NEED TO KNOW
- Prince William seemed to remind King Charles and Queen Camilla to stay on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the national anthem at Trooping the Colour
- The royal family gathered on the terrace of the royal residence to watch the Royal Air Force flypast
- Trooping the Colour celebrated King Charles’ official birthday, with over 1,400 members of the Armed Forces participating
Prince William seemed to save King Charles and Queen Camilla from a misstep at Trooping the Colour.
On June 13, the King, Queen, Prince of Wales and more royal family members attended the British Army parade hosted in celebration of the King’s official birthday in London, continuing a tradition that’s over 260 years old.
Following the military ceremony at Horse Guards Parade and equestrian procession back to Buckingham Palace, the royal family stepped out on the palace balcony to watch the Royal Air Force flypast, in one of their most quintessential public appearances of the year.
As seen in PEOPLE’s live feed of the special day, after the flypast wrapped, the King, 77, and Queen, 78, waved to the crowd gathered in London. They then appeared to try to leave the balcony, when Prince William seemed to exchange a few words with his father.
KIng Charles and Queen Camilla then turned out to face the crowd again, just as the national anthem began.
King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8, and more royal family members stood at attention as “God Save the King” was played, taking in the tribute.
The King and Queen then gave one last round of waves before retreating into the Centre Room of the palace as the Prince and Princess of Wales, their children, Princess Anne, Prince Edward and more royal family members followed behind.
Prince William’s reminder for the King and Queen on the balcony was one of several unexpected moments that unfolded during the royal family’s appearance there, from Prince Louis breaking away for a better view of the flypast finale to the 90-year-old Duke of Kent breaking out his phone in a sure balcony first.
Courtiers expressed King Charles and Queen Camilla’s appreciation for the day after the pageantry wrapped, writing online, “With thanks to the 1,400 members of the Armed Forces who took part in today’s Trooping the Colour, and with special mention to the Grenadier Guards who trooped their new Colour. We salute you.”
Prince George fights off sneeze during national anthem at Trooping the Colour
For all the military precision and royal pageantry on display during Trooping the Colour on June 13, one of the day’s most relatable moments came courtesy of a 12-year-old.
As members of the royal family stood at attention on the Buckingham Palace balcony during the national anthem, future king Prince George found himself battling a sneeze. George managed to hold it in until the final notes of “God Save the King,” prompting a sweet reaction from mom Kate Middleton — and giving royal watchers one of the most memorable moments of the day.
Prince George’s perfectly timed sneeze
The royal family’s appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony marked the traditional finale of Trooping the Colour, the annual official celebration of the monarch’s birthday.
Video shared by British newspaper The Telegraph showed George seemingly fighting off the sneeze amid the anthem right after the Royal Air Force flypast.
George — who turns 13 in July — remained composed until the song reached its conclusion. But as soon as the final notes ended, he covered his nose and mouth and finally released he sneeze.
Kate shared a laugh with the older of her two sons and placed a hand on his back as he recovered. Earlier in the day, the Princess of Wales had experienced a similar issue herself, with People reporting that Kate was also seen sneezing during the military display at Horse Guards Parade.
Prince George’s royal composure shines through
The sneeze might have attracted attention, but it was also one of the few moments George showed any signs of breaking his concentration throughout the day.
According to The Telegraph, “The prince, who apologized to his smiling mother, was on his best behavior during the annual parade to mark the king’s official birthday.”
The outlet noted that all three of the Prince and Princess of Wales’ children impressed observers with their conduct during the celebrations, noting they “behaved impeccably in front of the world’s cameras — and even Prince Louis, 8, was not caught out pulling a funny face.”
Before joining the rest of their family on the balcony, George, Louis and sister Princess Charlotte, 11, rode through London in a horse-drawn carriage alongside Kate.
Prince William, meanwhile, rode on horseback along the ceremonial route from Buckingham Palace down The Mall to Horse Guards Parade in central London in his ceremonial role as Colonel of the Welsh Guards.
Kate Middleton keeps her cool amid boos
The Wales family’s carriage ride wasn’t without drama, however.
Anti-monarchy protesters from the group Republic gathered along parts of the procession route and outside the palace during Trooping the Colour. As Kate traveled through central London with George, Charlotte and Louis in the Ascot Landau carriage, demonstrators could be heard booing and chanting slogans including “not my king” and “not my queen.” Protesters also carried banners bearing messages such as “stop the reign.”
People reported that the heckling caught the attention of George, Charlotte and Louis as well as their mother. According to Hello!, the Princess of Wales “appeared unamused” by the disruption and “merely directed a cool glance in [protestors’] direction” as she continued to wave to crowds along the route.
Prince William quietly steps in
The national anthem also played a role in another notable royal moment later in the day.
People reported that the Prince of Wales appeared to help prevent a rare misstep involving King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
After the flypast concluded, Charles and Camilla waved to crowds gathered outside the palace and seemed prepared to leave the balcony. William then exchanged a few words with his father, who promptly turned back toward the crowd alongside Camilla and remained in place as the national anthem began.
The royal family stood at attention while “God Save the King” played before Charles and Camilla offered one final wave and headed inside the palace.
Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have their own standout moments
While George’s sneeze stole headlines, his younger siblings also generated buzz throughout the celebration.
Charlotte once again impressed royal fans with her poise during her balcony appearance. As seen in a video shared by Hello!, Kate subtly motioned for her daughter to adjust her position on the balcony after Charlotte and Louis found themselves several feet away from their loved ones. Charlotte immediately reacted to Kate’s hand signals and smoothly shuffled into place, bringing Louis along with her.
Meanwhile, Louis provided one of the day’s most entertaining moments when he became captivated by the aircraft overhead. Video showed him stepping away from the rest of his family and leaning to the side in an effort to get a better look at the approaching planes.
The reaction was classic Louis, who has become known for his expressive responses during Trooping the Colour appearances over the years.
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