The Trooping the Colour festivities marks the biggest royal event of the year (excluding monumental royal weddings, of course), with the major military parade seeing the entire Royal Family on the Buckingham Palace balcony to watch a flypast. Appearing on the balcony, the royals don their best dress and wave to huge crowds of waiting fans - including sweet cameos from even the youngest of royals.
This year, the event was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, but Queen Elizabeth II still celebrated in royal style. The 94-year-old monarch stood in the quadrangle of Windsor Castle to watch the 1st Battalion of the Welsh Guards serenade her to mark her official birthday. The "turning out" ceremony, as the British army calls it, took place with a reduced massed band of the Household Division – and with a very different formation due to COVID-19. Usually, the soldiers would be shoulder-to-shoulder, but in keeping with social distancing guidelines, they stood at an appropriate distance.Â
It was the first time the Monarch had been seen at an outside event since the beginning of the lockdown caused by the coronavirus crisis.
While this year's event was a much smaller affair, past years have seen some of the most momentous of royal sightings. From a young Prince Harry sticking his tongue out while in Princess Diana's arms to Kate Middleton's first-ever appearance as Prince William's wife and Meghan Markle's first post-baby engagement following the birth of Archie Harrison.Â
Each year, it's certainly a moment to remember. Below, a look at the Trooping the Colour through the years. Â
