Trooping the Colour 2025: Royal family pay tribute, Prince William's look of love, George and Louis' sweet moment

It’s safe to say Prince Louis absolutely loved his time on the balcony — just look at that expression!

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Prince Louis was the last royal to wave to the huge crowd gathered outside Buckingham Palace - and his wave game is strong!

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Everything went off without a hitch - the sun shone, his family was by his side, and no guards fainted. It was a smooth and successful Birthday Parade for the King. And judging by his big smile, he was a very happy monarch indeed!

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As we mentioned earlier in the blog, the Prince and Princess of Wales have shared a number of behind-the-scenes photos from today’s event on their Flickr account — and we’ve rounded them all up for you in this fantastic gallery. It’s a must-see!

Ever wondered what the Royal Family does once the flypast is over? According to former royal butler Grant Harrold they head off for lunch!

"I’m not sure exactly which room they use for lunch, but there’s a good chance it’s the Chinese Drawing Room, which is often used as a dining room for the family. They have a private lunch, finishing with coffee and tea," he says.

"Depending on other engagements and commitments, some royals might leave straight after lunch, while others stay a bit longer. They can retreat to one of the sitting or drawing rooms on the private side of the Palace to have conversations. Knowing the King, he’s always busy, so once lunch is done, you’ll typically see the cars leaving as he heads back to Highgrove or Clarence House — most likely Highgrove."

This is the view the royal family saw from the balcony - isn't it incredible? And just look at that blue sky! 

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Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Well, actually -  it’s the Red Arrows, and totally worth the neck strain afterwards!

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Pictures are still coming in — and look at this gem! King Charles looked thoroughly amused by his grandson Prince Louis during their time together on the balcony.

© Max Mumby

Royal watchers may have noticed that Prince Louis didn’t wear shorts to Trooping the Colour this year — and many are wondering why.

According to British etiquette expert William Hanson, there’s a traditional reason behind the royal dress code for young boys. In a 2018 interview with HELLO!, he explained:

“Upper-class and upper-middle-class parents believe that little boys should look like little boys, and so try to keep their offspring looking as cute and innocent for as long as possible. Young boys usually transition into trousers around age seven.”

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With both the Prince and Princess of Wales attending the parade, their children - Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis - are being cared for by their nanny, Maria, inside the former office of the Duke of Wellington.

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Many royal fans have already compared Princess Charlotte's Trooping look to Alice in Wonderland’s iconic blue dress — and it’s easy to see why!

The soft blue shade, the classic silhouette, and that sweet bow detail definitely channel storybook magic. Do you see the resemblance? 

© Samir Hussein/WireImage

In a newly released photo, Prince George appears keen to keep his younger brother Louis relatively calm during their time on the balcony.

Seven-year-old Louis can be seen enthusiastically waving while others focused on the flypast.

What do you think of the moment? A glimpse of royal sibling teamwork?

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We’ve found the clip of Prince George and Prince Louis' interaction on the balcony — and it’s a must-see!

King Charles has taken to social media to personally thank everyone involved in making this year’s Trooping the Colour a success.

Alongside a heartwarming highlight reel from the day — which even includes a sweet moment of the King feeding carrots to the horses — His Majesty wrote a message of gratitude to all those who took part in the spectacular celebration.

"A huge thank you to our Military personnel for a truly triumphant Trooping today! Over 1,000 soldiers, around 200 horses and approximately 300 musicians came together in a display of Military precision, horsemanship and fanfare to mark The King’s official birthday. And what a great way to conclude the celebrations, with a flypast from our friends @RAFRedArrows flying for the first time with a mix of sustainable aviation fuel."

While the main members of the royal family took centre stage at Horse Guards Parade, several extended royal family members were spotted watching the event from the windows of the Major General’s Office including Lord Frederick Windsor and the Earl and Countess of St Andrews.

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In an incredibly quick interaction, Prince William corrected his eldest son when the family were stood together on the balcony.

During the final few moments of the flypast, he was captured making a subtle signal to Prince Louis, to give him guidance.

We got another glimpse of the father-of-three truly clicking into 'dad mode' for a few seconds – find out more about this blink-and-you-miss-it moment here.

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While today has understandably been all about King Charles, the monarch still ended up finding a way to work, appointing two new Field Marshals. Congratulations go out to Lord Richards of Herstmonceaux and Lord Houghton of Richmond!

I know, we've spoken a lot about Princess Kate's outfit today, but can you blame us? 

One thing you might've missed is that she used her clothing to pay a major fashion tribute to her late mother-in-law.

In her beautiful Catherine Walker coat dress, Princess Kate harked back to one of Princess Diana's most iconic style moments. Get all the details here.

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William and Kate have marked the end of a busy day by sharing a new photo from their Kensington Palace home. The sweet image features all three of their beaming children. How cute!!

In an unexpected royal first, Prince William embraced his recent hair transformation and kept his beard for Trooping the Colour this year.

Ever since he first started growing it out, he's caused quite the stir, especially as he hadn't been pictured with any facial hair in over 15 years!

Given the strict grooming and style guidelines for the event, how did the Prince of Wales get away with it? Find out here.

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While many of the royal attendees were seen out on the Buckingham Palace, some were more behind-the-scenes. Lord Frederik Windsor and Lady Frederik Windsor were also in attendance, with Sophie wearing a gorgeous purple dress.

That's it for HELLO!'s coverage of Trooping the Colour. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did, and we can't wait for next year's celebrations.

Join us again on Monday, where we will be sharing the latest royal news. Good night and enjoy the weekend!