from a county tipperary which has one of the lowest densities of population in the country, but one of the highest number of victoria crosses, and so in the first world war, at ipp at the somme, they serve with great distinction. they took part in the second world war at dunkirk, also in the normandy landings, which we've just been commemorating for the for the 80th anniversary, grand duke jean of luxembourg in 1942 signed up as a volunteer with the irish guards , stormed to the irish guards, stormed to help liberate his homeland, and then became their colonel for many, many years, which is a lovely link with luxembourg. there and of course, the kosovo and most recently in afghanistan and most recently in afghanistan and iraq . they have seen service and iraq. they have seen service so very much a battle hardened and a valiant troop of men. >> yeah, they're known for their

valour and they're known for their bravery, aren't they? six victoria crosses amazing and 52 battle and theatre honours have been awarded to the irish guards since their inception. yes. >> and if anybody is in london over the next few days, if they can go to spink , the medallist can go to spink, the medallist in holborn, where a special exhibition is taking place free of charge with those victoria crosses and all the other and the and the orders on display. and i was there on wednesday for the launch of it with seamus. and it really is quite a spectacular collection of medals. >> so that's where you met seamus? yes >> he looks a very nice dog, a very nice the how important for the king is this ? the king is this? >> grenadiers own ditty . they >> grenadiers own ditty. they rather like this tune . rather like this tune. >> they do? well, actually. the grenadier guards. yeah. we're heanng grenadier guards. yeah. we're hearing now, it was played for all regiments because all regiments had to have a grenadier guardsman embedded within them. because they were the tallest members of any regiment, and they form sort of the hard crack troops on the right flank. and until recently,

you had to be six foot two to be a grenadier guardsman that's now been lowered to a lowly five foot one so that that's the march of time, all guards together. >> but there's also phenomenal competition between the two, second to none between the coldstream and the grenadiers . coldstream and the grenadiers. yeah, that's right. >> the coldstream guards are older than the grenadier guards. but they're placed second in precedence. and so their motto is second to none. >> and they are the king's personal bodyguards. do they do they follow him to each residence? do they have them at windsor? >> that's right. they're always a presence. a presence. >> a presence. >> there are victoria barracks at windsor castle, and so the gurkhas who are on who are mounting the guard today, they will be relieved by number nine company at the end of horse guards at the end of the trooping the colour. they are also they've also been mounting the guard at windsor castle for example. it's different in scotland because of course they have the royal company of archers and they've got there and they've got their own regiments and so forth up there, but certainly in england it is the it is the guards and all the palaces for that week . palaces for that week. >> ben wallace, who was the

defence secretary, of course, he famously was in the queen's guard. and that was when, when he actually he actually once talked to her as she was walking past about his plans to become a politician . fascinating, politician. fascinating, fascinating. yeah. he stood down, of course , at the last down, of course, at the last election, our defence secretary. so a bit of quiet now there. if you're just tuning in, we're at horse guards parade. it is trooping the colour, the fantastic news is the princess of wales is there. she's there with her children and the prince of wales. first time we've seen her since christmas day. and i think she's looking extraordinary. >> yes , it is just remarkable, >> yes, it is just remarkable, isn't it ? isn't it? >> because .john kerry isn't it? >> because . john kerry sukh isn't it? >> because .john kerry sukh germ

>> because. john kerry sukh germ i >> -- >> oh, exam 5mm >> rafe. you were just saying that this is building up to the crucial moment where the colour is transferred from the ensign and the guard . guard a real, and the guard. guard a real, proper honour guard protecting this colour. it will. then we can see it happening before our very eyes. now, before it's then put in the belt and then trooped

. carried in front. there it is. >> that's right . >> that's right. >> that's right. >> so here we see the colour party are handing over the colour to the ensign, who is a young officer who has salutes officers always salute with their sword . he will place the their sword. he will place the sword and following that he will place the colour into his white holder . and it's at this point holder. and it's at this point that we go from having the escort to the colour to the escort to the colour to the escort for the colour, rather the escort for the colour becomes the escort to the colour, because it's now in possession of the irish guards andifs possession of the irish guards and it's now being defended and standing now for the .

standing now for the. national. >> colour . oh, good. >> like every other foot. soldier on parade. bayonets fixed. >> and there we see the blue plumes of the irish guards. we were referring to earlier . were referring to earlier. and they've now sloped arms . and they've now sloped arms. and the slow march begins .

the slow march begins. and each regiment gets to have its own regimental march played at this point, whether they are the ones who are trooping. >> it is important to reflect the music as well. isn't it, rafe? we are going to hear music thatis rafe? we are going to hear music that is being composed, especially for today, and it is going to have an irish flair. >> yes, rules are famously have the saint patrick's day, march 2nd. we can now, just as they go out of sight. >> we can just see the band doing their famous spin wheel, which enables them to do tight manoeuvres in his face. >> this is a very famous routine. probably their most famous movement that they do, andifs famous movement that they do, and it's not actually written down in any manual. it's passed down in any manual. it's passed down through the generations simply by word of mouth. and on the balcony there we can just see now the royal highness, the princess of wales and her children, viewing from the duke of wellington's office. the scene down below . she must be so scene down below. she must be so proud today because of course, this is her regiment. she is

colonel of the irish guards and she hasn't been able to be with them last week for the colonel's review, which normally she would preside at, but instead she's now at least got a bird's eye view of the scene before her. >> and what a sight it must be. and we know how passionate she feels about her role as colonel of the irish. >> are mother and daughter in law chatting there to the children, reminiscent also of the armistice day and the cenotaph , where members of the cenotaph, where members of the royal family who are not on duty like the king and the princess would observe from windows in the foreign office as well, just to make sure they get a view . to make sure they get a view. and there is the king and her majesty the queen on the dais . majesty the queen on the dais. observing, like you and i, the trooping of the colour . trooping of the colour. rafe. i think he's frustrated.

>> a rafe. >> a rafe. >> i don't think he's frustrated at all. he's just pleased to be there. the king. i know he would like to have been on horseback. ordinarily, he must just be thrilled when you get a cancer diagnosis. when you're 74, 75. >> i mean, that's it. yes, exactly . you know, right on the exactly. you know, right on the horse is one thing, but to be there is what counts . and it's there is what counts. and it's so important for him. he takes this role very seriously. he's got deep attachments to his regiments and he knows the degree to which they adore. having the king as their colonel in chief. >> it's so important to him. the next generation of the royal family there, the prince of wales, is there with the princess of wales. he looks absolutely wonderful. and of course, the next generation. >> yes, of course, we've got george who's ten. >> he'll be turning 11 next month, and charlotte, nine and louis, six. and of course, we remember those photographs , remember those photographs, those black and white pathe news photographs. when the film footage, when the king was that age, watching his queen get crowned in westminster abbey. so, you know, from starting from this age, this is going to be their future for decades to come. >> and it must be said, the king

looks well. >> he does look well. >> he does look well. >> he does it well. i've noticed in some photographs you see, he's wearing a lot of makeup these days, which perhaps he didn't before. >> i guess he's pale. >> i guess he's pale. >> he's had a lot of, you know, the extent of his treatment really, yet. but. but he's walking well. he's looking well. he sounds well. and six months ago, who'd have thought where we'd be with this royal? >> yes. well, i was after i saw him at close contact very closely on on monday. >> and i have to say, physically he was walking very firmly. he spoke with a loud voice. he looked a bit tired and haggard, has to say, but who wouldn't after going through that treatment now here we are seeing the actual trooping. so this is the actual trooping. so this is the colour being held high and being slow marched in front of the irish guards number nine company. it's their colour that's being being trooped. the king himself presented this colour on june the 10th. coincidentally, his late father's birthday at windsor castle. a huge honour, the first time in 84 years that the colour had been presented to them since

king george the sixth did it in 1940 at buckingham palace . and 1940 at buckingham palace. and the purpose for this is to essentially familiarise the regiment with the colour and the insignia that are on the, on, on the, on the colour, along with all 54 of their battle honours. and that of course , was and that of course, was originally designed in order to ensure that in the on the smoky battlefield, when soldiers got disorientated , they would know disorientated, they would know where to rally. they would know where to rally. they would know where the point of safety was to which they could retreat, or relative safety and rally and reorganise. so a very important original military role in a time when there wasn't much communication. but now it's an entirely ceremonial event, but a very important one in terms of building loyalty to the regiment and camaraderie, because first and camaraderie, because first and foremost, soldiers fight for their regiment. >> the colours were last carried interaction in south africa in 1881, but they have almost now they've acquired an almost religious significance, haven't they? even today they are

carried by an officer and often accompanied by an armed escort. that's right. >> for members of the regiments and units, the colours are almost sacred. >> well, they are sacred. and it's believed that they hold the spirits of all those soldiers who fought and died in service. and you have to remember, these colours were as you say, up until 1881. they were carried into the field of battle . and into the field of battle. and the enemy tried to capture them. they tried to destroy them . and they tried to destroy them. and regiments would fight to the death to preserve and protect those colours. so they are extremely important. >> and the colours, as you say, were presented on monday by his majesty the king at windsor castle. and they bear the king's crown and the eight pointed star of saint patrick, the cap badge of saint patrick, the cap badge of the irish guards. >> that's right. the cap badge of the irish guards is the star of the irish guards is the star of the irish guards is the star of the most illustrious order of saint patrick, which is dormant now. there's only one officer of the order that's robert noel robert, norroy and ulster king of arms at the college of arms . of arms at the college of arms. he's the only member, but it's

still a much honoured order. >> and in addition to this, there's also the regimental colour on which the company badges are borne and when a sovereign or a member of the royal family is present. of course, the king's colour is on parade too . parade too. >> that's right, the regimental colour very important. but the king's colour takes precedence over all. and so at any any royal gathering it will be the king's colour that is actually paraded and trooped . and there paraded and trooped. and there we see behind them the king's troop, royal horse, arty , who troop, royal horse, arty, who are who still have a very important operational role in terms of artillery and unmanned aerial , terms of artillery and unmanned aerial, aerial, vehicles. but they also have this very important ceremonial role, and they don't have their own colour. their colour is actually their senior gun. they have world war one guns, and it is the gun which is their equivalent of the colour . equivalent of the colour. >> i think it's only not happened once in recent years.

rafe i think back in the 1950s there was a rail strike or something , which meant they had something, which meant they had to cancel a reflection. of course, in those days people didn't have cars like they have now, so couldn't get to couldn't get to central london. that's right. >> i'm just glad with all our rail strikes, the same thing hasn't struck again. >> i think the show would have gone on if there'd been a rail strike this week. i'm absolutely certain of that. and we can see the canadian flag flying rafe. that's again, they've had a long and important association with this event. >> that's right. well, it's important to note that many of the horses we're seeing today do are gifts from the royal canadian mounted police. i've been to the rcmp training facility in regina, saskatchewan, and seen them in their stables and they are absolutely magnificent beasts. of course, the queen's favourite horse was burmese. yeah, and, she really does adore that. and in fact, there's a great honour for them. the mounties have been the only non—military force to mount the guard at buckingham palace. and in fact, they did lead the coronation procession. so a very important link that's there. and canadians also have their own governor general, foot

guards and horse guards who have almost identical uniforms to these very important part of the commonwealth, of course, canada. >> yeah. which of course is hugely was hugely significant to her majesty the king. queen and also to king charles the third, very important as head of the commonwealth. >> yes. and the canadian mounted police have had a long association with the royal family. those horses being ndden family. those horses being ridden by the prince of wales, the princess royal and the duke of edinburgh, today all gifted from the canadian mounted police i >> -- >> so -- >>so| 5mm >> so i think we're going to go to cameron walker , returning now to cameron walker, returning now to cameron walker, returning now to the slow march . so we're to the slow march. so we're going to talk to cameron walker now, who is at the palace . now, who is at the palace. >> thank you. this is british pomp and pageantry in action here on horse guards parade. i'm joined by the royal commentator richard fitzwilliams . richard, richard fitzwilliams. richard, one of the greatest military

parades anywhere in the world. >> i would say the greatest. certainly an absolutely unique, both going back historically, which is absolutely fascinating. i mean, it's just stated from the need, obviously, to know friend from foe in the fire and fury and heat of battle where you can originally, for example, if you were a baron, you had a particular crest or flag and then subsequently regiments tended to have several colours and then apparently was reportedly in charles ii's reign that this was, the parade was hand was held, but most especially in 1805, there was the first sovereign's parade celebrating the king's birthday , celebrating the king's birthday, and it fall between 1811 and 1820. george the third was ill. subsequent it's been a fixture i didn't know. i have to say that dunng didn't know. i have to say that during the reign of william the fourth, queen caroline's birthday was also commemorated

with a parade, but that doesn't seem to have become a tradition i see, because of course, the sovereign has two birthdays, one when their actual birthday is the other, meant to be a nice sunny day in the summer. >> this year, perhaps the last a little bit rainy, but nonetheless, they're all powering on through . of course, powering on through. of course, you mentioned the colour there, richard, and this year it's the king's colour number nine company, irish guards. it's handmade from silk, silver and gilt threads. they are believed to carry the spirit of all those who fought and died in the service to the regiment . of service to the regiment. of course it is the irish guards trooping their colour. this yean trooping their colour. this year, and it's fascinating that it survived so long this tradition for hundreds of years. >> oh yes, indeed. and of course, you mentioned the colours and i mean the consecrated in a religious service. the new colours were presented by king charles at windsor on last monday at. and

it's something that is very special because not only the irish guards dating back from queen victoria , who founded them queen victoria, who founded them in, in 1900, they were distinguished first and second world war. the numerous conflicts subsequently. and it's so important to remember that these are serving troops. we see these are serving troops. we see the magnificent ceremony , but we the magnificent ceremony, but we also remember that they are firstly, the ukrainian recruits that they trained. this was a significance. but the irish guards at the moment are very, very prominent in the british army's activities throughout africa and various friendly countries. >> and we just see their sets on the dais at horse guards parade, his majesty the king and, the queen, the king, of course, colonel in chief of the household division. he's wearing the tunic of the guard of honoun the tunic of the guard of honour. order the irish guards, the sovereign wears the uniform . the sovereign wears the uniform. whichever regiments colour is being troops. of course, this yearit being troops. of course, this year it is the irish guards. >> the uniform of the monarch.

>> the uniform of the monarch. >> there's the cypher of their predecessor and therefore his majesty's uniform is bearing the cypher of queen elizabeth the second. his mother, her majesty the queen, colonel of the grenadier guards. she's wearing a pale silk crepe dress and coat from anna valentine and hat by philip treacy. her majesty is also wearing her grenadier guards military brooch and of course, richard's. we also have the princess of wales as colonel of the irish guards, but she is watching the procession from the major general's office and very, very significant . very significant. >> this, of course, because there is no question that , well, there is no question that, well, there is no question that, well, the world will be watching this parade the first time that we've seen her in an official duty since christmas day. and of course, we know that, the preventative chemotherapy that she's undergoing is tremendously tiring. but this is a joyous occasion, and this is a very, very significant moment. >> it certainly is. and for

those of you watching on television, we can see the princess of wales watching from the major general's office, formerly the duke of wellington's office. i just caught a glimpse of princess charlotte, her daughter, there as well. the princess is wearing as well. the princess is wearing a dress by jenny packham and a hat by philip treacy. seems to be very popular with the royals. well, look by the looks of it, as she's also wearing the irish guards . excuse me, regimental guards. excuse me, regimental brooch. and then back to a shots of the king and queen, who have now stood up from their chairs watching the military procession. but this must be very poignant for the princess of wales. we just see, princess charlotte, popping her head out from the window there, because usually she would be perhaps on the dais as colonel of the irish guards. and she's not taking the salute this year. >> well, this the rehearsal a week ago, she was expected to have taken the salute and in normal circumstances would have. and she wrote a very touching letter. and i think that led people to believe that there was

a possibility that she would be on the balcony . but i think it's on the balcony. but i think it's been a great surprise and absolutely delightful that, in fact, she is able to watch the parade, as you've described . so parade, as you've described. so a very significant moment and the hope that during the summer she mentioned she will be doing some engagements and we perhaps will have wimbledon. will it be the state visit of the emperor and empress of japan? i mean, thatis and empress of japan? i mean, that is a possibility and possibly even royal ascot or whatever. we will have to wait and see. but clearly very, very important because it's been extremely difficult, clearly for the royal family with two senior members, the king and the princess of wales are seriously ill. >> yes. richard fennell, thank you very much for joining me. well, we anticipate the arrival of the royal procession back from two buckingham palace even. but for now, i'll hand back to ellie and andrew in paddington . ellie and andrew in paddington. thanks, cameron. >> and delighted to say, joining us in the studio already with the broadcasting netting that is alistair stewart is michael cole , who is a royal commentator tom moore royal correspondent. >> michael , i know we

moore royal correspondent. >> michael, i know we probably should start about the kings bay, but can we start with the absolutely magnificent news? >> the princess of wales , she's back. >> absolutely. and it's much, much better news than it might have been expected. >> i rather thought that she would make a balcony appearance. i would have put money on that. and to know that she's here for the whole deal, for the whole show is absolutely wonderful. >> and i think, and of course, the king said he's delighted and he actually adores his daughter in law, and he's now going to be in law, and he's now going to be in the position, i think, of john f kennedy when he took his visit to paris and he said, i'm the man who accompanied jackie kennedy to paris. and in a way, it may be the sovereign's parade, but the king will be very, very pleased to know that his fellow cancer sufferer , and his fellow cancer sufferer, and beanng his fellow cancer sufferer, and bearing her ordeal so nobly and bravely, is back on parade along with her own irish guards as as ralph has said, she's the

colonel of the irish guards, and it's wonderful to see her there. >> and she looks absolutely picture perfect and picture perfect. >> and michael, he is not going to mind taking second billing because he is in all the tv coverage worldwide newspaper coverage. it will be the return of catherine. >> well that's it, it's on. it's on every front page of every decent newspaper in this country today. and quite rightly so. a beautiful photograph, a wonderful message , which wonderful message, which obviously she wrote herself saying she was blown away. i love this modern terminology. >> not like from the heart doesn't it? totally, totally. >> as was, of course, her her memorable, statement to camera , memorable, statement to camera, which she also wrote herself very bravely. >> and she's facing up to this. >> and she's facing up to this. >> and she's facing up to this. >> and there she is with her children . and i bet they said, children. and i bet they said, mummy, mummy, mummy, you must come . i'm sure that that had had come. i'm sure that that had had a factor in it, and there we are, the king and queen. we see them there. they will be delighted that she's there with

them, and they will hope for the best, because quite clearly, we don't know. it's an unspecified cancer , but obviously it's very cancer, but obviously it's very serious. i'm quite sure she's had a big dose of chemotherapy. maybe radiotherapy is coming into it now, but it's an ordeal for anyone and for somebody who is in the position she is in, somebody who's much loved around the world and she's been taken aback by the outpouring of love and concern that there has been. and i think that's played a part. >> and, you know, michael, in that statement, too, i thought it was quite significant. she talks about the wonderful support she said. she said the wonderful difference it's made to us. that is catherine talking about the family. william and her children. >> tough, also tough for prince william because he's had to keep the show on the road. he's had to go out there , he's had to put to go out there, he's had to put a brave face on it. that's all about about royalty . you put about about royalty. you put yourself second. you do your duty first. and he's been out there and obviously people well—wishers have asked how she

is. and, you know, we've had snippets about it and what is great about this is that without having to say a word , she says having to say a word, she says everything. i'm back. i look okay. all the people who are concerned about her health, quite rightly , and also it quite rightly, and also it scotches all the vile rumours that are swirling round the world, which we will not dignify on this excellent programme. i'm glad by even mentioning them. but. and also it's showing her her support for the irish guards in this wonderful. i mean, this is a peerless example of military position and i've seen a few around the world. you'll never see anything like this . never see anything like this. and of course, it has a very serious purpose. it's all about relying on the man next to you. it's all about discipline . it's it's all about discipline. it's all about following orders and those aspects of military service are vital in time of battle. so this is a wonderful

exhibition of military training , exhibition of military training, ralph, who was sitting in this place a few minutes ago, was talking about the regiment in canada, which dresses with the same red tunics and bearskins and i've seen them parade in, in quebec city, and it's fantastic . quebec city, and it's fantastic. they're called the 22nd regiment, known as the van doos . regiment, known as the van doos. the van doos also do a good job, but nothing compared with these people. and i tell you what, some lovely little details here. i wonder if you notice the guardsmen standing in front of the royal dais has a full beer that's only been allowed very, very recently. we'll have to get permission to grow . all beers. permission to grow. all beers. used to be royal navy only moustaches in the in the royal air force. but there he is, standing there holding the pennants of the of his majesty in front of the dais. >> and the order is very specific on on the cut and the size of it . yes and no colour. size of it. yes and no colour. >> yes, yes yes yes and of course it's magnificent. i mean, actually the beard goes with the bearskins and, you know, that

comes from the battle of waterloo , 1815, because the duke waterloo, 1815, because the duke of wellington and the princess of wellington and the princess of wales is in his office in horseguards looking down, the duke of wellington said at the critical moment in the battle, stand up guards and they repelled napoleon's old guard. the old guard broke for the first time in history and the battle was won, and on the basis of that, the guards took on. they didn't wear bearskins before, but the bearskins , which before, but the bearskins, which were worn by the old guard, were adopted by the brigade of guards. and here we have the irish guards , known colloquially irish guards, known colloquially in the army as the mix , a very in the army as the mix, a very distinguished 125 years of service, all over the world. and of course, their their motto , of course, their their motto, which the king cited when he gave them at windsor the new colours, the new standard. he ended his speech with their motto. he separabit meaning who

will separate us now? that, of course, has a big resonance in, in in belfast in northern ireland. but it over the years many, many, many, many gallant men from the 26 counties from era as it was the home state, the free state and now the repubuc the free state and now the republic of ireland. since 1949 have served with great distinction in the irish guards and will continue to do so because it means something in that country. even if the repubuc that country. even if the republic , well, it's coming republic, well, it's coming round to it. it's actually acknowledging more and more the service, the irishmen gave in the fight against fascism , from the fight against fascism, from 1939 to 1945. reluctantly, perhaps because eamonn de valera, the president at the time, actually went to the german embassy and signed the book of condolence when hitler committed suicide. can you believe that? extraordinary it

is extraordinary. but the irish have always been very close to us. of course they are. and they're the fourth regiment of they're the fourth regiment of the guards brigade. that's why they wear their buttons in sets of four. and they're very much part of the one of the finest fighting forces on earth . fighting forces on earth. >> well, they are known for their bravery and their valour. aren't they? in particular, the soldiers from county tipperary, one of the lowest population densities in the british isles , densities in the british isles, but the highest number of victoria cross winners. amazing >> yeah, amazing. and they were part of market garden to the operation fated, ill fated operation fated, ill fated operation to capture the bridges on the rhine at arnhem in 1944. >> they called it glorious defeat, didn't they? >> that glorious defeat. and they are very much part of our island history and it's an extraordinary thing. i mean, we're talking we're in an election time. we don't want to let that intrude too much . but,

let that intrude too much. but, you know, ever since the foundation of the free state in 1921, irish people have been allowed to come here without passports, without visas , and passports, without visas, and they only have to be here six months. put them a name on the voting roll. they don't have to go through any rigmarole. they can go out and vote. they will. and that's an amazing thing, isn't it? our next door neighbour has free access to this country. do we charge their lorries for coming through the country to go to dover? no, of course we don't. we are friendly with them. yeah, we are friendly and once a year they take over. they usurp the whole of cheltenham . it's called. cheltenham. it's called. >> it's called gold cup week. >> it's called gold cup week. >> gold cup week. and it becomes the, the 27th, county of ireland. >> and what's worse, they win frequently. >> they usually win. and you know, it's a fantastic site that we're looking at there. michael. >> we've we've nodded briefly to the fact that there's another tradition on the on the king's official birthday, other than

trooping the colour and that is the birthday honours list. yes and talking at length earlier about his majesty the king's own cancer and the princess of wales cancer and the princess of wales cancer , i a lovely standout cancer, i a lovely standout moment in that honours list where members of the royal medical household, including the king's gp fiona butler, known as the apothecary to the king, have been recognised by the king for personal service to the monarch and the royal family. doctor dixon's been made a commander of the royal victorian order, the victorian order being in the personal gift of the monarch, which is a really lovely , very which is a really lovely, very pubuc which is a really lovely, very public thing to do. >> i think that's fantastic. they should be honoured. i used to have a medical every year with one of the queen's alternate physicians , so when alternate physicians, so when the main blokes weren't on, he was a guy who would go to the palace if the queen was not feeling to , to, to. well at that feeling to, to, to. well at that time. so it's very right to see

these doctors honoured and, and proper and i'm quite sure that they will. they've earned it too. i think, the birthday honours are fascinating. i'd love to hear andrew right now on the there are two orders which are really worth having the order of merit and the companion of honour . order of merit and the companion of honour. now, order of merit and the companion of honour . now, gordon brown order of merit and the companion of honour. now, gordon brown has been made a companion of honour. now, i want to know andrew's take on that because i think it's got something to do with tony blair. >> well, they don't get on as you know. and do they want to be in the same room at the same annual ceremony? probably not. so gordon would want gordon and tony. they had the most titanic feud in the end, when they were a chance from prime minister they've never fixed it. no, it's personal, but can gordon brown become a knight of the garter? >> because there's been a bit of

a logjam. yeah, because they don't want to make tony blair a knight of the garter because of iraq. yes and the organised lying that went on to get us into that war. >> and he's a much more senior former prime minister than gordon brown . gordon brown. >> so they can't make any of the subsequent prime ministers very difficult. >> it's very, very difficult. he was prime minister for ten years, after all, very interesting. >> and also brown's reaction, what what folk might not know is that on things like knights of the garter and orders of merit and companion of honour, there is a limit. >> you can't just create as many as you want. five, 65, 65, 65 i think it's 60 order of merit, but , you know, this think it's 60 order of merit, but, you know, this is a fantastically busy time for the king. >> i mean, he's a cancer victim. and what's he doing on monday? it's the garter service. they will all be parading in those very heavy robes and headdresses from the castle down to saint george's chapel for this annual service . and of course, it's service. and of course, it's traditional or always has been

traditional, that most prime ministers who've served for more than five minutes do become us knights of the garter. and that is the most senior order of chivalry in this country . chivalry in this country. >> and that is the totem of the approval of the monarch for the prime minister who served, even if they haven't agreed with everything they've done, and secretly probably resented some of them , but they've always made of them, but they've always made them a knight of the garter in almost every case, if they've wanted to, to, to, to do it. >> and most of them would . yeah, >> and most of them would. yeah, most of them would. >> gordon does things differently, actually, to be fair to gordon, he does things differently. >> and, so but it does it does remind people that titanic view between the two men. >> absolutely. he's said to have felt embarrassed, slightly embarrassed by being made a companion of honour, as we say, limited to just 65 people at any time. he said he would have preferred to have recognised the unsung local heroes . unsung local heroes. >> absolutely right, as has said

something very similar, sir alan bates, the hero of the post office scandal . yeah, knighted office scandal. yeah, knighted said, hasn't he? he said something similar. i'm receiving this honour of a knighthood and it is a very considerable honoun it is a very considerable honour, on behalf of all the other people who've suffered , other people who've suffered, indeed suffered, gone to jail and committed suicide, died some bankrupt. >> he, of course, alan bates , >> he, of course, alan bates, became the totemic figure at the post office dispute, didn't he? because they named the drama after him. yeah. and thank god for that drama. >> because without that, the onesi >> because without that, the ones i find extraordinary are the bosses of these energy companies in the middle of a cost of living crisis who've been getting gongs left, right and centre. >> what they should do is give us our money back. >> well, alan bates says that he's accepted that not only for himself, but for those who have worked for the recognition of what happened to those similar sentiments to gordon brown. >> gordon brown i only met him once. i'm sure you knew him very well . i just once. i'm sure you knew him very well. i just thought he once. i'm sure you knew him very well . i just thought he was. well. i just thought he was. what did he really enjoy the

job? he always seemed very uptight, uptight about things. and you know what you wish for in life is not necessarily what you want. >> well, let's put these nice pictures now. trooping the colour at horse guards parade . >> i'd like . as much as i can.

>> i'd like. as much as i can. for 400. >> well, a fact about the pipers. for the irish guards and the scots guards. in fact, the pipers marched to the front of the massed bands to play the regimental quick marches. it was an order from the late queen elizabeth. that's an order you can't ignore. >> yeah, and of course, she loved the pipers every morning when she was in scotland. i think michael kerr would have heard it sometimes. yeah. there was a piper serenaded her every morning from outside her bedroom window. not sure how i'd want to wake up, but she wanted them front and centre . she loved it. front and centre. she loved it. >> and the piper, why for so many people was the poignant moment at the queen's funeral as well , when the lone moment at the queen's funeral as well, when the lone piper played in that beautifully pitched arch at windsor. >> what was the word? sleep? lassie sleep or something like that? i've mangled that, but the sentiment was sweet sleep, lassie, what is interesting

about this, these pictures we're seeing is that the parade ground looks very much bigger on television than it actually is. i've often walked from the west end to westminster through horse guards, and it's not, you know, and yet it looks it's a very intimate space in many ways. after all, that's where they had the volley ball during the london olympics of 2012. was there. so those spectators who are very lucky enough to have tickets today and most of the diplomatic corps, in fact, and probably its entirety , they're probably its entirety, they're actually seeing almost the whites of the eyes of those soldiers. they are right close to them. and on a on a hot, dusty day, quite a lot of dust gets kicked up now just to butt in michael, the beautiful image, i think of the, the royal horse artillery, the king's company, royal horse artillery, who are based down in woolwich, as in

the arsenal, and if you ever are lucky enough as i know , michael lucky enough as i know, michael and i have been, and indeed andrew and i have been, because we bumped into each other there once the royal windsor horse show. absolutely they put the most amazing turn on at the royal windsor horse show, in in the monarch's back garden. i'm absolutely brilliant horse men and women and most of the bosses of the royal horse artillery are women. >> and of course, it was always one of the queen's favourite events . absolutely. events. absolutely. >> i must just tell you, i was bbc newsroom radio in 1968, in the middle of the night, in the middle of the night, i suddenly heard this sound and it was the whole of the king's troop, royal horse artillery, being moved from their barracks, which were then in saint john's wood down. >> oh, yes, through london. >> oh, yes, through london. >> at 3:00 in the morning. and i went to the windows of the newsroom and looked and saw this sight. i couldn't really believe it . and at the back there were it. and at the back there were policemen with a red light to say, you know , you're here. oh, say, you know, you're here. oh, do you know most of these, people ? all they have to be

people? all they have to be light. and a lot of them are people who've worked in the racing industry. formerjockeys, stable lads. yeah, people who love horses and didn't quite make it as a frankie dettori. and they've come into the army because they love the horses. and of course it was the late queen's father , king george vi, queen's father, king george vi, who struck through the word and wrote king's troop. yes. and forever , even while the queen forever, even while the queen was the queen, it wasn't changed to queen's troop. it will always be king's troop. and now his grandson , king charles the third grandson, king charles the third is on the throne. it's more appropriate , it it's the king's appropriate, it it's the king's troop again. and they are brilliant . and they'll, of brilliant. and they'll, of course, be later firing a 41 gun salute, in green park , i think, salute, in green park, i think, and there will be other salutes from the tower of london and elsewhere around the country. cardiff, belfast and edinburgh . cardiff, belfast and edinburgh. it's a fantastic display. there's absolutely nothing like it on earth. >> the honourable artillery

company do it from the tower of london. >> they do. and the honourable artillery company can claim to be the oldest military set up in the british army, and they're now a territorial outfit. and it's actually an honour to be a private in the royal artillery company. and what you get is a lot of youngsters, young men from the city of london, bankers , lawyers, people of that kind, and they serve in it and their job have an important ceremonial job. >> michael cole, alastair stewart do stay with us whilst we enjoy this wonderful spectacle. trooping the colour on horseback .

>> the king's troop, >> the king's troop , horse >> the king's troop, horse artillery are dressed . up up. like. >> we aren't just seeing the

guns being paraded in front of the king in three sections. each of those guns and limber weigh 3.5 tons. and they saw action in the first world war. it's such a spectacle , isn't it, michael cole? >> it's fantastic. nothing like it on earth. there we see the lifeguards in their red tunics. the blues and royals wear blue tunics. they were an amalgamation of two regiments, the royal hussars and the royal horse guards, and they came together. i think it was 1969. very smart regiment. of course, prince harry served in the blues, in his time. >> i see the king saluting the lifeguards there. i think they'll they'll probably be coming on along behind , i must coming on along behind, i must say, just to inject a little personal note, i feel slightly invested in this because my dear cousin hazel, she married the regimental sergeant major of the

irish guards. >> she lives in eton and then when that marriage didn't work out, she married the regimental sergeant major of the scots guards, jim . so i said to her, guards, jim. so i said to her, hazel, there's another three regiments to go. you know , we regiments to go. you know, we shouldn't forget. >> of course, talking about the horses, those lovely three horses, those lovely three horses that were effective. do you remember the horses? yes, yes , on the rampage, it's fair yes, on the rampage, it's fair to say. trojan vanquish and tennyson. they're back on parade today. well, i can give you the full, sp here. >> the horse that's back actually taking part in the parade is tennyson. tennyson and two of the others, trojan and vanquished. they are marking sentry duty at royal residences. >> well, they're working again, which is. >> yeah, they are working again. now, unfortunately, two of the horses are still in horse hosphal horses are still in horse hospital. yeah, and that's vida and quaker. i don't know what you thought about that, andrew, but what happened was this detail of horses and men was

going through belgravia or pimlico and as they went past a building site, a tremendous amount of masonry was dropped into a skip. now, was that done deliberately or by design? >> let's hope it was not. >> let's hope it was not. >> well, let's hope it wasn't . >> well, let's hope it wasn't. >> well, let's hope it wasn't. >> but i hope it was investigated because those horses on the rampage are like a tank. >> well of course, can you imagine what a cavalry charge was like? yeah. and they went from pimlico, from belgravia all the way to limehouse. yeah, right through the city of london. right past the tower of london. right past the tower of london. i mean, i think the it's amazing. >> nobody was killed. >> nobody was killed. >> it's amazing. nobody was killed. and it's amazing those horses didn't hurt themselves, even more interestingly, most of the tennis is what they call a cavalry black. and most of those horses actually are found in ireland. they come from there. it was the queen's horse. burmese that was a gift from the

royal canadian mounted police, from their base at regina in saskatchewan, and, you know, the queen rode side—saddle to the trooping of the colour from 1947, when her father was still on the throne for 39 years. >> incredible, isn't it? >> incredible, isn't it? >> side—saddle? and she stood with the horse there and it was only in 1986 she said, enough of this , and she went into a little this, and she went into a little carriage, which we immediately called queen victoria's go cart, and she, because it was a strange little carriage for her to be in. and she went and that's what she used thereafter for. it was quite interesting that horse burmese, which was definitely her favourite, was just going to pause for the national anthem. >> michael .

>> the national anthem. there being played at horse guards parade. as we get towards the end of trooping the colour and the king's birthday parade, we see his majesty the king and queen on the dais at horse guards parade , having watched guards parade, having watched the military celebration , for the military celebration, for his birthday. now, who wants some gossip from what's going on in the major generals office, particularly about prince louis, the youngest child of the prince and princess of wales. so not only has he been seen yawning through some of the parades, beanng through some of the parades, bearing in mind, don't worry,

he's he's six, six years old, so perhaps we can forgive him to this , for that even. he's also this, for that even. he's also been incredibly excited because he's been dancing along, particularly to the quick march of the scots guards to highland laddie. so, clearly he's in favour and very pleased to listen to some of that military music. but of course, he is also joined by his mother, the princess of wales, her first pubuc princess of wales, her first public engagement, since christmas day last year. i'm joined once again by historian tessa dunlop and tessa. this should not be seen as a full return by the princess of wales to public duties. >> no, but it's a very good sign. i'm tickled by the idea of prince louis dancing to highland laddie. it sounds like he's having a better day in the major general's office than the tartan army are in munich at the moment. yes, i tell you what, he's . the thing is that talking he's. the thing is that talking about the princess of wales, it's worth bearing in mind that there she is. as a mother of three children. none of them, you know, yet in secondary school , these aren't sort of school, these aren't sort of kids that you can hand the mantle of responsibility to. so there's an unpredictable element there, louis, of course, always

delivering on that front , a bit delivering on that front, a bit like the weather. i was saying, oh, we need to cut to the flag because it's about the only aspect of the royal parade that's actually having a good day, because it's really going for it in what is a pretty hefty breeze. >> yes, it certainly is. this flag. of course, the state, royal standard the size of a football pitch. sorry, not football pitch. sorry, not football , a tennis football pitch. sorry, not football, a tennis court. and i'm told it takes three people to get it up. but of course, it is a incredibly windy here at buckingham palace with the rain. so it's flying. it's flying. well of course we've had, we've had parts of, of today's , london had parts of, of today's, london weather being quite sunny and, but lots of heavy showers . but lots of heavy showers. there's lots of umbrellas we're seeing in the crowds. tessa. >> yeah. changeable. and, you know, that's what's interesting about kate's decision to return today. about kate's decision to return today . the statement was today. the statement was released last night, embargoed until 6:00. she said in that very touching message that she's having to learn to be patient with the uncertainty of cancer. i think huge numbers of people who have had a major midlife health derailment will understand that uncertain aspect . but clearly she takes a punt

on today being a good day, or at least one she felt able to manage . i love the fact that in manage. i love the fact that in classic kind of princess of wales style , she was not going wales style, she was not going to let her sartorial standards slip . that jenny packham dress slip. that jenny packham dress no room for error, absolutely figure hugging. what we've really come to expect . kate's really come to expect. kate's diplomatic. her soft power very much embedded in what she wears. she's hallmark elements , she's hallmark elements, elegant. she's probably really the most famous british name when it comes to establishing fashion trends . fashion trends. >> and there's a number of the people here today have been incredibly excited to see the princess of wales. some have been camping out since 330 yesterday afternoon, so massive dedication . dedication. >> i know there's a kind of wonderful, very quintessentially british smorgasbord of different british smorgasbord of different british experiences. you get that with rain , if i may say so. that with rain, if i may say so. on this side we can still hear just the down with the crown protesters. you tell me. they're flanked by counter protesters.

so that's going to be a job for the police. and then on the other side, sort of wonderful colourful mushrooms of umbrellas all waiting for the return of the military parade. and those carriages coming back down the mall for the big balcony appearance . appearance. >> yes. i'm slightly disappointed that there's not many union jack umbrellas that we're seeing. there's lots of, black ones, but there are a few colours dotted around. but people have brought their own bunting. tessa. yeah the bunting is probably looking a little bit 509931, is probably looking a little bit soggy, and i was mentioning what, princess of wales is wearing and my concern was it didn't look like there was any room for extra underwear underneath that. >> and it's pretty cold, actually. and the job of royals on this day and many of them is quite sedentary . yes. and you quite sedentary. yes. and you feel that temperature drop because this isn't any old june and i'm sure the carriages as well have been adapted. >> they're changing the carriages so they are weatherproof. >> yeah. weatherproof but not necessarily warm. and last year people are fainting from the heat and this year are all teeth chattering. two of our main players who have had cancer. and we know that your body temperature and your ability to maintain, especially in the extremities of your body, the

warmth is quite critical when you've been undergoing treatment . yeah. >> and we're certainly being blown about a bit with the weather here in our tent at canada gate by buckingham palace. it looks like the king and queen are struggling with the weather a little bit as well. the queen's been handed a blanket to put over her legs, and of course the wind is blowing the rain underneath the dais. the king has just, stood up there, presumably for, one of the, one of the royal salutes. but of course , the crowd still but of course, the crowd still braving its tesla despite the rain , have been waiting hours rain, have been waiting hours and hours and hours getting sopping wet. but they are so determined to see members of the royal family. >> i think so, and let's not pretend that the lightning rod, the big gig here today is the return of the princess of wales. and what's interesting is, while she's not part of the military parade, she's watching it from the major general's office. it's interesting that her return, the kind of headline news that photograph of her in the windsor woods on every front page today, it's kind of blotted out any whisper or suggestion of how much we miss the sussexes or

whether the sussexes should be here, etc, etc. that's almost it's not been mentioned. >> well, no, because they were on in in the wellington office dunng on in in the wellington office during platinum jubilee in 20, just two years ago. >> it was meghan who was spotted at the window and talk of her children. how things have changed. you'll remember that year they didn't actually get ianed year they didn't actually get invited onto the balcony. it was the decision was taken. it would be working. royals only kate then in a hallmark white once more. she likes white. it's a kind of go to problem solving style. she was in alexander mcqueen. there was no sign of meghan and harry last year. mcqueen. there was no sign of meghan and harry last year . she meghan and harry last year. she wore that emerald green coat dress and i thought she might have gone for something like that this year. a bit more forgiving, a coat dress, but not a bit of it. >> well, the queen is desperately or has been desperately or has been desperately trying to hold on to her hat. it looks like the scottish state coach is just pulling up as close as possible to the dais here, that it will be so, so relieved. i wish i was about to get into a carriage because i'm getting rained on here as well, but of course this was not the original plan. this particular carriage, they originally the king and queen were going to be travelling in

the ascot landau carriage, which is an open top carriage. but of course the heavens has opened here in central london. so a quick decision this morning by buckingham palace to change up the carriages was made. we just see the king and queen with a soldier holding an umbrella up to their heads. we've just seen a bit of thunder and lightning as well. here in central london you may be able to hear the thunder , the stormy stuff, the thunder, the stormy stuff, the stormy, stormy start that the victory on top of the victoria memorial isn't a lightning rod. >> i'm a bit worried. indeed >> i'm a bit worried. indeed >> well, let's hand back before we get completely soaking to, andrew and kelly. >> thank you. cameron. yes? we can see his majesty the king and her majesty the queen entering into the scottish state coach there. they must be so pleased to see the inside of that carriage. >> the weather carriages are very uncomfortable, but they almost ran into them. they did get out of the rain because the heavens have opened and the wind is blowing. and we're just watching george , charlotte and

watching george, charlotte and prince louis getting into the carriage last. but not least, getting into the carriage with them, the fabulous princess of wales, who must i say looks extraordinary. >> looks absolutely beautiful. >> looks absolutely beautiful. >> welcome back ma'am, welcome back. >> and i'm so sorry about the weather. it is the most british weather. it is the most british weather to be expected in june. >> it is quintessentially british. nothing else you'd expect. it is june. flaming june. but it's flaming raining. we hadn't expected that. exactly but the camilla was hanging to on her hat at one point. but they're now on their way, of course, to the palace. >> yes, they are going to go back up the mall now to buckingham palace in that glass. coach, is the princess of wales, prince george, princess charlotte and prince louis. we're just hearing that prince louis dancing along to the music he enjoys on horseguards parade. i think they do. and it is so wonderful to see the royal children because as we haven't seen the princess of wales since christmas day, we also haven't seen princess charlotte or prince louis and you would imagine andrew. they look forward to days like this. perhaps not in this heavy, heavy

rain that's lashing down on them . now. >> it's horses, it's uniform, it's tradition, it's colour, it's tradition, it's colour, it's absolutely everything that the royal family is about. and you can see louis was just glued to the window of that carriage . to the window of that carriage. >> andrew, has there ever been a little boy who hasn't loved soldiers , seeing them and seeing soldiers, seeing them and seeing them parade? and you know something? you know , the mall something? you know, the mall and this area here, the roads are red. have you noticed that people think it's because it's the approach to buckingham palace, but it's not. and this is very important this morning while it's raining, what they do is they mix rubber in with the tarmac so that when it is raining, the horses are less likely to slip. yeah. and that's very, very important because the cavalry are now going to go back along the mall to escort the monarch and, and the queen and the other royal personages back to buckingham palace for their appearance on the balcony and what the last thing you want is for the horses to not to lose their their footing. >> extraordinary great british

stoicism. i bet you a single person who've got their ticket to see the event will not be leaving early. >> no, no, no, it's my party and i'm staying to the end. and also, they weren't putting up their umbrellas despite despite their umbrellas despite despite the rain. i don't know whether they're being ordered not to, but they were being very stoic and british about it. yeah. and getting wet. i got wet walking to the studio but i, i tell you one thing though, we didn't have any guardsmen keeling over because of the heat. >> so there is that there is that there is that. but we've, we've all been to events at the palace, a garden party or a bucket or a concert at the palace, and it rains and people stoically do not put up their umbrellas because they don't want to impair the vision of the person in front of them. so you just drown. good manners, good manners, michael, and then you pay manners, michael, and then you pay for it with a horrible cold for three days afterwards. >> well, perhaps the king is pleased at this point to be in a carriage rather than i think he is horseback . and the weather is horseback. and the weather that we're seeing right now it is grey and dismal. >> well, since london, if ever the doctors, the parade hasn't been grand. dismal it's absolutely been brilliant. it's been to perfection . as i said,

been to perfection. as i said, you know, this is a peerless exercise in military precision, which you won't see anywhere else in the world. and truly the very best of british. >> and we can imagine, can't we? those children in the glass, coach, prince george, princess charlotte and prince louis, seeing this as young children, i mean, it's a spectacle for us, but you can only imagine how they're feeling seeing those faces. some of those people on the mall have been camped out since 3:30 pm. yesterday afternoon to capture a glimpse of the king and of the family. >> and of course, when they were started camping out at 330 yesterday afternoon. ellie, they won't have known that the princess of wales was going to be there. they'd have hoped against hope. there was an outside chance. but what a treat. that news came through much, much later and it was so interesting. they even went through number 10, was told foreign office because of those. awful. >> i think it was really last minute. yeah, the doctors would have been paramount in this decision. yeah. she would have taken very, very careful advice of the physicians to see whether she could do it. but when i heard from , you from gb news the

heard from, you from gb news the first with the news that there was going to be a statement at 6 pm. last night, i thought they p.m. last night, i thought they will not make a negative announcement just before the show. i thought it's going to be positive, but i thought at best it would be that she would make an appearance on the balcony. yeah the fact is, she's been sitting there. the whole thing. yeah, the whole thing . which is yeah, the whole thing. which is what, nearly two hours she's been there. yeah. and she looks great. and i'm quite sure the crowds will think it well worth their while. despite the rain. yeah. to have had a glimpse of her. and i think that that's the huge positive to take out of this. >> and michael it will mean so much to the irish guards as well, because they were so disappointed when she wasn't able to make the colonel. >> it will mean so much to those who are suffering with cancer, particularly those who are undergoing chemotherapy , because undergoing chemotherapy, because i mean that. yeah, absolutely. we have a certain family connection with that at the moment. yeah. and it was a shot in the arm literally. yes. >> i think it's brilliant the way both the princess of wales and the king have been very

inclusive in the statements they've made , far more candid they've made, far more candid than they would have been in the past. i think, alastair, you would agree with me. they've been as up front as they possibly want to be, and they've made it sure that everybody else who's suffering similarly , is who's suffering similarly, is included. and i think one of the most heartfelt and most moving, experiences was the king's first visit to the cancer centre . the visit to the cancer centre. the first thing he did, and he was talking to people there who were having treatment, the same treatment as him. now, when he has his treatment , he's all has his treatment, he's all alone. yes, they are not. they form clubs, they they bring biscuits, they have teas together. they have a sense of camaraderie and togetherness about it. he does not. and he was holding hands with the guy. you know. look, i filed my first television report about king charles the third in october 1967 when he started at trinity college, cambridge . that's 56 college, cambridge. that's 56 years ago . counterintuitively,

years ago. counterintuitively, i've never seen him look so happy, so relaxed, so within himself. content. i mean, in the past . but himself. content. i mean, in the past. but during himself. content. i mean, in the past . but during the difficult past. but during the difficult time of diana testing , time of diana testing, difficult, bad tempered, sometimes very grumpy indeed. now if you look at him, you see a man within himself is very happy. >> and don't you think a big part of that, michael, is marriage to camilla? camilla? >> oh, absolutely. >> oh, absolutely. >> i can remember after the death of diana, nobody would ever have thought that camilla parker—bowles would become queen. no, but anyone who's worked with him and knows him knows he's completely at ease. and when she's not around, he can still be, as they say, a bit scratchy. when she's around, everything's good. >> i must just tell you this because it is a bit of an exclusive. i was there the first time camilla parker bowles was in the company of the queen. it was at the royal windsor horse

show in 1995, and there was a reception after the show, and my wife and i were invited and we went to this marquee, and the queen was there and camilla came in, mrs. parker—bowles. and she said to me , oh, is it all right said to me, oh, is it all right if i stand here? can i stand? can i stand with you? i'm not kidding you. she was shaking with anxiety. she said, well, the queen come over here. she'd never been allowed to be anywhere near the queen. this is 1995, ten years before they married at windsor. and i said, stand here. she won't come over to us. you'll be okay. and that was the very first time that she was the very first time that she was in the presence of her majesty the queen. such was the opprobrium attached to all this. and it took another ten years before the marriage. and of course, the queen and the duke of edinburgh did not attend the marriage in the register office in the in the hall in in. although they did attend the blessing in saint george's chapel when windsor afterwards

they did not attend. >> and how far have we come and it is it is. she's done a great job as queen. she she has. it is it is. she's done a great job as queen. she she has . and job as queen. she she has. and it is striking, isn't it? the king has been so moved by the outpouring of love since his cancer diagnosis, and he'll be moved by the scenes on the mall today. those thousands of people that have turned out to capture a glimpse of him, cameron walker is there for us now in the pounng is there for us now in the pouring rain. cameron but it's not deterring those people out on the mall , not deterring those people out on the mall, is it? >> no, it's certainly not early. in fact, i think they're braver than me, actually. we've retreated further inside the tent , and retreated further inside the tent, and indeed you just we saw those first carriages of the duchess of edinburgh , lady duchess of edinburgh, lady louise windsor, the duke of kent, the gloucesters and tim lawrence are coming back in their covered carriage. but even they were still getting completely drenched. but i think the heroes of today are these crowds, some of which have been here now for almost 24 hours cheering on the royal family despite this very, very british

summer weather of absolutely pounng summer weather of absolutely pouring it down with rain, i'm delighted to be joined by the former butler to king charles grant, harold grant, how does king charles fare in a weather like today? >> well, he doesn't mind it, because obviously when we used to be up in scotland, you get your fair share of rain up there, but obviously the sad part is , i don't remember in part is, i don't remember in recent memory having weather quite like this at trooping the colour . and i quite like this at trooping the colour. and i think what's difficult is for the crowds, it's the people that come out to see them , obviously that's the see them, obviously that's the sad bit because obviously they -—— ’ they get soaked, but they're get they get soaked, but they're all still there and they obviously still want to catch a glimpse of them, which was really nice. >> yeah, they all seem well prepared with their various, umbrellas and bunting, of course. yeah. how do you think the horses are going to be coping? of course. 200 horses taking part . and before we came taking part. and before we came on air, we saw the king's troop, royal horse artillery , a ride royal horse artillery, a ride pass ahead of their gun salutes in green park later today . can in green park later today. can the gun still fire in this weather? >> i think they can. i mean, i think to a degree the things will carry on as normal. it

depends if this downpour carries on the way it does, but i think the plan is for it still to carry on. and you see with the horses, the thing is, they do lots of planning. there's lots of rehearsals in all sorts of weather, so this won't really make any difference to the actual to the horses or to everybody involved in the in the trooping. yes. >> and for those of you watching on television, we just saw the those horses you see in the background with the we just zoomed out now. but they are the king's troop, royal horse artillery. we're just getting you can see the two drum horses here, which form part of the royal procession. and of course the band . i'm also hearing the band. i'm also hearing a gradual crescendo of the crowd's cheers, which suggests me, another member of the royal family, or at least their carriage is making their way slowly back towards our position, which is opposite the queen victoria memorial, just outside of buckingham palace. and despite the weather, they're all cheering grants, aren't they? >> they are. absolutely. and this is what's so nice, is that it's the british spirit, isn't it? even in the rain, this kind

of weather, people are still there. they're supportive. they're cheering, which is really which is really nice. i'm sure the, the king and queen will be glad when they get back to the palace and get back under shelter again . shelter again. >> yeah, absolutely. i'm not quite sure how well sheltered the balcony is. of course, it was raining a little bit during his coronation last year. >> it was. and it's not that well sheltered. i mean, up there they will get quite wet. so we'll have to see what happens with that because obviously they don't want to get too wet. but i'm sure that after the, once this is all done, they'll, they'll go and have a nice drink and probably a spot of lunch to kind of , to kind of go over the, kind of, to kind of go over the, the downpour. >> yeah. we just saw one of the lifeguards horses have a little bit of a wobble there. i think he'd had enough of the weather, but he seems to be okay again now. is there a walking or trotting past, to the victoria memorial . we can also hear the memorial. we can also hear the drums in the background of the, military bands, and all the household division soldiers, some of which are lining the mall here. we can see them in their bareskin, hats have also had to stand there in the

pounng had to stand there in the pouring rain for hours. >> grant, they have . and again, >> grant, they have. and again, this is the sea they use. but this is the sea they use. but this is the sea they use. but this is all part of the training. i mean, it takes something to kind of be able to carry on when it's like this. but i say with the rehearsals and things and it's not like this is the first time we've had this is the first time we've had this kind of weather when there's been a procession or an event taking place. it's just it is just sad. but as you mentioned, it's a british summer, isn't it? british summer weather? >> it certainly is, you obviously know king charles relatively well. how do you think he would have prepared for a day like today? mindful of the fact he's undergoing cancer treatment, he's somebody who i think i've said to you before, he doesn't, like let anyone down. and these kind of things are really important to him. and so it would take a lot for him not to want to carry this out today. so and, you know, obviously he's like many other people that go through that the treatment they still carry on with the day to day activities as much as possible. i think the difference with the king is his day to day activities are somewhat different. for example, like this today, where the eyes

of the world are watching you and everyone's going to be commenting . does he look well? commenting. does he look well? does he not look well? how is he performing? so there's a lot of added pressure on that as well for him. >> and of course the princess of wales is back on public duties. yes. for the first time since christmas due to her ongoing cancer treatment as well . but cancer treatment as well. but this isn't a full return to pubuc this isn't a full return to public duties, is it? >> it's not. cameron but what was really nice was earlier on i was really nice was earlier on i was standing with the crowds when the carriage went past and the cheers and the people shouting and everything was just amazing and really nice for her. really positive. because, you know, to hear that, i'm sure that will give her a boost of confidence boost as well, to show that people understand , but show that people understand, but they're really glad and grateful that she's actually made an appearance today. >> yeah, because as she said herself, she has good days and bad days. here's the king and the queen in the scottish state coach, here just coming back towards buckingham palace. they are cheerfully waving to the crowds and it's a completely covered carriage. so they're probably very grateful that they're not getting , incredibly they're not getting, incredibly wet. but i think they're probably going to be very grateful to the crowds as well

who have, as i said , queued for who have, as i said, queued for hours. and in the carriage behind we have the princess of wales and her three children, prince george, princess charlotte and, prince louis as well, the princess of wales, in a white dress there. we've heard of prince louis antics inside the, the major general's office, get it being cheered cheerfully dancing to some of the scottish, tunes there, his father , prince tunes there, his father, prince louis. father. we can just also see princess anne, the princess royal. colonel of the blues and royals, alongside the, duke of edinburgh and the prince of wales, all of which are royal colonels , and they have clearly colonels, and they have clearly also been on the parades getting incredibly wet. it looks like, princess anne, the princess royal princess anne, the princess royal, of course, a very keen horsewoman herself . she's horsewoman herself. she's incredibly skilled with the horse, even if it is getting a bit fed up that it's a little bit fed up that it's a little bit wet. but carefully controlling her horse and grant. isuppose controlling her horse and grant. i suppose the royal family has a

huge connection with horses and, kind of learn to ride from a very early age. >> they do. and as we all remember, the late queen had a huge love for obviously for her corgis, but also for horses and, you know, she always famously, always carry some mints in her pocket whenever she was just in case she saw a horse and as you said, this love affair with horses. yes. it's in all of them. they all love, the animals. >> well, we eagerly anticipates the balcony appearance and the raf fly—past. but for now, back to ellie and andrew. >> i was so you could see those little hands waving out the carriage window. that was obviously louis and his brother and sister. i think they don't care about the rain. they're enjoying themselves and we can just see. now, if you're listening , we can just see one listening, we can just see one of the carriages entering through the those familiar gates of buckingham palace, but they will be heading up to the balcony for the fly—past by the, red arrows, which we assume will go ahead despite the weather. i think it has to . and but i don't think it has to. and but i don't

think it has to. and but i don't think any all the royals will be on that balcony. i'm not sure we'll see. the duke of kent, aged 88, up there. >> well, it will be very interesting to see who actually does appear on that balcony. could it perhaps be a shorter appearance on that balcony ? appearance on that balcony? because of the really, really poor weather in central london, we did just see, didn't we? the king and queen on horse guards parade, the queen especially, did seem to be suffering a little bit in the rain. she had a blanket over her lap and she over her knees, but there's thousands of people there who will be processing straight to this , pressing up as close as this, pressing up as close as they can to the railings at buckingham, and they will want to see them on the balcony . to see them on the balcony. >> yes, the king is saluting, and when he's on a raised dais saluting , everybody's going past saluting, everybody's going past getting very wet. but as michael cole was saying earlier, this is nothing to him. he spends a lot of time in scotland . it's the of time in scotland. it's the scots. no rains a lot harder there than it does in england. we shouldn't be such wusses . we shouldn't be such wusses. >> this won't be deterring the king, will it? michael cole and it certainly won't be deterring the officers and the soldiers who are processing past the king as he salutes them now. but you

do feel for them, don't you, in this pouring rain, especially those that are wearing bearskins ? >> absolutely. he 7 >> absolutely. he won't be dismayed at all. as i say, you know, he's used to used to the cairngorms and the grampian mountains and lochnagar and all the rest of it. if it's not raining up in scotland, it's going to rain, you know, it's that's how it is, and there he saluting all, all the king's men. and of course, as ralph said, many hours ago, this is the army's birthday present to the army's birthday present to the sovereign. it's the household division , the five household division, the five regiments of foot guards and the two mounted regiments are saying, happy birthday to the monarch and doing it in the inimitable style. and i think ellie was saying, you know, about the balcony. i think the king will want as full a muster of the family as possible. those who are not laymen . holt and two who are not laymen. holt and two aged to do it. now look, we're seeing them already there. we have princess of wales and her children . i think, let me put on children. i think, let me put on my binoculars. i think that's

the duke of kent coming out to michael. is it really? >> it is. well duke of kent, he's amazing. >> and of course, in the army , >> and of course, in the army, he served in the scots greys. yeah, yeah. which, of course was one of the great regiments there. charge of the scots greys at the battle of waterloo was one of the key moments in that epoch , making one of the epoch, making one of the greatest military paintings. it is one of the greatest military paintings. he served with them and he was with them in northern ireland. but we remember he had to be withdrawn because there was a threat against his life. but he i mean, i've heard him speak, edward kent, he has got the most wonderful voice, sonorous voice. he's got the most wonderful voice in the whole of the royal family. and he's a great orator , and he's he's a great orator, and he's done a great job for the british army, the veterans of it. i remember hearing him at thiepval on the somme, speaking on one occasion. i think it was the 40th, 80th anniversary of the of the battle of the somme, 1st of july, 1916. well, if he's turning out, he's doing extraordinarily well. the queen's cousin, the late queen's, very close to the

queen. >> they were very close to queen. >> and you stood with her. he was the only one on the balcony. he stood with her. that's right. and the final jubilee. yeah, yeah. >> extraordinary man. and. yeah. and of course, his brother, prince michael of kent, who i know quite well. and, princess alexandra , who, of course, in alexandra, who, of course, in the early days when the it was just the queen and the duke of edinburgh and the children were not doing things, queen princess alexandra was a very much an important part of the royal family and did many, many. >> she was a great society beauty, wasn't she was. she was never out of the papers. >> she was and she she was a great supporter of the queen. she she was more or less like her wingman, if you will, for many , many years, those three many, many years, those three children who of course, they lost their father when he was killed in a plane crash in 1942. and prince michael wasn't born until he was born. actually july, the fourth day of destiny. in many ways , that's why his in many ways, that's why his second name is franklin. because

one of his god fathers was franklin delano roosevelt. amazing. during the wartime. yeah, yeah. and he never knew his father, killed in an air crash up in scotland . and here crash up in scotland. and here we have the king's troop going by on their way to green park to fire their salute. >> yes, we are at the gates of buckingham palace, where his majesty the king is watching the parade march past in salute and it is important to reflect, isn't it? this is a man with cancer , 75 years old, stood cancer, 75 years old, stood there in the pouring rain. and it must be said, he looks well , it must be said, he looks well, doesn't he? he looks strong. he is holding that salute. yeah, it clearly means so much for him in this moment. and it means so much to those on parade as well. >> it also helps explain to you why they conserved a bit of his energy from the d—day celebrations, because this is pretty gruelling . pretty gruelling. >> it is. it is. >>- >> it is. it is. >> ellie, i think that's a the key point. you know, i of course, the star of the show today unwittingly is the princess of wales. but what you just said about the king

suffering cancer , standing there suffering cancer, standing there looking, doing his job, doing his duty, he's had a tap on the shoulder by destiny , and he's shoulder by destiny, and he's determined to live out his reign as fully as possible. this is one of the high points of the royal year, and my goodness , royal year, and my goodness, despite what the weather could do, it has been a brilliant morning and beautifully carried off by the troops of the household brigade and indeed the king's troop, royal horse artillery. there we are in all their splendour , or getting their splendour, or getting dancing and prancing. >> they're some of the beautiful creatures it truly is. >> the balconies filling up a little to the left there. the welsh is up there. can't. we can't see. do we think her children are there? we can't quite see. well we are expecting that balcony appearance from the royal family just before 1 pm. in the past few minutes, kensington royal on twitter now ex the prince and princess of wales have released a video

which we can share with you now. >> the caption says all set for the king's birthday parade. it's a 22nd video. we can see the princess of wales stroking princess of wales stroking princess charlotte's hair there as they wait to enter the glass . as they wait to enter the glass. coach filmed just before the starting of trooping the colour. obviously a lot sunnier a little bit earlier on today. >> her close up. she does look stunning. >> she looks really well, doesn't she? >> princess charlotte in a lovely sort of sailor suit. she did that. that's a harking back to the victorian era, isn't it? >> yeah, yeah. >> yeah, yeah. >> so the royal, the royal and the royal and little prince louis waving, but not quite sure if he's supposed to be waving at the troops. >> it's a beautiful backstage behind the scenes family video. you can see that they're all wearing white and navy. they've all, worn similar colours. they look lovely together, don't they? as a family, we know that they? as a family, we know that the princess of wales is wearing a jenny packham dress and a philip treacy hat. and what a splendid choice as michael, you said earlier, she looks picture perfect today, doesn't she? and

she knows that people will want to see how she looks . does she to see how she looks. does she look well? and she certainly does today , seeing the children does today, seeing the children there and talking about how well and content the king looks in a sense it's an echo of his late mother. >> nothing , it seems to me, >> nothing, it seems to me, thrilled her more. and we often saw it on the balcony pictures where she was flanked by her undisputed heir, who was flanked by his undisputed heir and king charles can say the same. he's got william and he's got the two boys as well. >> it's the complete it's all the in british history over the centuries. >> that's not always been the case. >> absolutely. it is all the generations and of course the i think the royal family now is inured to the fact that louis will do something to steal the thunder of the rest of them. we'd rather look forward to him doing it. no, i don't think what louis did next is the time. i don't think i don't think six years old. >> it's calculated. it just comes naturally. but yes, why not? all were impatient.

>> why not six? and if not, why not exactly . not exactly. >> and when you see the three children, i mean prince george, the, the, the, the heir presumptive is very much a spencer in his, his look. but the other two children are very much middleton. they're very much middleton. they're very much her, don't you think? yes, i do, charlotte. and, louis. louis are sort of like a mini mike middleton for me to look at. and of course. >> and no, mike tindall to keep an eye on him. >> no, not this time. not this time. >> but they are. they are almost the world's children , aren't the world's children, aren't they? those three children we're talking about their most famous family in the world. >> they're the most photographed. >> everybody has a has a view. everybody's interested and they do a fantastic job. >> and it delights people from all around the world. and it is all around the world. and it is a reminder as well to everyone that they are. they are, at the end of the day, just a normal family with children who misbehave, children who are cheeky, children who get up to mischief. >> quite a lot of tiaras. yes

she really does. she does now the, the king now is about to be taken deeper now into the palace, which means he'll then be heading up to the balcony and we're expecting that fly—past by the his national anthem . so that's the crowds cheering because the king is now descending deep into the palace. he'll be going up to the balcony

where he'll join other senior members of his family , and of members of his family, and of course, we will get the fly—past by the red arrows. the sky is not particularly clear, but they can always make an impression. and it'll be interesting to see how many of the royals turn up. i think perhaps all of them will be there. that we've seen on parade , because even the duke of parade, because even the duke of kent has gone up there and he's 88, number 41, in line to the throne. michael. yeah, an important stalwart , as he was important stalwart, as he was saying earlier, for the families and particularly of the military, he is he he's done a wonderful job over the years . wonderful job over the years. >> i've heard him speak on several occasions. he's valiant and he's faithful. and i know that the queen valued his presence very much. and as i say, he has a wonderful, sonorous voice talking about the fly—past last. i mean, that is as ordered and as disciplined as the parade we've seen. yeah, i live fairly near the east coast and they all group together over , over the north sea in order from all the raf stations around the country and then they follow

a pattern or stand the a13 road. >> so it must be if you were driving down the road, down the strand, down the mall and over the top, it's going to be such a delight, isn't it, people? >> just on that point, you mentioning the north sea? let's add in at that point as well about the royal air force as we did about the army earlier , did about the army earlier, those pilots and navigators, day in day out are flying up over the north sea to see off russian bombers as they're involved, flying from cyprus, real flyers. >> yes. well, we can see the royal standard flying over buckingham palace. they're rather bedraggled. >> royal standard, rather bedraggled in the rain. >> lots more to come as the countdown is on of course, the raf fly past and the royal family's on the balcony. this is trooping the

gb news. welcome back to this special programme from trooping the colour on gb news with ellie costello and andrew pierce. it is, of course, the celebration of the king's official birthday. and what a spectacle it has been, andrew. >> even by the standards of the royal family, it's been extraordinary. but it's become even more magical because of the unexpected presence of the princess of wales, who is whatever people say, she's the true star, isn't she? in the royal family. and she looks great. she is the jewel in the crown. >> she is the royal family. >> she is the royal family. >> we know she's had chemotherapy. we know treatment is ongoing, she said in that statement. she's not out of the woods, but typically with the family, they released a fantastic photograph of her in the woods at windsor castle . the woods at windsor castle. she's been with her three children dressed in white. we can, as the queen would say, you have to be visible wearing a brooch from the irish guards, because, of course, she's the colonel of the irish guards and even though this is about the king's official birthday, the big story, he won't mind at all. eddie taking second bidding to

his daughter in law. >> he won't mind the future . i >> he won't mind the future. i mean, the two of them have obviously been diagnosed with cancen obviously been diagnosed with cancer. they've been on that journey together for the past few months. such a difficult yeah >> but for the family, extraordinary to think that they were both being treated under the same roof for cancer at the same time. >> you were telling that story earlier, weren't you, about the moment when we know that there was a chat seen shuffling along a corridor in a clinic in his slippers and his dressing gown, and he went into a private room. >> there's one person in there, and there he went to chat to the prince of wales. the staff in that clinic must have thought . that clinic must have thought. what? who would have thought it? the king and the future queen. and they and i think they were always close. but the shared experience of cancer has brought them even closer together. and i think actually it's made the whole country feel closer to the king and to the princess of wales. >> yes, i would totally agree with that. and both of them have done so much, haven't they? for awareness . yeah. of cancer and awareness. yeah. of cancer and been so brave and sharing so much with the public in a way, an openness that we haven't seen

before in a family that is infamously unwilling to talk about health issues , but about health issues, but infamously, i mean, you could never get anything out of the about the queen's health or the duke of edinburgh's. >> but generations change and we're making progress. >> it is a sign , isn't it, of >> it is a sign, isn't it, of the changing monarchy and changing with the generation , as changing with the generation, as you say, princess of wales, prince of wales, their children, they are the future, they are they are the future, they are the next generation. and it has been such a joy, hasn't it? how lovely is it to have something to smile about? yeah. >> and you think about some of the conversations that princess of wales and the princess has had to have at home with their children, that mummy's not very well. they all know about canceh well. they all know about cancer. they've all got access to the wretched internet. so no matter how much they try to gloss it, they would know other stuff. they would like every other family in the country. yeah. >> i mean, cancer affects 1 in 2 people in this country. >> i mean, cancer affects 1 in 2 people in this country . there people in this country. there are so many families that can relate to those difficult conversations that the princess of wales would and the prince of wales would have been having with their children over the past six months or so. indeed,

we know that the children have also really been out of the media spotlight for the past six months or so. you can imagine there was a lot of excitement in that carriage. ashley, andrew being out and about for the first time in 2024 and to scenes such as this , despite the rain, such as this, despite the rain, thousands of people lining the mall , some of thousands of people lining the mall, some of them thousands of people lining the mall , some of them there since mall, some of them there since 3:30 pm. yesterday afternoon there to see the king and the royal family >> yeah. and of course, when they started queuing at 330, they started queuing at 330, they had no idea what suella was going to be there. we didn't know that till we had that special statement at 6:00 pm last night. and i think we all had a pretty good idea of what it was going to say. >> yes. well, there was a big question mark, wasn't there, andrew? because of course, catherine, princess of wales, couldn't make the colonel's review last week. she wrote that very emotional letter to the irish guards, saying that she was so disappointed that she wouldn't be able to make the colonel's review. and i think there was a big question mark. then about whether she would actually make trooping colour. >> i didn't think she would neither did i really didn't. >> but what a lovely, lovely

surprise. welcome back. >> you're welcome . welcome back. >> you're welcome. welcome back. >> you're welcome. welcome back. >> it is very good to see you. >>— >> it is very good to see you. >> let's go back to the palace because our royal correspondent, cameron walker is there, presumably with his umbrella or in his raincoat. cameron . in his raincoat. cameron. >> hi there. andrew. we are just a couple of minutes away , with a couple of minutes away, with eight, six minutes away. even if my maths is correct , from the my maths is correct, from the king's troop, royal horse artillery firing their 41 gun salute in green park to celebrate the king's official birthday grants, we saw them trot past a little earlier with their guns just explain the tradition of the gun salutes and what it means. >> it's an interesting one. it's to do with ships. it was to show when a ship, to show it meant no harm to wherever it might have been. harm to wherever it might have been . so basically, it emptied been. so basically, it emptied the cannons. and from what i understand, there was about 21 cannons traditionally on a large ship . so to file all those show ship. so to file all those show that you didn't mean any harm to where they were. and that tradition then has been adopted , tradition then has been adopted, where it's now used for salutes. and i should also mention royal

parks , this sentiment of parks, this sentiment of salutes, palaces, fortresses, the sentiment of salutes and as well as the traditional 21 gun salute as well. so you can end up that's where you can end up with multiple amounts of rounds. >> and grant, harold's former butler to, king charles, we've seen had a glimpse of some members of the royal family on the balcony watching that final salute as the king was on the dais in the centre of buckingham palace, we saw the duchess of edinburgh. lady louise windsor. yes. the first time for a while. we've seen her on a on a balcony for trooping because she's not a working member of the royal family. and yet seems to be starting to get some younger royals involved in these big ceremonial events. >> i've noticed, as you probably as well, cameron, over the last over the last year more the younger royals are getting more involved and i'm kind of wonder if that's maybe purposely always been purposely planned to get them involved, as you said, not working royals, but yet when there's a big event, it shows there's a big event, it shows the family are all united and are all together. so it's quite are all together. so it's quite a sensible, it's quite a sensible move because just a couple of weeks ago we saw prince william host a garden

party at buckingham palace and heianed party at buckingham palace and he invited his cousins , he invited his cousins, particularly princess beatrice and princess eugenie . and princess eugenie. >> what are the chances you think we will see them in 12 minutes time on the balcony of buckingham palace? >> i think it's very likely. i think that's a reality. and even zara was also, at the garden parties and again, it's not unusual, but it's just interesting that there seems to be more of a they make more of an appearance. so it wouldn't surprise me if you see them on the balcony again. i think it's just to show this, this family is a united family. the king talked about a slimming, slimming, the monarchy down, and i still think that is what is happening. i think as time goes on, all the members of the royal family will retire. that's my belief. and the younger ones will see them step in to dinner. not as you say, a working role, but just there to support the king and family from time to time. >> because the royal family has had an incredibly challenging six months or so. they've been two very senior members of the royal family out of action due to their health struggles. but it's nice to see both of them out back today. for the king's

official birthday parade. the king and the princess of wales, it is. >> and it's a big thing also for the family to see them actually be, you know, they're doing what they've done in the past, but also for the for the public. you know, as i said earlier, the pubuc know, as i said earlier, the public will so excited when they saw the carriage procession and saw the carriage procession and saw catherine actually going past. you know, it was wonderful to hear people get excited and so i'm sure they'll still take a lot out of them. you know, it's a big day. it's a busy day for them. and just because they go behind closed doors now, it doesn't stop because obviously there'll be a lunch obe drinks, there'll be a lunch obe drinks, there'll be a lunch obe drinks, there'll be entertaining, so but obviously it's slightly it's a bit more relaxed for them because it is behind closed doors. >> now, just a couple of minutes away from the king's troop, royal horse artillery , firing royal horse artillery, firing their 41 gun salutes from hyde park, you might just be able to make out on your screens. the crowds have been let onto the mall to rush up to the gates of buckingham palace. ahead of that famous balcony appearance, we think around 1255 ahead of the raf fly—past . at 1:00 this raf fly—past. at 1:00 this afternoon. the balcony

appearance for trooping the colour is seen as the yearly focal point, a symbol of who's in and who's out of favour in terms of who the king thinks , terms of who the king thinks, which royal family members are in and out of favour and it has been. over the last few years we've been discussing grants only working members of the royal family. but despite the rain , despite the umbrellas, rain, despite the umbrellas, people are really keen and determined to see this balcony appearance. >> they really are. i mean, just to get it's quite interesting just seeing people get a glimpse of them. i could hear when i was in the crowds, i could hear some of them, what they were saying, and they were just so excited just to get a, you know, this is 12 deep or something. but they were so excited. just to get a glimpse, just a glimpse of them, just so excited about that moment. and again, it made me feel very lucky and privileged for a time. i actually was was there, you know, i was in there. you know, i feel very lucky and privileged to have had that experience, as have you been in the east wing, which is where the east wing, which is where the famous buckingham palace balcony is and the days before they did all the restoration because, you know, there's been a big project on there , but i a big project on there, but i have been in there. i actually did a workshop in the centre

room where a day of learning how to look after furniture , and i to look after furniture, and i was very tempted, but i didn't, but i was tempted to pull the curtain back a little bit and give a wave, but i, i valued my job, so i decided that was a bad idea. >> fair enough. maybe, sir. i mean, the censoring for those of you who don't know, is the room which opens out onto that famous buckingham palace balcony and members of the public this year, for the first time ever, are going to be allowed to book tickets to go into the east wing and see that famous room . and see that famous room. although unfortunately, you cannot go onto the balcony unless you are a member of the royal family, but you're going to get as close as you possibly can do. and we just heard the first gun fire from the king's troop, royal horse artillery in green park, which i forgot was happening, and it made me jump slightly because it's very close to where we are at canada gate, but of course it's not deterring the crowd, is it this weather? >> no. and it's a wonderful thing. this is a great tradition, and i think we always say when it comes to pomp and circumstance , did i say one of circumstance, did i say one of the best countries at doing it? and again, it's interesting to see how many people have travelled here to just come for these kind of events. even today

there's people have travelled from overseas just to be here, just to witness this. so it's wonderful. and i think that's the reason why they're not disappearing just because of the rain. a spot of rain, he says. but it hasn't put them off. and as you said, they're now all kind of gathered around the palace, all excited to catch a glimpse of the royal family >> yeah, i was speaking to one lady at about half five this morning who was been camped out on the mall or got here at half three this morning, and she's come from the united states of america. so it's been an absolutely incredible atmosphere here. >> there was a few people next to me who from australia, they'd come over from australia for this occasion. and again, it just amazes me that it's wonderful that people want to travel across the world from the other side just to come, just to catch a glimpse, just to catch a glimpse of our royal family. and it shows us how lucky we are that we have got a royal family. >> i think it certainly does. and i think there are hundreds of people and probably counting here. we do see a few anti—monarchy demonstrators as well, just starting to also go up towards the palace gates. but there is a big counter protest going on by the group, the royalists, who are pro monarchy

demonstrators. i'm surprised the police actually let them stand by side by side, but they appear to have been civil with each other. >> they were. i was actually next to that area and i was quite surprised. they were so close to each other. but they were there was a lot of chanting and obviously. but they were they were polite, you know, there were several to each other. and that was the good bit. that's the thing when it comes to protest, when it's done like that, i think people don't mind. it'sjust like that, i think people don't mind. it's just when like that, i think people don't mind. it'sjust when it like that, i think people don't mind. it's just when it gets out of hand, that's when it's the problem . problem. >> now, now kensington palace, in the last hour or so, has released a behind the scenes video of the princess of wales and her three children from within buckingham palace. before they get into the glass coach to to travel horseguards parade. we've both seen it. hopefully we can bring it to you shortly, but the princess, what did you think, we're just getting it very, very shortly. but what do you think the princess, her facial expression. what do you think she was thinking in that moment? >> do you know it was? >> do you know it was? >> there we go. it was a huge. >> there we go. it was a huge. >> it's a huge moment for us, isn't it? >> because it's the first time we've kind of seen her do anything like this for some time since christmas. so i'm sure in

her mind, she'll be aware that the eyes of the world are watching her every move, you know? and again, summing up, how does she look ? how is she does she look? how is she coping, what? the children. you know, how they look and what they're wearing. there's all these discussions. she knows that people will be asking . but that people will be asking. but the good thing, the wonderful thing about catherine, she's had many years to kind of, i was going to say practice when obviously she was dating. she got to spend a lot of time with the royal family and i think, can i say she's never put a foot wrong, you know, and in recent months, with everything going on, she's she's done everything just so beautifully and carefully. and so today it's a big day for her in scene again. >> and we are just moments away now from that all important famous balcony appearance. buckingham palace do not confirm in advance which members of the royal family will appear on the balcony. so we're going to go into this blind and we'll have to react, as it happens. but of course, the reason they're all gathering on the balcony, not only to wave to the crowd who have very patiently waited in the wet and cold of the british summer weather, we've got a famous raf fly—past taking place

, which is something that the late queen absolutely loved. >> i mean, famously she said it was one of her favourite things. and the king equally enjoys this moment. and luckily the rain has actually stopped and there's a bit of blue sky, so hopefully it'll it'll be quite clear when the in the five passes over. >> well fingers crossed. and we do really hope that the fly—past happens as planned. but as we know in years gone by, i'm looking back to particularly the coronation of king charles the third, we it had to be amended slightly because of the poor weather. >> i did wonder earlier on when the heavens actually opened and we had the thunder. i did start wondering if it was going to suddenly be, hopefully not cancelled, but certainly changed. but now that there is blue sky and the clouds are definitely clearing, it's looking really hopeful now. yeah, there seems to be very good timing from the weather gods, doesn't it? >> just in time for the for the balcony appearance. >> that's very that's very good luck actually . luck actually. >> yes, and 30 aircraft, we're told are expected to take part in this fly—past today outside buckingham palace, flying basically from the archway at

the bottom of the mall all the way up and then over buckingham palace. yes. >> and the royal family love this. and not just obviously the adults, but the children. i mean, it's always quite funny . mean, it's always quite funny. can i've seen the children get excited about this and it's great. also the royal children can get out in the balcony. they get them involved . and again get them involved. and again because one day you know that's going to be there. well, especially little george that's going to be his role. so again, you know people say to me how do they land the job and what kind of training do they have ? they of training do they have? they learned from this is the perfect example. they learn from these occasions , learn from other occasions, learn from other family members. >> and i have fond memories of seeing prince louis, who i then think was four four years old at the queen's platinum jubilee celebrations, putting his hands over his ears and screaming because of the noise of the aircraft ? yeah. aircraft? yeah. >> do you also remember the time when the queen told prince william off from the balcony? there was quite a famous. do you remember? >> he bent down, didn't he, to speak to is not what you're supposed to do. >> and he was trying to point out. and the queen kind of very quickly kind of told him to stand up, because it's not what you do on the balcony. and i love that, because at the end of the day, she is the queen. she was sorry. the queen, she was the monarch, but she was still

his grandmother and she was kind of telling his her grandson off, which was was fantastic. >> yeah, she did it in a subtle way as possible in front of the cameras. but of course it was inevitably picked up. >> no, it was it was done in a way that she was very good. sometimes she used to do things like that and you wouldn't notice. and there was other times she would say or do something, and you kind of had to wonder if she was being serious because, as you know, she had a wonderful sense of humour and she had a really fun way about her. >> and as a royal butler, just talk us through this balcony etiquette. what are we expecting to see? what do they have to do on the balcony? >> basically, they've got to wait for all the family, all gather in the central room from memory. they get offered a little drink, maybe when they arrive, just to kind of where they're all waiting there, rather than just standing there and then obviously when they get informed, the fly—past take place, the doors are opened. traditionally, you might remember it was the queen's butler, tall paul paul wahaca, that used to be one of the ones that used to be one of the ones that would open the doors so you'd see them open the doors. yes. and then obviously you got the royal family kind of come out, obviously start with the king and queen, followed by the members of the of the family. and then once it's finished, they all go back in, finish off their drinks and then go off for some lunch. and then later in the afternoon, they'll they'll

all head back to the, to their different homes. but it's a great chance for the family to get together and also just catch up with each other . up with each other. >> and in terms of the public events of the king's birthday parade , they all finish after parade, they all finish after the fly—past, isn't it? so we're reaching the grand finale. finale. >> this is the kind of this is the part, isn't it? everyone gets excited about it because obviously it's an exciting day , obviously it's an exciting day, but the balcony appearance is the one thing throughout the year that people look forward to, and it's not often you get to, and it's not often you get to see them on the balcony. >> yes, and it's now 1258 by my watch. the fly—past is due to start at 1:00 this afternoon. i have had no message to suggest that it's been postponed or cancelled. the doors are open , cancelled. the doors are open, of the balcony. the king and queen stepping out onto the balcony met by great cheers, from members of the crowd, i can see the duchess of edinburgh to their right , see the duchess of edinburgh to their right, as well as lady louise windsor, the duke and duchess of gloucester. princess anne, princess royal, tim laurence, her husband, the duke of kent , just coming in behind

of kent, just coming in behind them on their rights. the duke and duchess of gloucester. but of course, next to the king and queen, we have the prince and princess of wales and her three children. so it looks like it's just working. members of the royal family on the balcony, plus the three immediate heirs of prince william, prince george, princess charlotte and prince louis. of course, a huge moment for princess of wales. who is her first public engagement back since christmas 2023. the raf fly—past just getting underway. it is led by a chinook helicopters from a number seven squadron of raf odiham , they are flying over odiham, they are flying over buckingham palace as we speak and members of the royal family are, watching them , apart from are, watching them, apart from prince louis and prince george, by the looks of it. who are looking down at the crowds. but i'm sure they will be impressed by the next aircraft flying over the palace. the aircrafts are coming from eight different raf stations and 15 squadrons are

participating. two thirds of those squadrons were also involved in the d—day commemorations. the 80th anniversary, d—day commemorations last week, they're highlighting the wide range used by the raf to secure our skies, the british skies, to protect our people both at home and abroad. of course , and abroad. of course, helicopters. we've got jets, as well at the front of the fly—past. as i said, we've got the chinook. and then at the end of the, of it, we are expecting there to be the red arrows as well. but in the middle we have three typhoons from a 29 squadron from raf coningsby. and up until very recently, this wave of aircraft was to be a lancaster , a spitfire and lancaster, a spitfire and a hurricane from the battle of britain memorial flights . but britain memorial flights. but unfortunately, because of the tragic death of squadron leader mark long in a spitfire crash on saturday the 25th of may, it means that, unfortunately , the

means that, unfortunately, the battle of britain memorial flight is not taking place today. this formation is therefore using the battle of britain memorial flight radio callsign of memorial flight in his honour and all three pilots are instructors from the typhoon conversion unit, where squadron leader long also flew typhoons , leader long also flew typhoons, and each are his close friends and each are his close friends and colleagues. so a very, very poignant moment for them. even more fittingly, this formation is being led by squadron leader andy millikin, who is a previous commanding officer of the battle of britain memorial flight and an ex spitfire pilot, and he is an ex spitfire pilot, and he is an ex spitfire pilot, and he is an ex full time military pilot and is now a defence contractor who today is flying in his role as an raf reservist. the fly—past . however, this is his fly—past. however, this is his last flight in a typhoon as he reduces his reservist commitments to the royal air force . so a proud and emotional force. so a proud and emotional day for him as well as his colleagues. i believe that was

the c—17 that we just saw, on our screens. but members of the royal family, as always, very intrigued and interested and being entertained by this raf fly—past the military might of the royal air force flying over, buckingham palace. and just to recap on who is on the balcony, we have prince george, princess charlotte, prince louis as the youngest members of the royal family there, followed by lady louise windsor. we have the prince and princess of wales . we prince and princess of wales. we also have, vice admiral sir tim laurence , and his his wife, the laurence, and his his wife, the princess royal, colonel of the blues and royals, and of course, the king and queen. it is the king's birthday parade that we are celebrating here today. and the crowds grant appear to be enjoying this celebration as well. and the skies have turned blue. >> what's amazing, cameron, look how the sky is suddenly gone blue. and literally about 25 minutes ago we had the most unbelievable downpour and thunderstorm. and now suddenly there's a blue sky. so it's the

perfect weather for a fly—past. i kind of half wonder is that the a late monarch somewhere up there, kind of clearing the skies for this fly—past because the late queen loved the late queen loved this part of trooping the colour. so it's quite interesting that suddenly the weather just completely changed so quickly. >> quite possibly . and somebody >> quite possibly. and somebody who we've seen on the balcony for trooping for a first time in a while is lady louise windsor. and she had a very special relationship with her grandparents, queen elizabeth ii and prince philip, duke of edinburgh. >> she did. i mean, the queen had a very close relationship with all her grandchildren and great grandchildren and very hands on. i think people don't realise that. i think people assume that because she was a monarch and doing everything she was doing, she didn't make time . was doing, she didn't make time. but family was a big part of everything that she did. obviously monarchy, she always put first, but family was right there alongside . there alongside. >> raf fly—past flying over there , for his majesty the there, for his majesty the king's official birthday parade. i think it is absolutely a miracle that for this fly—past,

the clouds have gone almost the rain has certainly gone, and it's now blue sky and sunshine . it's now blue sky and sunshine. a real treat for those crowds who have been waiting patiently for almost 24 hours. some of them now, grant, we have and that's again, the interesting part is, as i said earlier, people travel from across the world to come here and they're quite happy waiting for hours as you say, up to 24 hours, and they don't mind. >> and even the rain, they didn't disappear. we saw the brollies go up. we saw the raincoats go on, but they didn't move. they all just stood there. they all stayed in their place until they were allowed to come forward to the palace and luckilly, as you said, it's now cleared, which is fantastic for them because they've waited so long for this, for this moment, just to catch a glimpse of them . just to catch a glimpse of them. >> and let's just talk about the princess of wales for a moment, because the horrible speculation that we've seen about her online recently, some really horrible conspiracy theories , which i'm conspiracy theories, which i'm not going to go into, i think it's a real kind of moment seeing the princess of wales in real life on the balcony in front of her people. i think

this is what's really good about today is she's obviously done this because she feels she's able to, which is the important part. >> but at the same time, it kind of puts a lot of those theories to bed. well, i hope it does . i to bed. well, i hope it does. i mean, you're never going to stop all that. sadly, that's the world we live in. but i think . world we live in. but i think. >> i think the princess has actually been on the balcony with the family. >> we can all see her. we can all see. we can see that she's looking, under the circumstances. she's looking well, and she's been able to kind of carry out this part today, which she really wanted today, which she really wanted to do this. i mean, i think we're aware that she wanted to do this. and the fact that even this morning there was still obviously doubts. would she be there? would she not? and the fact she's actually done this has been fantastic. and i said hopefully it will it will kind of put to bed a lot of these kind of theories that we're going to round over the last few weeks . weeks. >> we just see king charles and queen camilla, but particularly king charles in the middle of your screens there. and, you know, for a time there was a time, probably in february, march, that we weren't even perhaps expecting to see the king because he was convalescing, because of his

cancer treatment and very hardly the final grand finale. the red arrows flying over, buckingham palace there for the final part, of the raf, flight past marking the king's birthday parade . what the king's birthday parade. what a finish, grant, it really is. >> and i mean, as you just said, i mean, there was a point where we didn't know if he would actually be here to, you know, would you be able to do this? would he be well enough to be here today? and the fact that he is there and, you know, the pubuc is there and, you know, the public love it. i mean, look how they're all they're all so excited just just to see. but obviously the royal family but both of them, the king and the princess of wales i think is absolutely made everyone's day. >> and members of the royal family waving to the crowds. the national anthem is playing as well . well. >> it's a perfect picture, isn't it? when you think of trooping the colour, this is this is kind of the image that everybody has. at the end of the day . at the end of the day. >> it certainly is .

and huge cheers from the crowds there as king charles waves to his people following the conclusion of his birthday parade, the second trooping the colour. he's taken part in as sovereign and only the second time in 30 years that all divisions of the household , all divisions of the household, all regiments, even of the household division, have taken part. and there we see the members of the royal family walking back inside the centre room of the east wing of buckingham palace, and a lovely glimpse of the princess of wales, to end on with the prince of wales and the duchess of edinburgh. and the doors are closed . that is the conclusion closed. that is the conclusion of the king's birthday parade. grant. before i hand back to ellie and andrew, just a final quick word from you, summarising

perhaps the awful weather to this glorious sunshine and also the fact from the uncertainty of who we're going to see at the king's trooping the colour parade at the start of the year, to what's actually happened today. >> it's been a fantastic day. i mean, obviously british weather, that's how it goes. and the fact that's how it goes. and the fact that the all the royal family, including the prince of wales and obviously the king have been there has made everyone's day. i think even us, if i can say that. and now they're going to have some time to be as a family, to have some lunch. and of course , i'm sure there'll of course, i'm sure there'll also be a few cards and gifts for father's day tomorrow as well. so, but no, i think it's been an amazing day, and i think they'll be really happy with the successful trooping the colour. >> yes, we'll certainly keep you up to date on the royal family's activities for father's day, right here on gb news and on our website as well, i, cameron walker here live at buckingham palace for now. back to andrew and ellie and what a stellar job and ellie and what a stellarjob you've done. >> cameron mentioned father's day made me think for the first time at prince harry because of course, it's his dad's father's day tomorrow. he's a dad, too, i hadnt day tomorrow. he's a dad, too, i hadn't even gave it a thought in

the last three hours. i think camilla the queen was saying as soon as that doors closed. put the kettle on. >> yes, i think she looked cold. she did look cold. i think the cold got to her bones. we saw her with the blanket over her lap. she said earlier on she's 76. >> yes, it's a good age. >> yes, it's a good age. >> she was looking forward to getting back into that carriage, wasn't she? a little bit earlier on the king, though , who has on the king, though, who has canceh on the king, though, who has cancer, 75 years old, stoic, waving enthusiastically , holding waving enthusiastically, holding that salute. >> and we know the sun shines on the righteous. which is why the sun came out. the blue skies came back in time for the balcony. and how fantastic is that? >> and as always , palace looks >> and as always, palace looks beautiful at the moment. yes, as always as well. the red arrows putting on a show for us. >> brilliant show. just fantastic. nobody does it better. >> nobody does it better than the british. and it really was the british. and it really was the best of british today. the trooping the colour and then the military precision there and then again in that fly—past that we just saw. wonderful day and seeing the princess of wales. just to top it all off, absolutely fabulous . well, to

absolutely fabulous. well, to discuss the family appearances and the amazing spectacle of the raf that we've just seen in that fly—past we are joined now by royal commentator jennie bond and what a day it has been. jennie >> fold in the way it does year after year. >> i think it's kind of calming and settling in the turmoil we live in in the middle of a general election campaign , to general election campaign, to have these rituals that we've seen year after year continue. i think it's kind of comforting, but obviously the highlight of the day was seeing the princess of wales back, not fully back and not fully recovered as we know, but making, a very wonderful appearance and a very appropriate one, i think. i think trooping was exactly right. it combines you like the majesty of monarchy, all this great ceremonial that, as you say, we do so well with what is essentially a family occasion, a chance for the family to get

together behind the scenes. and i guess they haven't seen that much of one another during this penod much of one another during this period of cancer treatment for both the king and the princess. >> and how do you think she looked, jennie? she looked well , looked, jennie? she looked well, didn't she? and it was so wonderful as well to see all the children with her in the glass coach too. >> she looked very well . she >> she looked very well. she looked very regal. she looked a lot , a lot better than looked very regal. she looked a lot, a lot better than in looked very regal. she looked a lot , a lot better than in the lot, a lot better than in the video broadcast. she made telling us all about her cancer diagnosis, and yes, i think you're right to point the fact that she was there as a mum as well. i mean, she was there to support the king, that's what it's all about, really. on what is essentially his day. but she was also there to guide her children and be there at what is a very lengthy affair. this this ceremony . vie, and there's a lot ceremony. vie, and there's a lot of protocol involved. and she said just to put her hand on their shoulder, comfort them to their shoulder, comfort them to the kids were sitting on her knee, weren't they? as they were watching from from horseguards

overlooking the parade ground , overlooking the parade ground, so it was great to see the family back together and what a comfort it must have been for william as well, to have his wife there, where she belongs, at his side, and great jenny to see them on the balcony. >> fabulous moment. and we will be scrutinising for minute due to quite what louis was up to. was he clapping? was he cheering? what? what was he doing? because we love little louis. >> yes, little louis looked a little bit, bored perhaps. i don't know , during the, the don't know, during the, the marching, i mean, he was jigging around at one point, clearly enjoying the beat of the drums, which i defy anyone not to do. i mean, it's so wonderfully there. you can feel the beat of the drums and the and the pounding of the horses hooves. you can feel it vibrating through the ground. and i always used to love that. and i think he was enjoying it. but then he had a little yawn and then he sat on mum's knee, but i think he was pretty well behaved. but catherine was there to make sure. and of course this is the kings day. it is his official birthday, and we've often in the

past made something of how the family try not to outdo one another. but on this occasion i of all occasions, i think the king was immensely proud and in his own words, delighted to have catherine back on parade and at his side . his side. >> she is whatever we think. she's a future queen, jenny, and she's hugely, hugely popular. any poll will show again and again. she's way up at the top. and that was even before the terrible cancer diagnosis. >> yes , she's very popular and >> yes, she's very popular and i think she is making herself very relatable . well, she already relatable. well, she already was, but, i think she , in her was, but, i think she, in her statement, which she issued yesterday, was incredibly frank about her chemotherapy treatment and what it has done and is doing to her. and the words, the phrase that stood out for me in that statement was that she is learning to be patient, particularly with uncertainty. and i think uncertainty is pretty hard for anyone to deal

with. and when you are a youngish mum and you've got your kids to look after, you've got a future unlike anyone else's in this country a destiny, extraordinary destiny to be uncertain about how you're going to feel from day to day is very hard, for i think not only physically, but probably mentally . but, it was a very mentally. but, it was a very personal statement which aligned herself with other cancer sufferers . it was very sufferers. it was very inclusive, wasn't it, saying that, as as other people undergoing chemotherapy will understand and talking also about how blown away she's been, not a very regal term, but one we can relate to, blown away by the messages of kindness and encouragement the whole family have felt blown away by the support that they've seen from the great british public in the last six months or so. >> i mean, they'll be moved by the scenes on the mound, won't they, jenny? those thousands of people who stayed come wind, rain or shine, some of them since 3:30 pm. yesterday. yeah

you do have to feel for them, honestly. >> paul's reign at the coronation didn't it? i thought today actually might might be slightly better , thankfully the slightly better, thankfully the rain stayed away for most of the parade. but yes, i think they will be very gratified to see the huge crowds and to hear the cheers. especially when the princess of, her carriage came into view. i mean, great cheers from from the crowd, i think what we saw today really was the monarchy back on parade back not to full strength by any means, but after a shockingly alarming first few months of this year, i think today showed that they they're not down and not out. they're still there and gaining in strength. and we'll be seeing more and more of them hopefully as the months go by. >> test for him to the king, jenny, because he's been going through his own cancer diagnosis. we know he had to leave the d—day commemorations a little earlier than he would have wanted to. so this was a big test for him as well.

physically and he seems to have doneit physically and he seems to have done it just fine. >> yeah , well, as camilla has >> yeah, well, as camilla has let us know, you know, he's been very naughty . he's not doing very naughty. he's not doing what he's told. he's doing too much, really , but he does look much, really, but he does look quite well. we don't actually know if he is undergoing chemotherapy. we don't know what kind of cancer treatment he is undergoing, but the assumption must be that it is some kind of chemo, and so he's undoubtedly having good days and bad days, just like catherine. but he, has made it a determined stance to be visible as much as possible throughout this cancer problem, and even if it was just a photograph being issued in the in the early times of his diagnosis , he wanted to be seen. diagnosis, he wanted to be seen. and that's been his way of deaung and that's been his way of dealing with things. catherine has taken a more private approach, and i personally am delighted that we have known so little about her condition, because that's the way she wanted it. and that is her right. and today she has shown

us that she is indeed making progress, good progress in her own words. but it's going to take a few more months. >> just so wonderful to see the princess of wales today. jennie bond, thank you so much for sharing your reflections. >> we've got a japanese state visit coming up in a few weeks time. i wonder if we'll see her there, because again, that's the sort of event the king would like her at. but soft power, no pressure. >> pressure. >> yes . and ascot and wimbledon. >> yes. and ascot and wimbledon. there'll be lots of people hoping to see lots of her ascot. >> somehow. you're on your feet for a long time there. i'm going. are you ? going. are you? >> no, not this year, unfortunately. >> i'll wave to you. >>— >> i'll wave to you. >> you can. you can visit for me. >> i've ordered my top hat and tails. >> i can't wait to see you in that. lovely. well, don't go anywhere as we'll be getting views on the amazing of today. this is trooping the colour

gb news. welcome back. this is trooping the colour on gb news. and what

a spectacular morning. it has been amazing. >> it happens every year. but really special this year to see the king looking so fit, so healthy . and the fantastic bonus healthy. and the fantastic bonus to see the princess of wales there with her children. looking radiant is the word i'd use. >> yeah, the highlight of the day for many for sure. >> and she and i said earlier the king will not mind playing second fiddle to his daughter in law because people were overjoyed to see her. welcome back ma'am. >> yes. welcome back. and actually quite emotional to see them as a family unit. yes on that balcony with everything that balcony with everything that they've been through, two little ones sitting on her lap. wasn't that lovely? yeah. it's a reminder, isn't it, that they are a real family and their close family , and they've been close family, and they've been through so much together. mum, who does the school run? >> dad who does the school run? they are the definitive modern royals. >> yes . and it's a sign that >> yes. and it's a sign that they are getting there aren't they are getting there aren't they. they are getting there aren't they . they are almost back as we they. they are almost back as we know them well as our royal family, because she has said in that very moving and very personal statement, she's not out of the woods yet. no, but

but they're on their way and it's great to see you. well, cameron walker is at buckingham palace for us. and what a morning we have had, cameron. it's just been spectacular . it's just been spectacular. >> yeah, it really has. ellie. from the very first time i got here this morning for members of the public camping out overnight in the pouring rain to just catch a glimpse of members of the royal family, particularly excited of course, to see the king, but also the princess of wales. her first public engagement since christmas last yeah engagement since christmas last year. and we've seen that wonderful behind the scenes video from kensington palace of herself and her three children prince george, princess charlotte and prince louis at the grand entrance of buckingham palace, are getting into that carriage. the first time she knew, obviously, in her head it would be she's emerging into the pubuc would be she's emerging into the public eye for the first time in over six months, not a full return to public duties, but it's certainly a big step in the right direction. and then, of course, we have the famous balcony appearance that a focal

point, that symbol of who's kind of in favour in terms of members of in favour in terms of members of the royal family and we had very much working members of the royal family on the balcony . but royal family on the balcony. but i think what i noticed more about anything as well as, of course, having the princess of wales and her family on the balcony, it was that lady louise was included in that. of course she was. she was incredibly close to her grandparents. lady louise, the queen elizabeth ii and prince philip, duke of edinburgh . and i think perhaps edinburgh. and i think perhaps it shows the fondness that king charles has for his niece, lady louise windsor, who also was watching the horseguards parade, the king's birthday parade from the king's birthday parade from the major general's office at four trooping the colour as well. at first, i think for a number of years now, and then we had the magnificent fly—past as well , ellie had the magnificent fly—past as well, ellie and andrew all ending with the red arrows. so it's been a really amazing day. the heavens opened at one point. we had to retreat further inside the tents. my back got soaking, the tents. my back got soaking, the microphones almost stopped

working, but just before the fly—past and they and the members of the royal family came out onto the balcony . it was out onto the balcony. it was blue sky and sunshine again, so that shows, if nothing else, that shows, if nothing else, that if you're in britain you have to pack for all weather. >> absolutely, cameron. thanks, cameron. you have to explain that lady windsor, of course. she's the daughter of edward and sophie, the duke and duchess of edinburgh . yes, they are now. edinburgh. yes, they are now. and she's not she's not an official working role . but it official working role. but it is, as cameron says, a reflection of how popular and, well, highly regarded she is. and maybe at some point she will go on the civil list as a working royal, because they do need they do need the numbers . need they do need the numbers. she was the tall one, wearing a white dress with a grey pattern. yes. like a floral. yeah, exactly . exactly. >> and she has truly blossomed, hasn't she? she has. last few years she has. and her parents have really stepped up to the plate in the past six months. >> yeah. if you're watching on the tv. she stood next to her dad, the king, prince edward and pretty tall . pretty tall. >> yes. well, they all looked quite tall. i thought the balcony. >> did you notice how tall george is shooting up? he's catching up. his father.

>> he is like old. >> he is like old. >> oh, you've grown since i last saw you. is that a sign of getting old? >> no. i think it's lovely. and i think we're all like that with the wales children. >> okay. yeah, because we haven't seen him for quite a while. >> no, and it is so lovely to see them all as a family on the balcony . so see them all as a family on the balcony. so thank see them all as a family on the balcony . so thank you, cameron balcony. so thank you, cameron walker, for bringing us all of that coverage from buckingham palace. stellarjob that coverage from buckingham palace. stellar job today, hasn't he? he certainly has. thank you very much. >> sorry about your wet back. >> sorry about your wet back. >> yeah, sorry about that. i've beenin >> yeah, sorry about that. i've been in a similar position. the king's coronation. i know exactly what that's about , well, exactly what that's about, well, we've also been joined in the program by legendary broadcaster and journalist alastair stewart and journalist alastair stewart and the former royal correspondent, michael cole. and what a day it has been, gentlemen , ellie, it's been gentlemen, ellie, it's been a pleasure to be with you and andrew and all your colleagues on this great day. >> the skies lifted the fly—past was the cherry on the top. the king had a good muster of the royal family, minus, of course, prince harry and prince andrew. but he won't mind the king. it was his day. but the star of the show was the princess of wales. right? such dignity, such

elegance, such stoicism and steadfastness, bearing the burden that she's bearing, bringing up her children so brilliantly, being a princess, being a wife, being a public figure. and as you said, andrew, the most popular member of the royal family. what happened today will make her even more popular. and all of us wish her a full return to the very best of health. >> quite right, michael. >> quite right, michael. >> hear, hear, alistair echo that completely and also a huge thank you, to the armed services of this wonderful country who, having put on a brilliant ceremony show today, go back to the job tomorrow, whether it's training ukrainian soldiers on salisbury plain to defend their country against russian aggression, or whether it's the royal air force keeping british shipping safe in the gulf, royal air force keeping british shipping safe in the gulf , thank shipping safe in the gulf, thank you to them for looking brilliant today and for doing the job tomorrow and the next day and for the foreseeable future. yeah, and of course , future. yeah, and of course, they keep our monarch safe, too. >> that's part of their job, isn't it? yeah.

>> and final reflections on the king who looked well and was steadfast today, wasn't he? holding that salute outside the gates of buckingham palace. >> and it was chucking it as it was chucking it down. >> he did brilliant. it was the tiniest of compromise for him to come in the carriage and be in the carriage for a wee while, but he sat there, he took the salute, as you said, when it was still pouring with rain. he stood on that little dais outside buckingham palace, and he took the salute from his soldiers. yeah. well done. him >> absolutely brilliant, i filed my first report about him 56 years ago. i've never seen him so content, so within himself , so content, so within himself, so content, so within himself, so happy in what he's doing. maybe he's had the tap on the shoulder from fate. and he realised life is limited and he's determined to do everything. and he certainly did his duty today. he led the nation. he led his family and he led us all in a celebration , led us all in a celebration, often of a great event, a major point in the year, capped off by

the appearance after such a long absence of the princess of wales is for him is so important because it's the presence of the next generation. >> absolutely. he wants this family to continue and continue . family to continue and continue. that's to most of us. yes. >> and what a tonic and what a comfort it is to the nation. we're in the middle of this general election campaign with everything going on in the world, to have this tradition that we do so very well, the very best of british on display about a shaft of bright light. >> it is . i think winston >> it is. i think winston churchill said that once about the royal family and despite last night the scots guards utterly focused on the job in hand. utterly focused on the job in hand . how could you mention it, hand. how could you mention it, alistair? even i know they lost rather badly . rather badly. >> we can say the boys done good. yeah, i think the boys done good. done. brilliant. yeah, absolutely. >> they will be pleased of a job well done. trooping the colour 2024 did us proud, didn't it? yeah, certainly did . michael yeah, certainly did. michael cole, alastair stewart, it has been an honour to have you with us in the studio today. thank you again. really good. >> total joy being here not only with you two, but with my old friend michael and i have known

each other for decades. >> more decades than you care to tell. >> more decades than either of us care to admit. >> yes, yes, i sort of know what you mean. you mean. >> you mean. >> it's been so wonderful to have you with us. >> in the colour together won't be the last. no, it's been wonderful, hasn't it? >> we sat here next to you, old royal correspondent of how many years? >> i did the royal beat for 15 years. yeah. times first and five years on the telegraph. >> oh, amazing . and it all came >> oh, amazing. and it all came through today. thank you so much. lovely to be with you so much. lovely to be with you so much. yes. thank you so much for joining us for this special program of trooping the colour. here's sam with the . news. here's sam with the. news. >> well, a very good afternoon to you. it's just after 1:30. the top stories from the newsroom this lunchtime . as newsroom this lunchtime. as we've been hearing, the princess of wales has been cheered by crowds as she appeared with other members of the royal family on the balcony of buckingham palace. earlier, she sat beside her children prince george, prince louis and princess charlotte in a carriage procession along the mall for

the king's birthday parade. trooping the colour,