Prince William and his new wife Catherine took part in the pomp and pageantry as Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her official birthday on Saturday. William, her grandson, wore his wedding uniform — only this time complete with a bearskin hat for the traditional Trooping the Colour military parade in central London. Dressed in the scarlet tunic of the honorary colonel of the Irish Guards, the Duke of Cambridge rode on horseback as Catherine joined other royals watching from a balcony. It was the public’s first chance to see the royal family all together since William and Kate’s wedding on April 29, watched by an estimated two billion people around the world.
The event, celebrating the queen’s 85th birthday, took place the day after her husband Prince Philip turned 90. He is the longest-serving consort in British history. For the annual pageant, massed ranks of soldiers in the famous red tunics and bearskin hats of the British Army march on Horse Guards Parade. The Olympic beach volleyball competition will be held on the historic parade ground during the 2012 Games. The pomp and ceremony of Trooping the Colour — a hangover from preparations for battle when colours or flags were “trooped” down the rank so soldiers could recognise them — marks the queen’s official birthday.
Her actual birthday is on April 21 but historically the monarch has another in the summer months, because the weather is supposed to be better for open-air celebrations.
This year the colour paraded was that of the 1st Battalion Scots Guards. There were huge cheers from the crowd as the royals left Buckingham Palace.
