What Buckingham Palace's announcement tells us about the King's health- Analysis by Cameron Walker
The King will attend his birthday parade by carriage instead of on horseback
PA
After months of worry, Buckingham Palace has confirmed the King will attend one of the most important events in his calendar.
The King's Birthday Parade, otherwise known as Trooping the Colour, has celebrated the official birthday of the Sovereign for more than 260 years.
This grand display of British pomp and pageantry involves close to 1,000 soldiers and around 240 horses, but King Charles' ongoing cancer treatment and a scaling back of public engagements could have forced him to pull out.
When the King's return to public-facing duties was announced earlier this year, sources close to him insisted each individual engagement would be reviewed by his medical team, hinting that adaptions would be made when necessary to help His Majesty's recovery.
The King will attend his birthday parade by carriage instead of on horseback
PA
Perhaps, therefore, it is no surprise the monarch has chosen not to ride on horseback from Buckingham Palace, down The Mall, to Horse Guards Parade on June 15.
Instead, he will ride in an Ascot landau carriage with the Queen and will, like the late Queen Elizabeth II in her later years, inspect the troops of the Household Division from there.
Other members of the Royal Family are expected to accompany him, and it is understood it will be a very similar roster to last year.
The Princess of Wales' attendance at Trooping the Colour has not been confirmed by Kensington Palace, as she continues her cancer recovery.
The Army confirmed The Trooping of the Colour will go ahead
PAHer Royal Highness is Colonel of the Irish Guards who are trooping their colour this year, but she is not taking part in the Colonel's review (essentially a dress rehearsal for The King's Birthday Parade) on June 8.
The King continues cancer treatment, but he has become increasingly determined to scale up his workload and public engagements.
His nephew, Peter Philips, recently revealed King Charles had grown "frustrated" about restricting his activities, and Queen Camilla has hinted of her struggle to reign him in for the good of his health - urging him to "behave himself".
Those close to King Charles, however, have previously claimed he is a workaholic and is likely to put duty before his own wellbeing.
King Charles III during the Trooping the Colour in 2023
PA
LATEST ROYAL NEWS:
Troops of the Household Division take part in the Brigade Major's Review, the final rehearsal of Trooping the Colour
PA
Of course, every engagement is subject to doctor's advice and guidance, but getting the medical green light for Trooping the Colour may have provided a much-needed boost for moral and a cause for royal optimism.
When I attended the "khaki rehearsal" for Trooping the Colour yesterday to get a sneak peek for June's celebrations, the man in charge, Brigade Major Lieutenant Colonel James Shaw, told me: "We've got to make this birthday parade really special for our Colonel in Chief [The King] and just repay some of that amazing service that he's still showing at the moment."
After a difficult few months for King Charles, it looks like the Army is determined to give him the best birthday parade yet.