During his first birthday parade on horseback, King Charles III saluted as he departed Buckingham Palace. His participation in Trooping the Colour on horseback makes him the first king to do so in more than 30 years.

In the ceremony, which was held on the Horse Guards Parade in front of 8,000 people, Charles took the royal salute as Colonel in Chief of the Household Division’s seven regiments.

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Along with his son Prince William, sister Princess Anne, and brother Prince Edward, the King rode his steed while dressed in full military attire. Queen Camilla, the Princess of Wales, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis were among the members of the Royal Family that rode in carriages behind them.

A reigning monarch has not mounted for Trooping the Colour since Queen Elizabeth’s horse, Burmese, carried her throughout the ritual in 1986.

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For formal occasions and trooping, Burmese was the Queen’s preferred steed. The horse was a gift from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and served in that capacity for 18 years, from 1969 to 1986, before being retired to Windsor. The Queen then decided that she would be driven in a carriage going forward rather than train a new charger for the occasion.

Fans of the royal family will be able to witness Charles celebrate his first birthday as King on this day in history. Hundreds of horses and troops perform complicated combat and practice maneuvers to military music. The day will continue to unfold much as it did when the late Queen was still alive, with some royals riding in carriages from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade to attend the service.

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The Welsh, Scots, Irish, Coldstream, and Grenadier regiments of the Foot Guards marched together for Trooping the Colour for the first time since 1989. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the Duchess of Edinburgh, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, and senior military officials were among the attendees.