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- See How the Royal Family Has Changed Over the Years as We Look Back at Trooping the Colour
See How the Royal Family Has Changed Over the Years as We Look Back at Trooping the Colour
Every year, members of the extended royal family gather at Buckingham Palace for the traditional Trooping the Colour ceremony. The event, which sees members of the British and Commonwealth armies parade for inspection, used to be purely a military ceremony, but since 1748, it has also celebrated the monarch’s official birthday. It’s an opportunity for the queen’s children, grandchildren, cousins, nieces, and nephews to come together.
Over the years, new generations have swelled the ranks, and this year, the parade was extra special as Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis made their carriage progression debut at the parade. It also marked Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s joint return to the UK following their royal exit in January 2020. Though they didn’t stand on the balcony with the rest of the family, the couple was spotted watching the ceremony from the Major General’s Office inside Buckingham Palace.
Taking a look back at previous Trooping the Colour ceremonies offers an incredible snapshot of how the royal family has grown and changed. From Prince William’s first appearance – which was echoed years later when George made his debut – to bittersweet moments like the queen mother’s final turn on the balcony, take a look back now as we open the royal archives to explore the last few decades of the queen’s official birthday celebrations.
1956
Pictured: Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Prince Charles, Countess Mountbatten, Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Anne, Prince Philip.
1958
Pictured: Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Princess Anne, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.
1960
Pictured: Lord Mountbatten, Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Prince Philip, Princess Anne.
1964
Pictured: Queen Elizabeth II (holding Prince Edward), Prince Andrew, Prince Philip.
1968
Pictured: Queen Elizabeth II surrounded by members of the royal family, including the Queen Mother, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, Prince Charles, and Princess Margaret.
1970
Pictured: Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Princess Anne, and members of the royal family.
1980
Pictured: Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Prince Andrew, Prince Charles, Princess Michael of Kent, Prince Edward, Queen Elizabeth II, the Duchess of Gloucester, Princess Anne, Peter Phillips, and Alexander, Earl of Ulster.
1982
Pictured: Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Princess Diana, and Prince Charles surrounded by members of the royal family.
1992
Pictured: Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Princess Diana.
1984
Pictured: Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Prince William, Prince Charles, Princess Margaret, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and Prince Philip.
1985
Pictured: Prince Philip, Peter Phillips, Prince Edward, Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret, Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince Harry, Zara Phillips, and Princess Diana.
1988
Pictured: Princess Margaret, Prince William, Price Harry, Princess Diana, Zara Phillips, Lady Gabriella Windsor, and Lord Frederick Windsor.
Pictured: Prince William, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Prince Harry, and Princess Diana.
1989
Pictured: Lord Frederick Windsor, Prince Michael of Kent, Princess Margaret, Prince Harry, Princess Alexandra, Princess Diana, Prince William, Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Prince Andrew, Sarah Ferguson, and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.
1990
Pictured: Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Princess Diana, Katharine, Duchess of Kent, Prince William, Prince Harry, Lord Frederick Windsor, and Lady Rose Windsor.
Pictured: Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Princess Diana, and Prince Harry.
1999
Pictured: Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Prince Edward, Timothy Laurence, Princess Anne, and Queen Elizabeth II.
2000
Pictured: Countess Mountbatten, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Prince Edward, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, and Princess Margaret.
Pictured: Prince Edward, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.
2003
Pictured: Prince Harry, Prince William, Princess Anne, Timothy Laurence, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Prince Edward, and Prince Charles.
2005
Pictured: Prince William, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Prince Edward, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Prince Andrew, Princess Eugenie, Princess Beatrice, Princess Anne, and Timothy Laurence.
2006
Pictured: Prince Edward, Sophie, Duchess of Sussex, Princess Beatrice, Prince Andrew, Princess Eugenie, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Prince Harry, Princess Anne, Prince Charles, Timothy Laurence, and Lady Helen Windsor.
2007
Pictured: Prince Andrew, Princess Eugenie, Prince William, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Viscount Linley, and Princess Anne.
Pictured: Princess Anne, Timothy Laurence, Queen Elizabeth II, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex.
Pictured: Princess Anne, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Edward, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Prince Philip, Autumn Phillips, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Prince Charles.
2009
Pictured: George Gilman, Lady Rose Gilman, Prince William, Prince Harry, Princess Anne, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Edward, Prince Philip, Charles Armstrong Jones, Tim Laurence, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Prince Charles.
Pictured: Prince Edward, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, and Lady Louise Windsor.
2010
Pictured: Princess Eugenie, Princess Beatrice, Prince William, Prince Edward, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Michael of Kent, Prince Philip, Katharine, Duchess of Kent, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, and Lady Helen Taylor.
2011
Pictured: Katharine, Duchess of Kent, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, Prince Michael of Kent, Princess Michael of Kent, Lady Frederick Windsor, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Prince Edward, Lady Louise Windsor, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Harry, and Prince Philip.
Pictured: Lady Frederick Windsor, Kate Middleton, Prince William, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Lady Louise Windsor, and Prince Edward.
2012
Pictured: Prince Andrew, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Prince Edward, Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Anne, Prince Philip, Timothy Laurence, Lady Louise Windsor, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince William.
Pictured: Prince William, Princess Eugenie, Prince Harry, and Princess Beatrice.
2013
Pictured: Prince Edward, Lady Louise Windsor, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, James, Viscount Severn, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Andrew, Prince Harry, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William, Princess Eugenie, and Princess Beatrice.
Pictured: Prince Edward, Lady Louise Windsor, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, James, Viscount Severn, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Prince Charles.
Pictured: Prince Harry, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Kate Middleton.
2014
Pictured: Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Princess Eugenie, Princess Anne, Queen Elizabeth II, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Prince Philip, Prince Edward, Prince Harry, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince William.
2015
Pictured: Princess Anne, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Prince George, Prince William, Queen Elizabeth II, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, James, Viscount Severn, Prince Philip, and Prince Andrew.
Pictured: Prince George, Prince William, Queen Elizabeth II, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry, and James, Viscount Severn.
2016
Pictured: Mike Tindall, Zara Tindall, Princess Anne, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, Prince William, Prince Harry, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Peter Phillips, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex.
Pictured: Kate Middleton, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, Prince William, and Prince Harry.
Pictured: Kate Middleton, Princess Beatrice, Prince Andrew, and Autumn Phillips.
2017
Pictured: Princess Eugenie, Queen Elizabeth II, Timothy Laurence, Prince Philip, Princess Anne (just seen), Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, Prince William, Savannah Phillips, Peter Phillips, Isla Phillips, and Autumn Phillips.
2017
Pictured: Kate Middleton, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, and Prince William.
Pictured: Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Isla Phillips, Peter Phillips, Savannah Phillips, Autumn Phillips.
Pictured: Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Kate Middleton, Prince Louis, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Prince Charles.
Pictured: Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Kate Middleton, and Prince Louis.
2022
Pictured: Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Kate Middleton, and Prince Louis.
Pictured: Prince George, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Kate Middleton.
Pictured: Queen Elizabeth II, Kate Middleton, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, and Prince William.