Princess Kate has made her grand entrance at King Charles III's birthday parade festivities.
The Princess of Wales arrived by horse-drawn carriage at the 2023 Trooping the Colour, the first ever to commemorate the birthday of King Charles. The princess and her three children—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—rode alongside Queen Camilla, with Kate celebrating her first Trooping the Colour since she inherited her new title.
For the occasion, the stylish royal wore a lovely bright green ensemble, comprised of a long-sleeved dress adorned with blue-and-silver square buttons by Singaporean designer Andrew Gn and a matching wide-brimmed hat by Philip Treacy. She completed the look with sapphire and diamond earrings that previously belonged to Princess Diana, as well as the Irish Guards' special gold shamrock brooch.
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The monochromatic look serves as an homage to the Irish Guards, of which Kate was named honorary Colonel last year. The green ensemble also serves as a nod to the color's use in the flag of Wales. George, Charlotte, and Louis completed the homage to the Wales flag by including red details in their own looks.
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Kate—along with other senior members of the royal family, such as Princess Anne—is a staple fixture amongst royal attendees at Trooping the Colour.
She last attended the 2022 parade, which also honored the late Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee. At the time, the princess wore an ivory Alexander McQueen coat dress, which she paired with a navy blue hat with white trim by Philip Treacy. For accessories, she color-coordinated with sapphire-and-diamond earrings and a necklace, which matched her iconic 12-carat oval Ceylon sapphire engagement ring. She joined the procession by carriage while sitting next to her three children and Camilla, then-Duchess of Cornwall.
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The annual parade celebrates the birthday of the reigning monarch every June (though the king's actual birthday falls on November 14). The tradition dates back to the 18th century, according to the BBC. In 1748, King George II decided to throw an annual military parade in June so that he could celebrate his birthday, which falls in November, in good weather. Thereafter, the second Saturday of June has become known as the reigning monarch's official birthday.
Today's parade will see the military procession migrate from Buckingham Palace, down The Mall to Horseguard's Parade. The event will conclude with the family appearing on the Buckingham Palace balcony as they witness the RAF fly-past.
As an associate editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com, Chelsey keeps a finger on the pulse on all things celeb news. She also writes on social movements, connecting with activists leading the fight on workers' rights, climate justice, and more. Offline, she’s probably spending too much time on TikTok, rewatching Emma (the 2020 version, of course), or buying yet another corset.
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