Today was one of my favorite days on the British royal calendar: Trooping the Colour. This is both a military ceremony, as well as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s official birthday. I love the pomp and ceremony of this event, from the carriage procession, to the soldiers on parade and the Queen reviewing them, to the family balcony gathering (including the debut of Prince George of Cambridge in the same outfit his father wore at his Trooping the Colour debut in 1984), and the flypast, especially the magnificent Red Arrows. Such a fitting way to celebrate the birthday of the Sovereign!
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 13: Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh arrive at Horseguards Parade during the annual Trooping The Colour ceremony at Horse Guards Parade on June 13, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 13: (L-R) Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Prince George of Cambridge, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Harry and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh during the annual Trooping The Colour ceremony at Horse Guards Parade on June 13, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Danny Martindale/WireImage)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 13: The Red Arrows fly over Buckingham Palace as the Royal Family look out from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour on June 13, 2015 in London, England. The ceremony is Queen Elizabeth II’s annual birthday parade and dates back to the time of Charles II in the 17th Century when the Colours of a regiment were used as a rallying point in battle. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 13: Troops advance down the Mall during the Trooping the Colour on June 13, 2015 in London, England. The ceremony is Queen Elizabeth II’s annual birthday parade and dates back to the time of Charles II in the 17th Century, when the Colours of a regiment were used as a rallying point in battle. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 13: The Queen’s Guards display The Colour during the annual Trooping The Colour ceremony at Horse Guards Parade on June 13, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)