Royal Family: Behind-the-Scenes Moments at Trooping the Color
The royal family annually celebrates Trooping the Color, a birthday parade for the reigning monarch. It is a time-honored and well-oiled royal tradition. However, some mishaps do happen. Here are some behind-the-scenes moments from the Trooping the Color parade.
Soldiers fainted during the Colonel’s Review
In 2023, The Guardian reported that soldiers fainted during rehearsals for Trooping the Color, also known as the Colonel’s Review. At that time, temperatures in central London reached almost 90 degrees.
The soldiers must stand still in the June heat, wearing wool suits and heavy bearskin hats. Therefore, the heat generated from external and internal temperatures could cause them to pass out.
In 2023, three soldiers passed out during the parade run-through. Three guardsmen fainted as Prince William, the honorary colonel of the Welsh guards, reviewed 1,400 soldiers. The rehearsal occurred at central London’s Horse Guards Parade in St. James Park.
Prince William later wrote on X, “A big thank you to every soldier who took part in the Colonel’s Review this morning in the heat. Difficult conditions, but you all did a really good job.”
Royal kids acting out
Trooping the Color is a long day, making it particularly difficult for small children. Therefore, when they act out, it’s less troublesome as it is funny.
Royal kids have been seen sticking their tongues out for years, waving, and behaving like children during the formal event. However, none has captured royal watchers’ imaginations as much as Prince Louis.
Louis, the son of Kate Middleton and Prince William, typically brings a liveliness to the formal royal birthday celebration. He never disappoints.
From holding his nose to protect him from a foul odor while in a carriage alongside siblings Prince George and Princess Charlotte to throwing his arms out during the RAF fly-past, Louis certainly brings a youthful vitality to the parade. He has also covered his ears to drown out the noise and made funny faces on the Buckingham Palace balcony.
An assassination attempt on Queen Elizabeth
In 1981, an assassination attempt on Queen Elizabeth’s life occurred during the annual royal parade, reported the BBC. Marcus Serjeant fired six blank rounds at the monarch as she rode on horseback down The Mall.
Although the horse she rode was startled, the queen reportedly remained calm. Lord Chief Justice Lane told the BBC that Serjeant wanted to use a real gun, but he shot blanks when he could not get hold of one.
In documents taken from his home, it appeared Serjeant wanted to carry out this assassination for some time. He wrote in a diary, “I am going to stun and mystify the whole world with nothing more than a gun. I will become the most famous teenager in the world.”
Trooping the Color will occur on June 15, 2024.
