- King Charles is due to celebrate two birthdays this year due to a centuries-old tradition.
- The monarch's birthday parade has been held in June every year for the past 260 years.
King Charles III is due to celebrate his birthday on Saturday at a traditional parade outside Buckingham Palace — even though it isn't until November 14.
The King's Birthday Parade, also known as Trooping the Colour, is an annual event held to celebrate the birthday of the reigning monarch and is traditionally held in June because the weather is likely to be better, Insider previously reported. This means monarchs who have birthdays in colder months are usually likely to celebrate two birthdays.
Prior to her death, Queen Elizabeth turned 96 on her actual birthday on April 21, 2022, but she celebrated officially every year at the parade, which was always held on a Saturday in June.
Trooping the Colour has been a royal tradition for more than 260 years and involves a military procession of more than 14,00 soldiers, 200 horses, and 400 musicians, according to the royal website.
The event also famously attracts massive crowds. I attended the parade last year, which was held in celebration of Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee, and was shocked by the thousands of people who lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the royals.
Charles attended the event in the past, but this year marks his first Trooping the Colour as king. Here's what to expect.
The king will have a starring role in this year's parade
Charles will join the parade on horseback, marking the first time that the reigning monarch has ridden at Trooping the Colour since 1986, when Queen Elizabeth last rode, according to a Buckingham Palace press release.
The parade will begin at 10 a.m. BST at the palace, down The Mall to Horse Guard's Parade, where Charles will be greeted by a royal salute and will carry out an inspection of the military on parade.
Following the parade, the king, queen, and members of the royal family will return to the palace and watch an RAF flypast from the balcony, the press release adds.
In previous years, the event has been attended by the king's immediate family, including Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their children, as well as Charles' siblings and their families.
It's unclear whether non-working royals will be invited to join the family on the balcony. At last year's event, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attended the parade but were noticeably absent from the balcony appearance as only working royals and their children were invited for the first time.