His Majesty King Charles III celebrates first ‘Trooping the Colour’

On Saturday, June 17, the Turks and Caicos Islands joined in the celebrations of His Majesty King Charles III first public birthday celebration as Monarch with Trooping the Colour.

Hosted at the Parade Grounds in Grand Turk, the parade and prizegiving ceremony saw the acting governor, members of government, elected officials, members of the armed and uniformed forces, school children and the general public celebrating the occasion. Over in the United Kingdom, the

74-year-old King was celebrated at the first Trooping the Colour of his royal reign in London. The epic display of military precision has marked the British monarch’s official birthday for over 260 years.

For the event, King Charles wore the tunic of the Guard of Honour Order, the Welsh Guards. The sovereign wears the uniform of whichever Regiment’s Colour is being trooped.

In TCI, the annual event is put on by the Office of the Governor, paying tribute to the reigning

British Monarch. As is typical, Islanders would gather to show their support and to recognise the dedication of those in uniform who have served the islands for many years with dedication and commitment.

Special recognition was also paid to long-serving members of the Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force, Prison Service, Immigration and Customs Department that were presented with medals for their distinguished years of service. Although King Charles will actually turn 75 in November, it is customary for the parade to not take place around the monarch's birthday.

According to the British Army, the ceremonial presentation of the military's regimental flags, called ‘colours’, was first performed under King Charles II, who ruled from 1660 to 1685. The event was formally linked to the monarch’s birthday during the reign of King George II in 1748 - and there was a practical reason for the event not being celebrated on the monarch's actual birth date.

“With a November birthday being too cold for a celebratory parade, he tied his celebrations in with the annual Trooping the Colour military parade,” Royal Museums Greenwich states, and monarchs since have continued the practice of holding the festivities during the warmer weather months.

King Charles III first attended Trooping the Colour at age three when it celebrated his grandfather, King George VI.