Here's why Camilla's Trooping the Colour outfit shows her dedication to King Charles
Camilla was, for a long time, never expected to be Queen, but her dedication to King Charles and her new roles as Queen and Colonel of the Grenadier Guards has never been clearer than at this year's Trooping the Colour.
Also known as the King's birthday parade, Trooping the Colour is the first set-piece event the Royal Family have embarked upon since the coronation of Charles and Camilla in May, and it officially marked the start of the next chapter for the House of Windsor.
The birthday parade saw the 74-year-old King ride on horseback and take the salute from the seven regiments of the Household Division.
Camilla led the fashion pack at the annual event, opting for a chic, military-inspired look as a nod to her honorary position as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, which she took on in January.
The scarlet, silk coat dress is directly influenced by the uniform of the regiment and featured the rank insignia of a colonel on the epaulettes and gold bullion embroidery of the 'Grenade Fired Proper' on the collar and further embroidery on the back of the piece.
Her hat was designed by Philip Treacy and is inspired by the bearskin hats worn by the regiment and features a feather plume 'grenade' style design. The understated version of the uniform presented a united front with her husband as the family watched the flypast from the Buckingham Palace balcony.
Camilla's recently shown an evolution and growing confidence in her own personal style, and Trooping the Colour only reinforced how she is bringing her own personality to her royal duties: by throwing her support behind the Grenadier Guards she also showed her commitment to supporting her husband and his reign.
The Princess of Wales also nodded to her new honorary military role with her choice of look, an emerald green coat dress designed by Andrew Gn which contrasted glittery embellishments with minimalist lines.
She, like Camilla, opted for Philip Treacy design: a bespoke dramatic hat in a matching green. Along with her Irish Guards Shamrock brooch, she also made sure to honour the regiment of which she has recently been made Colonel.
Kate's look showed how similar her personal style is to that of her late mother-in-law, and she further paid tribute to Princess Diana by finishing the look off with a pair of sapphire drops earrings that once belonged to her.
The Duchess of Edinburgh wore a cream dress designed by Beulah which featured a simple round neck and whimsical bell sleeves and a hat with floral embellishments designed by Jane Taylor.
Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis were all dressed smartly in coordinated red and white outfits. The two boys wore double breasted navy jackets and red ties, with George wearing matching navy suit trousers and his little brother Louis in red shorts and navy socks.
Princess Charlotte wore a sailor style white dress with red embellishments around the colour and waist, and wore her hair neatly plaited and pulled into a bun — a style similar to the smart look chosen for the recent coronation.
Trooping the Colour has been the official celebration of the monarch's birthday for over 260 years. Although Charles was born on 14 November, it's customary that if the sovereign is in born in the winter time, their official birthday parade takes place in the summer, when the weather is better.
Last week, the Colonel's Review — the final evaluation of the parade before Trooping the Colour — was undertaken by Prince William, and at least three guardsmen fainted because of the high temperatures.
The parade travelled from Buckingham Palace down the Mall, to Horse Guards Parade, where the King took the royal salute.
He was then joined by Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales where they watched the First Battalion Welsh Guards troop their colour.
Colours in the military were initiated as a way for troops to recognise their regiments on the battlefield, long before modern communications were invented.
After the parade was completed, the Royal Family returned to Buckingham Palace, where the King and Queen appeared on the balcony with Princess Anne, her husband Vice-Admiral Tim Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children.
The family watched the RAF fly-past from the balcony and waved to the public who had gathered outside the palace.
