Trooping the Colour 2024 full schedule - start time, end time and order of events

14 June 2024, 15:46

By Alice Dear

When does Trooping the Colour start, when does it end and how long does it last? Everything you need to know about the King's Official Birthday parade explained including order of events and schedule.

Trooping the Colour will take place in central London on 15th June 2024, with King Charles III marking his official birthday as Monarch with a traditional parade and displays of pageantry throughout the day.

Despite his cancer diagnosis earlier and the subsequent treatment for the illness, the King will still be taking part in the ceremony, only changing one element of the day - he will travel via carriage and not horseback (on doctor's orders).

Over 1,400 officers and soldiers will form the parade on the day, with 200 horses and over 400 musicians also taking part in the two and a half hour ceremony - including the tradition inspection of the troops, the Red Arrows flypast and the Royal Family's appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

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With so much happened on the day of Trooping the Colour, people have been left asking when the ceremony starts, when it ends and what the schedule for each event. Here, we've answered all those questions.

What time does Trooping the Colour start?

Trooping the Colour will officially begin at 10:30am, but troops will start to gather in London at 10:00am ahead of the Royal Family's departure from Buckingham Palace.

The coverage of Trooping the Colour will begin on the BBC at 10:30am, when King Charles III starts the ceremony along The Mall, to Horse Guard Parade and back to Buckingham Palace.

What time does Trooping the Colour end?

The Trooping the Colour ceremony will last two and a half hours, officially ending just after 1:00pm, after the Red Arrows flypast travels over Buckingham Palace.

This will be the final stage of Trooping the Colour, and will see members of the Royal Family gather on the balcony of the Palace to watch the flypast.

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• READ MORE: Will Kate Middleton be attending Trooping the Colour 2024?

What is the schedule for Trooping the Colour?

Here is an idea of the schedule for Trooping the Colour 2024:

• 10:00am - Troops begin to gather outside ahead of the Trooping the Colour parade
• 10:30am - Trooping the Colour officially begins as the Royal Family leave Buckingham Palace and travel down The Mall
• 11:00am - As the clock chimes 11:00am at Horse Guards Parade, King Charles III will give a royal salute, followed by a 41-gun salute in Green Park
• 11:00am onwards - King Charles III will then inspect the troops while the military band plays before the Monarch returns to his Ascot Landau carriage to travel back to Buckingham Palace.
• 1:00pm – The Royal Family gather on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch the Red Arrows flypast.

Trooping the Colour parade route

The Trooping the Colour parade route starts at Buckingham Palace, moves down The Mall, around the Horse Guards Parade and then back.

You can see the route the Royal Family will take here:

Where to watch Trooping the Colour in London

Although tickets have sold-out for Trooping the Colour, people in London this weekend will have the chance to watch the parade.

The public are being told to find a spot along The Mall or the edge of St James's Park for the best view of the day's events.