During the 2025 Trooping the Colour, the entire crowd focused their attention on Princess Charlotte as she entered an important occasion of royal ritual and family respect. Charlotte revealed grace and a special bond with the late great grandmother Barbara, Queen Elizabeth II, when she made a beautiful, yet simple gesture at the tender age of 10 years old.
Her outfit consisted of a light teal dress and a brooch shaped like a horseshoe made of diamonds, which holds other valuable meanings. There is a history behind this very brooch which was presented to Charlotte by the late Queen which dates far back generations. It was formerly thought to have belonged to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and has been inherited; it was prominently featured on the coat worn by Charlotte at the Queen funeral in 2022.
The horseshoe-shaped brooch is a heartfelt eulogy to one of Queen Elizabeth II longest-lived interests, horseback riding and riding in general. The fact that Charlotte chose to wear it at such high-profile visit to the masses indicates an increased recognition of the fact that she is royalty and a fond feeling of need to pay tribute to the memory of the deceased monarch. Her implicit gesture was not overlooked and resonated with both royals observers and people in general.
Charlotte even coordinated with her mother, the Princess of Wales, who was also in a sky-blue coat dress by Catherine Walker, a designer with long ties to the royal family. Kate finished off her outfit with a structured hat designed by Juliette Botterill, one of the royal circles favorite milliners. Her jewelry had a strong meaning to it as well: she wore the Irish Guards regimental brooch, acknowledging her honorary colonelcy, and the Bahrain Pearl Drop earrings, which were initially placed on Queen Elizabeth II as a wedding present in 1947. These considerate touches knit together a pattern of succession, tradition and memory.
The Trooping the Colour was the official birthday ceremony of King Charles III and renewed this century-old military tradition in all its ceremonial glory in the presence of the royal family. More than 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses, and hundreds of musicians marched along the Mall, in an astonishing performance of British pageantry. The flypast of the RAF Red Arrows was a highlight and they brought cheers to the people watching them fly through the streets towards the hundreds that had lined the route and those viewing the Royal Family appear on the balcony of the Buckingham Palace.
King Charles modified his presence at the event because of his cancer treatment and went on a carriage instead of horseback. His appearance, even in its modification, showed his affection Towards the monarchy and its conventions.
Consistent with the streamlined monarch still envisioning a reduced royal family, a number of family members were significantly absent at the event. The absence of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, as well as Prince Andrew and his girls, suggests an even stronger emphasis by King Charles on service of the royals to retain a small group royal core of working royalties.
Trooping the Colour is a royal event that is still painted in symbolism of heritage, responsibility, and changing family structures. One of the most personal highlights this year was the very intimate gesture of Princess Charlotte, as her quiet tribute to the former Queen was a moving reminder of how dearly Queen Elizabeth II is missed by the youngest of the Royal Family members.
