Trooping the colour

Trooping the colour is one of the most magnificent military ceremonies in Britain and perhaps in the world. It is held annually on the reigning monarch's " official" birthday, which is the second Saturday in June.

Queen Elizabeth II is Colonel - in - Chief of the Household Division of five regiments of foot Guards and two regiments of Mounted Guards. The Trooping marks the official birthday of the Queen and each year the color (flag) of one of the five regiments of Foot Guards is displayed to the music of massed bands.

The ceremony stemmed from the need of soldiers to recognize the colours of their regiment in battle. The Parade is complex and precise and all seven regiments of the Household division take part, but only one colour is trooped each year. Wearing the uniform of one of these regiments the Queen leaves Buckingham Palace and rides down the Mall to the Horse Guards Parade accompanied by the sovereign's Mounted Escort from the two Household Cavalry Units - the Life Guards wearing scarlet tunics with white plumes in their helmets and the Blues and Royals in blue tunics with red Plumes.

Precisely as the clock on the Horse Guards Building strikes 11, the Queen takes the Royal Salute. After inspecting her troops, the sovereign watches a display of marching to the tune of massed bands before the solemn moment when the Colour is trooped by being carried along the motionless ranks of guardsmen lined up to await the Queen. The Color is then " trooped" or displayed before her.

Afterwards, she returns to the Palace at the head of the Guards deputed to mount the Palace Guard. Royal Family appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to acknowledge the flypast of the Royal Air Forces at 1 p. m. Only one Colour is " trooped" annually, that of each regiment in strict rotation. Originally it was called " lodging" the Colour: each regiment's own Colour being laid up, to music known as a " Troop".

The five regiments of Foot Guards can be identified by the plumes in their caps or bearskins, and by the spacing of the buttons on their tunics. The Grenadier Guards have white plumes and evenly spaced buttons: the Coldstreams, red plumes and buttons in pairs: the Scots Guards, no plumes and buttons in threes: the Irish Guards, blue plumes and buttons in fours: the Welsh Guards, white - and - green plumes and buttons in fives. The Guards have been carrying out their duty of guarding the sovereign since 1660 (the time of the restoration of Monarchy).