Princess Catherine wears Andrew Gn green coat dress, Princess Diana’s earrings at Trooping the Colour
Princess Catherine has honoured her late mother-in-law as she wowed royal fans in a dress with a special meaning. See the pictures.
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Princess Catherine has paid a moving tribute to her late mother-in-law as she wowed royal fans in a bright green dress at King Charles’ inaugural Trooping the Colour.
The stunning Princess of Wales completed her elegant green ensemble with a pair of sapphire drop earrings that once belonged to Princess Diana.
The ever-stylish Princess wore a bespoke green coat dress with ornamental buttons by Singaporean designer Andrew Gn.
The striking emerald green colour referenced her role as Colonel of the Irish Guards, which she took over from her husband at the end of 2022.
Princess Catherine finished her look with a co-ordinating hat by miliner to the stars Philip Treacy and a gold Cartier brooch in the shape of an Irish shamrock.
LOUIS STEALS THE SHOW
Lively Prince Louis thrilled royal fans during the historic event with a bold salute to the crowds from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
The effervescent five-year-old blinked exaggeratedly in the glare of the sun as he looked skywards at the impressive extended RAF military flypast that marked the climax of the king’s official birthday parade.
The King appeared the balcony alongside his wife Queen Camilla, the Wales family and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh to watch the 70-aircraft flypast, which culminated in the traditional show of red, white and blue from the pilots of the Red Arrows.
Aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force took to the skies for a six-minute display, taking off from 15 locations across the UK before meeting in the south-east of England to fly across London.
The King and his family were treated to an extended military flypast after his coronation day display had to be scaled down due to bad weather.
Aircraft from Battle of Britain Memorial Flight dating back to the 1940s and the C-130 Hercules on its final ceremonial flight to multiple Typhoon fighter jets and the Envoy IV CC1, made their flypast debut.
At the front was a Juno HT1 piloted by Flight Lieutenant Tom Knapp from 60 Squadron, No 1 Flying Training School based at RAF Shawbury.
The display clearly delighted members of the royal family, especially Princess Charlotte and her brothers Prince George and Prince Louis.
The King had earlier surveyed troops with Prince William and Prince Edward, while Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh watched from a balcony on Horse Guards Parade in Westminster.
Prince Louis pumped his fists to the beat of marching cavalry regiments as he looked on at the colourful spectacle.
At one stage, the Duchess of Edinburgh ordered Princess Charlotte to sit down as she ran around the balcony.
Earlier in the day, they were pictured smiling at the event from their carriage, with Prince Louis – distinct in red shorts – appearing to suppress a laugh.
It is the second time they have participated in the event, having made their Trooping carriage debut last year.
The royal party were in the midst of a sovereign’s mounted escort, formed by troops from the Household Cavalry’s Life Guards and Blues and Royals, in their shining breastplates and plumed helmets, and a ripple of cheers followed them when they travelled along The Mall.
Prince Louis has earned a reputation for stealing the show at formal family affairs and he didn’t disappoint as he rode in the carriage with his mother, sister and brother and the Queen.
All eyes were on the five-year-old Prince when he pinched his nose in apparent distaste at an odour while his brother Prince George, nine, wrinkled his nose in similar disapproval from their horse drawn carriage.
Crowds cheered on the lively youngster and his royal siblings in the King’s procession to the Horse Guards Parade where they watched their grandfather take the salute from the Major General’s office over Admiralty Arch.
Prince Louis waved enthusiastically as he walked to the Horse Guards building. Sister Charlotte, eight, wore a military-inspired white dress not dissimilar in style to what Louis wore last year.
King Charles III rode to his first official birthday parade as monarch in a world-renowned spectacle full of music, majesty and military precision.
The King saluted crowds on horseback as he rode out of Buckingham Palace for his inaugural Trooping of the Colour, becoming the first royal to ride in 30 years at the annual military parade.
Conspicuous by her absence was the late Queen who missed only one Trooping of the Colour in her 70-year reign, making her last major public appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace just weeks before she passed away last year.
A 41-gun salute was fired by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery at Green Park – the 21 rounds traditionally signifies a warship coming to harbour did not have any hostile intentions.
During the trooping the elderly Duke of Kent, 87, colonel of the Scots Guards, who last year accompanied the late Queen on the palace balcony to watch the parade, travelled in a car with his son, the Earl of St Andrews.
At the parts of the parade, when royal colonels who were not mounted had to stand, he was helped up by a soldier.
Prince William, the Prince of Wales, Colonel of the Welsh Guards, Princess Royal, Princess Anne, Colonel of the Blues and Royals, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, Colonel of the London Guards dutifully followed the King on horseback.
The Queen chatted animatedly in the carriage to the Princess of Wales and wore a red silk coat dress that takes inspiration from the uniform of the Grenadier Guards – the rank insignia of a full colonel is reflected on the epaulets.
The King, commander in chief of the Household Division, took the customary salute at Horse Guards Parade joined by the Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal, colonel of the Blues and Royals, all on horseback on the parade ground as he carried out an inspection of the troops.
The Queen and the Princess of Wales – as Regimental Colonels – took part in the inspection in their carriage as massed Bands and Drums marched across Horse Guards Parade, playing regimental music.
In previous years they have watched from the office with the children.
MILLIONS WATCH KING’S FIRST TROOPING THE COLOUR
As millions of people around the world prepared to watch Charles III take his first salute on horseback, the one person conspicuous by their absence was the Queen.
The much-lamented Queen Elizabeth II missed only one Trooping the Colour in her 70-year reign, making her last major public appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace last year, just weeks before her death.
Instead, King Charles dutifully took the salute, reviving the tradition of a uniformed sovereign on horseback, as the 1,400 officers and men of the Household Division paraded before their commander in chief while the Welsh Guards “trooped” – or displayed – their colours for the head of state.
This year the King’s self-exiled son the Duke of Of Sussex and his wife have not been invited to his official birthday parade (he turns 75 on November 14), regarded as the pinnacle of the royal year in ceremonial terms.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex quit royal duties three years ago, adding to the couple’s growing distance from the country they once called home.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle travelled from California for last year’s Trooping the Colour, which merged into the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend.
They were invited to watch the ceremony with other members of the Royal Family from offices overlooking Horse Guards Parade but did not get a special pass for Buckingham Palace balcony to watch the official fly-past later in the day.
“It will be a particularly poignant moment for the King since the Trooping marks his mother’s birthday and is his first as monarch, it will be mixed emotions for Charles,” said royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams.
The most colourful and impressive of all royal events outside the coronation, the Trooping the Colour will be especially large this year drawing thousands of official guests, peers, politicians and ambassadors for the King’s first as sovereign and will feature every regiment of the Household Division for the first time in more than 30 years.
The impressive display of pomp and pageantry will feature 1400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians, as they file down from Buckingham Palace along The Mall to Horse Guards Parade and back again in a ceremony dating back over 200 years.
During the official parade, the King will be greeted by a royal salute and will carry out an inspection of the troops.
After the massed bands have performed a musical ‘troop’, the escorted regimental colour will be carried down the ranks. This year, the Welsh Guards will troop their colour.
The Foot Guards and the Household Cavalry will then march past the King, before the King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, file past.
The event marked the second large ceremonial role for the Welsh Guards in two months, after they played a leading part in the King’s coronation in May.
It is the first time in more than three decades that every unit in the Household Division will take part.
The ceremony included the Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards, Scots Guards, Irish Guards, Welsh Guards, the London Guards (Army Reserve), and The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.
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Originally published as Princess Catherine wears Andrew Gn green coat dress, Princess Diana’s earrings at Trooping the Colour
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