Prince Louis made his most memorable Trooping the Colour appearance today as the young royal’s antics ensured all eyes were on him during the famed Royal Air Force flypast over Buckingham Palace.
On June 14, the country came together to mark King Charles’ official birthday amid a spectacular display of military pomp and pageantry before the Royal Family waved to crowds from the balcony of Buckingham Palace as part of an annual tradition.
This year, Charles, 76, and Queen Camilla, 77, were joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales, their three children – George, 11, Charlotte, 10, and Louis, seven – as well as Princess Anne and her husband, Vice-admiral Sir Timothy Laurence.
They were joined by the Duke of Kent, and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh in a display of solidarity that rounded out the Trooping the Colour festivities – but one member of the Royal Family stole the spotlight.
Prince William and Kate Middleton’s youngest child, Louis, put on his most animated display yet as he waved excitedly at fans while showing off his gap-toothed grin – much to the amusement of his siblings.
Ever the composed older brother, Prince George gently tried to calm Louis down by placing one hand on his arm as their father William, 40, looked affectionately down at his sons – while Princess Kate and Charlotte, 10, took in their surroundings.
At one point, Louis turned to his grandfather Charles and appeared to make an observation about the fighter jets flying overhead as a body language expert noted Louis’ effervescent personality shone through from the balcony.
If Louis once found the proceedings overwhelming, you wouldn’t know it from the way he snuck in one final wave before Kate, 43, gently ushered her brood back into Buckingham Palace after the spectacular flypast was concluded.
Prince Louis made his most memorable Trooping the Colour appearance today as the young royal’s antics ensured all eyes were on him during the famed Royal Air Force flypast over Buckingham Palace
Ever the composed older brother, Prince George gently tried to calm Louis down by placing one hand on his arm as their father William, 40, looked affectionately down at his sons – while Princess Kate and Charlotte, 10, took in their surroundings
Louis covered his face as he and older brother, Prince George, arrived at Buckingam Palace after Trooping the Colour ceremony in London on the occasion of their grandfather, King Charles’ official birthday
Commenting on the young royal’s reluctance to go back inside, Judi James told MailOnline: ‘There was a seismic change in royal body language signals on the balcony with Louis suddenly morphing into the most visible and active royal but for all the right reasons.
‘Instead of his usual playful activities, he appeared totally focused on the aircraft, only turning to his dad to show off his plane spotting skills, with the affirming nods from William suggesting his younger son is becoming a bit of an aircraft expert
‘It was also Louis lingering longer before going back in, to gaze down at the crowds and to keep up the increasingly royal looking waves longer than the rest of the Firm.’
Taking cues from his father and grandfather, Louis attempted different variations of his royal wave while making sure his siblings were thoroughly entertained throughout their balcony appearance – one of the most eagerly-awaited moments of the day.
Louis also joined Princess Charlotte, Prince George, and the Duchess of Edinburgh in observing one minute of silence in honour of the 241 passengers and crew killed in the Air India plane crash on Thursday, when a Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for Gatwick Airport came down in the Indian city of Ahmedabad.
During the King’s Birthday Parade – the third of Charles’ reign – the Wales children rode in a carriage with Kate as they waved at onlookers gathered along The Mall to watch the procession.
Prince Louis caught the attention of royal watchers as he flashed a cheeky grin and waved at the assembled crowds during Trooping the Colour on Saturday.
As the carriage made its way towards Buckingham Palace, Louis grinned sheepishly at Prince George as Kate and Charlotte – who both paid tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II by wearing pieces of jewellery she loved – laughed and chatted away.
Prince Louis, the spirited third child of the Prince and Princess of Wales, is pictured flashing a grin during Trooping the Colour on Saturday
As their carriage pulled up outside the gates of Buckingham Palace, George couldn’t help himself from laughing as Louis pulled funny faces while feigning exasperation as the cheekiest royal dramatically leaned back into his seat.
When Prince George covered his face, his younger brother quickly followed suit and copied his actions before Kate led her and Prince William’s children inside to prepare them for the flypast.
Ahead of the morning’s celebrations, crowds of well-wishers and royal fans had started lining the Mall. If the cardboard cutouts they carried were any indication, the Princess of Wales’ arrival was most eagerly anticipated.
Photos showed a group of Britons holding up a life-sized picture of the Princess of Wales, wearing the red, long-sleeved Alexander McQueen dress she most famously donned for the Diamond Jubilee pageant in 2012.
Another person was carting around a cut-out of King Charles, dressed in full military regalia, in a show of support for the monarch as he continues to receive treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer.
No doubt the appearance of Prince Louis – the youngest of the Wales’ siblings – was also highly anticipated.
He is known for his cheeky antics, and last year he stole the show. During one of his many animated displays, the young prince was caught on camera scrunching up his face, while Kate, 43, appeared to crouch down to talk with her son on a balcony on Horse Guards Parade.
The Prince and Princess of Wales’ youngest child was also captured yawning at the London event, which usually consists of more than 1,400 parading soldiers, 200 horses, 400 musicians and a flyover of 70 aircraft.
As their carriage pulled up outside the gates of Buckingham Palace, George couldn’t help himself from laughing as Louis pulled funny faces while feigning exasperation as the cheekiest royal dramatically leaned back into his seat
Kate leads her children into Buckingham Palace to prepare for the balcony appearance. She is wearing a coat dress by Catherine Walker
Kate and her brood! Prince Louis looks grumpy as Prince George and Princess Catherine flash beaming smiles while Princess Charlotte, with her hair in an elegant style, watches on
Taking cues from his father and grandfather, Louis attempted different variations of his royal wave while making sure his siblings were thoroughly entertained throughout their balcony appearance – one of the most eagerly-awaited moments of the day
Louis also joined Prince George (left), Princess Charlotte (centre) and the Duchess of Edinburgh in observing one minute of silence in honour of the 241 passengers and crew killed in the Air India plane crash on Thursday
From left to right: Queen Camilla, King Charles, Prince William, Princess Catherine and the three Wales children enjoy the flypast
Seemingly not occupied enough by the parade, at one point, the cheeky prince was even caught tugging on the cord for the blinds as he chatted to his mother.
Louis, who was wearing a double breasted blazer, a pair of shorts, a crisp shirt and a tie last year, could not hide his facial expressions – much to the enjoyment of fans.
He even attempted to try and open the window on the balcony next to the Duchess of Edinburgh, gripping the frame as he tried to pull it up.
And the prince looked less than impressed during the ride, knitting his brows together at points as he stared out of the window, open-mouthed.
The Wales were once again, typically stylish for the event this year as they made their arrival.
Trooping the Colour is a centuries-old tradition that marks the Sovereign’s official birthday.
It dates back to the 17th century and is rooted in battlefield custom, when regimental flags, or ‘colours,’ were trooped in front of soldiers to ensure they could be recognised amid the smoke of combat.
Last week a full-dress rehearsal, known as The Colonel’s Review, took place serving as the final run-through before the King’s official celebration.
The young royal (pictured sitting next to his elder brother Prince George) was snapped waving at the assembled crowds
Prince Louis beamed playfully as he joined his family for this year’s Trooping the Colour celebrations
This year, the honour of trooping the Colour falls to the Coldstream Guards, who will officially present their regimental flag, known as the Colour, to King Charles.
Following the Trooping ceremony, all eyes will be on the royal balcony to see who King Charles invites to wave to the crowds.
King Charles and Queen Camilla will be front and centre on the balcony to watch the Red Arrows flypast, but it expected a host of senior royals will be alongside them.
Prince William, 42, is expected to be joined by the Princess of Wales, 43 and their children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, seven.
Princess Anne will feature with her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, 70.
Prince Edward, 61, – who like Anne will be fresh from his part in the procession – is expected on the balcony with his wife Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, 60
They are likely to be joined by their daughter Lady Louise, 21.
Their son James, the Earl of Wessex, 17, did not make an appearance last year and may not attend the ceremony this time around either.
The seven-year-old (pictured) appeared to be enjoying his carriage ride during the annual event in central London
The Duke of Kent, 89, will likely also be among the royals on the balcony, with the Duke of Gloucester, 80, and his 78-year-old wife Birgitte, the Duchess.
As expected, Prince Harry, 40, and his wife Meghan Markle, 43, are not attending this year’s celebrations.
Having chosen to walk away from being working royals, they have not been present at Trooping the Colour since 2019.
The other notable absentee will be Prince Andrew, 65, who remains exiled from public royal events amid the fallout from his relationship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein and the claims made by late accuser Virginia Giuffre.
Andrew’s daughters Princess Beatrice, 36, and Princess Eugenie, 35, are not expected to be there either amid Charles’ desire for a slimmed-down monarchy and to keep the focus on working royals.
Members of the royal family are expected to watch the flypast – including the RAF Red Arrows and a range of planes and helicopters – from the balcony.
In previous years it has been a moment where the royal children shine – with little Prince Louis delighting fans last year as pretended to fly one of the planes, appearing to screw up his face as he mimicked the engine’s deafening noise.
The route for the flypast has not been officially confirmed, but the Military Air Shows has revealed an air restrictions map which shows the expected official route.
Proposed restrictions are in the vicinity of the North Sea, East Anglia, Essex and London.
Its expected the flypast will go over Buckingham Palace at 1pm.
Held traditionally on the second Saturday in June, regardless of the Sovereign’s actual date of birth, the celebrations have marked the monarch’s official birthday since the mid-1700s.
Queen Elizabeth attended all but two of her Trooping the Colours, missing it in 1955 when a national rail strike resulted in the event being cancelled and in 2020 due to lockdown restrictions.
The parade is open to members of the public through an online ballot with ticketing ranging from £10 to £30 and is broadcast live on the BBC.
Today’s celebrations come following reports that the King will no longer ride in the Trooping the Colour due to his ongoing cancer treatments.
As a former polo player and one of the Royal Family’s most accomplished equestrians, the monarch rode for years in the parade – both for his mother’s official birthday celebrations and then for his own.
But he will not appear on horseback at the event this weekend and will instead travel in a carriage for the procession from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade and back, according to The Sunday Times.
It is understood that he will not ride at the parade again.
His illness is said to have curtailed the ‘monarch in the saddle’ tradition that he briefly revived in 2023, the first time the monarch had ridden in the parade since Queen Elizabeth did in 1986.
At one point, Prince Louis appeared somewhat pensive as he gazed out into the massive crowds
The late Queen rode her trusty mare Burmese until the horse was retired when she began travelling in a carriage until her final appearance in 2022, where she took the salute from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
The King, 76, was admitted to hospital for treatment to an enlarged prostate in January 2024 and shortly after was diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer.
It meant that he travelled with Queen Camilla in a carriage at last year’s parade to be safer and more comfortable.
This came a year after what is now known to be his last appearance on horseback for the celebration, which did not go particularly smoothly for Charles.
He was riding Noble, a black mare which appeared unsettled throughout – at one point even breaking into a canter in the Mall.
One television commentator described Noble’s behaviour as ‘if it was going into the starting stalls at Newmarket’.
And while Charles is not expected to ride at the parade again, this weekend’s event will be the first time that the Princess Royal has ridden in public since she was hospitalised following a suspected horse injury last year.
Anne, 74, plans to ride in the parade this year in her role as gold stick, the colonel of the Blues and Royals, alongside the Prince of Wales as colonel of the Welsh Guards and the Duke of Edinburgh as colonel of the Scots Guards and London Guards.
