Why This Year's Trooping the Colour Felt Different for Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis (Exclusive)
Why This Year's Trooping the Colour Felt Different for Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis (Exclusive)
Simon PerryWed, June 17, 2026 at 11:00 AM UTC
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(L to R) Prince William, Princess Charlotte, Kate Middleton, Prince George, and Prince Louis stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour flypast on June 13, 2026Credit: Aaron Chown/PA Images via Getty -
Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8, looked like pros at this year's Trooping the Colour festivities
"You can see the close bond between the three siblings," former palace courtier Ailsa Anderson tells PEOPLE in this week's cover story
Other royal experts explain why the success of the annual celebration came at a pivotal moment for the monarchy
By now, they're pros. Having appeared at Trooping the Colour since they were toddlers, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8, looked completely at ease on the Buckingham Palace balcony. Throughout the morning of June 13, they waved to cheering crowds, watched the RAF flypast overhead and chatted with their parents as thousands packed the Mall below.
George — looking increasingly every bit the future king — was spotted pointing out military aircraft to Prince William, 43. He later managed to stifle a sneeze until the final notes of "God Save the King," sharing a laugh with Kate Middleton, 44, after holding it together. Charlotte, meanwhile, appeared as poised as ever, while Louis seemed determined to savor every moment of the event.
"He was having a blast, like any other 8-year-old, loving the spectacle," says former palace courtier Ailsa Anderson. "You can see the close bond between the three siblings."
Royals on the Buckingham Palace balcony for Trooping the Colour on June 13, 2026Credit: Aaron Chown/PA Images via Getty
The appearance capped a day of military pageantry celebrating the monarch's official birthday. And King Charles, 77, had every reason to feel encouraged as he surveyed the crowds. Still undergoing treatment for cancer, the King has spent much of the past two years navigating health challenges, family fractures and renewed scrutiny of the monarchy. But this year's parade arrived at one of the most positive moments of his reign.
A week earlier, Charles joined much of the extended family at the wedding of his nephew Peter Phillips, following the King's successful visit with Queen Camilla, 78, to the U.S. in April, including a well-received address to Congress. Combined with Princess Kate's ongoing return to public life after her cancer remission announcement in early 2025, and a widely praised trip to Italy in May, the family is riding a wave of momentum unlike any since Charles became King.
Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis on June 13, 2026 in LondonCredit: Jeff Spicer/Getty
Much of that optimism has centered on the Princess of Wales. "Kate is the closest they have to a rockstar member these days, and she's the one everyone wants to see," says royals author Catherine Mayer.
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Reminders of the royal family's lingering challenges remained at the edges of the celebration. Among the crowds outside the palace were protesters carrying signs about the former Prince Andrew, whose February arrest amid ongoing scrutiny tied to his association with Jeffrey Epstein cast a fresh shadow over the monarchy.
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Kate Middleton, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte and Prince George on June 13, 2026 in LondonCredit: Jeff Spicer/Getty
And while the royals gathered in London, Prince Harry, 41, was thousands of miles away in Texas attending Game 5 of the NBA Finals—a reminder of how far removed he has become from the royal duties and traditions that once defined his life. His expected return to Britain in July for Invictus Games events will put his relationship with the family back under the spotlight.
Yet the lasting image of the day was not one of absence. As Charles stood alongside his heir and three of his grandchildren, the monarchy's future was on display for all to see — a powerful portrait of continuity at a moment when the institution appears to have regained its footing.
"It felt like a family affair; the King will have taken absolute joy and pleasure in that," Anderson says. "They are starting the summer on a high."
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
