King Charles set to restore decade-old tradition

King Charles III is set to restore more than 30 years old tradition as he will take the salute during the first Trooping the Colour birthday parade since ascending to the throne.

Saturday will see the annual monarch's birthday parade, Trooping the Colour, and it will be a very special one as there would be a change to the royal event not seen since a parade for the late Queen 37 years ago.

Charles's mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was the last monarch to ride at the event in 1986, when she was 60.

It will be the first parade of King Charles' reign with him set to take the salute in the ceremony, which sees hundreds of horses and soldiers carry out complex battlefield drill manoeuvres to military music.

Many parts of the day will remain as they have done for years under the late Queen, with some royals travelling in carriages from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade to watch the service.

However, it seems Charles is set to make one major change to the parade compared to the final years of his late mother's life. It has been announced by Buckingham Palace.

The 74-year-old monarch will join the military parade by riding on horseback for the occasion, according to Buckingham Palace. It will be the first time since 1986 a reigning monarch has ridden in the parade - with the late Queen last doing it that year.

The King will be joined on horseback by his eldest son Prince William, who inspected The Colonel's Review ahead of Trooping the Colour at the weekend.

The members of the royal family will also accompany King Charles on the Buckingham Palace balcony, where an RAF flypast, which will include the Red Arrows, will round off the day.