King Charles III will be breaking royal tradition at this year’s Trooping the Colour.
According to The Times of London, King Charles will not ride on horseback at this year’s Trooping the Colour parade, as has been tradition for reigning monarchs. Instead, Charles will ride in a carriage alongside Queen Camilla for the procession from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade and back on Saturday, June 14.
Related story
All the Best Photos of the Royal Family From the Past 20 Years
Per The Times, Charles is unlikely to ever ride in the parade again. The outlet did not give an official reason as to why Charles will skip the ride, but the King is currently receiving weekly treatment for cancer. He rode in a carriage last year shortly after revealing his cancer diagnosis.
Charles rode as sovereign in 2023, marking the first time the monarch had ridden in the parade since Queen Elizabeth in 1986. Charles’ mother rode Burmese, her trusty mare, until she was retired, after which the Queen travelled in a carriage from 1987 until her final appearance in 2022.
After briefly reviving the tradition, Charles will once again retire it and perhaps for good.
This latest shift away from tradition comes amid several changes happening behind the scenes, allegedly stemming from Prince William’s new vision for the monarchy.
In May, Kate Mansey, a royal editor for the Times, claimed William is planning for “quite a radical departure, really, from what The King does, or what the late Queen did.”
Mansey claimed that William is less interested in the ribbon-cutting and public appearances we’re used to seeing the Royals do and wants the family to be more associated with real charitable projects. Mansey claimed that William “wants to come away and think, ‘I’ve made a difference there, there’s money that’s gone into that community centre or there’s something that’s happened because I went there,’ rather than just showing up and shaking some hands.”
The Trooping the Colour parade may be an early sign that old traditions are changing in the Royal Family.
Before you go, click here to see the best photos of the royal family at Trooping the Colour over the years.
