King Charles won’t participate in royal tradition at Trooping the Colour: Reports

  • King Charles last rode horseback in Trooping the Colour in 2023
  • Queen Elizabeth had stopped in 1986
  • Prince Harry, Meghan Markle won't be in attendance

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(NewsNation) — King Charles will not be participating in one of the long-standing royal family traditions at Trooping the Colour, according to reports.

Charles, 76, will not be riding a horse during the celebration and will ride in a carriage with his wife, Queen Camilla, instead. Charles also couldn’t ride horseback in 2024 following his ongoing treatment for cancer.

Trooping the Colour happens on June 14 each year, with musicians, horses and parading soldiers taking part. Royal family members also join in on the fun, riding horseback and being in horse-drawn carriages.

The late Queen Elizabeth stopped riding horseback during the 1986 Trooping the Colour, opting for the carriage. Charles was only able to ride in the saddle once as king in 2023. But now, his health issues have likely put the tradition behind him forever.

As GB News reported, Charles used to be a polo player and amateur jockey when he was a child. However, he was reportedly forced to quit his hobby due to numerous injuries.

King Charles continuing royal duties despite cancer treatment

Even though King Charles has been diagnosed with a type of cancer that has not been disclosed, he is still completing most royal duties. Senior aides reportedly said that Charles is “managing” the cancer and living “as normal as possible.”

CAMBERLEY, ENGLAND – APRIL 14: King Charles III inspects the 200th Sovereign’s parade at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on April 14, 2023 in Camberley, England. The parade marks the end of 44 weeks of training for 171 Officer Cadets. It is the first time King Charles III has inspected Sovereign’s Parade at Sandhurst since becoming Monarch. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

One senior aide said, “The thing you learn about this illness [cancer] is that you just manage it. And that’s what he does.” The aide also said that Charles is “incredibly fit.”

“Medical science has made incredible advances, and I genuinely see no difference in him,” a senior aide explained.

Who will attend Trooping the Colour?

Along with the king and queen, Prince William, Princess Kate, and their three children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — will be in attendance.

Prince Edward, Charles’ brother, should also be at the event with his wife, Duchess Sophie. It is not known if their children, Lady Louise and James, will be with them. Princess Anne is also set to be there with her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence.

  • King Charles, Queen Camilla, Mark Carney and his wife pose for a photo
  • FILE - The Princess of Wales holds son Prince Harry while royal families posed for photographers at the Royal Palace, Mallorca, Spain, Aug. 9, 1987. (AP Photo/John Redman, File)
  • FILE - Britain's Prince Harry leaves after attending an Invictus Games Foundation 10th Anniversary Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral in London, on May 8, 2024. Prince Harry said that his crusade against the British tabloids has contributed to his royal family rift, according to a documentary airing Thursday July 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
  • FILE - Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla wave to the crowds from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the coronation ceremony in London, May 6, 2023. When it comes to the United Kingdom's royal family, the Americans can't seem to get enough. That was evident this week, following the announcement of King Charles III's treatment for cancer on Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)
  • In this photo made available by Buckingham Palace on Monday, May 8, 2023, Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla are pictured with members of the working royal family, from left Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, Prince Richard, the Duke of Gloucester, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, Princess Anne, Prince William, the Prince of Wales, Kate, the Princess of Wales, Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Alexandra, the Hon. Lady Ogilvy and Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace, London. (Hugo Burnand/Royal Household 2023 via AP)

Other senior royals who should be in attendance include the Duke of Kent, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.

Queen Elizabeth used to invite the entire royal family, specifically to join her on the balcony at Buckingham Palace, but that changed in 2022. That is when the queen decided to only invite working members to the balcony; however, all royals are still invited to the overall event.

Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, will not be in attendance at the event, presumably because of the current rift between Harry and Charles. One insider recently told NewsNation’s Paula Froelich that Prince Harry “doesn’t really have any friends” in Montecito and is “very lonely.”

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