Protesters chanted 'not my King' as the Trooping the Colour event was held in London. Crowds cheered as members of the royal family assembled on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the traditional fly-past by RAF aircraft. The famous Trooping the Colour event marked King Charles' official birthday.
Amid the crowds of well-wishers, protesters from the anti-monarchy campaign group Republic chanted 'not my King'. Demonstrators waved flags adorned with the slogan 'down with the crown'.
Republic's Protest Plans
Republic said it planned to protest 'right outside Buckingham Palace' today as the royal family assembled on the balcony. Its chief executive Graham Smith said restrictions on where the group could stand on the Mall were 'contemptible' and would keep demonstrators in an area 'where we won’t be seen by the royals'. He said the main message of the protest was to hold the royal family to account over what they knew about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s friendship with paedophile American financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Royal Family on the Balcony
The Prince and Princess of Wales were all smiles with their children as the flypast took place following the Trooping the Colour event. Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis appeared visibly excited, chatting with their parents, William and Kate, throughout the display. After the flypast, members of the royal family waved to well-wishers from the Buckingham Palace balcony. The event saw military pomp and pageantry on display in the heart of the capital, with the royals joining thousands of spectators at Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall to view the spectacle featuring some of the nation’s most prestigious regiments.
Trooping the Colour Celebrations
Trooping the Colour is as much a social occasion as a ceremonial event and stands around Horse Guards Parade were filled with about 8,000 family members of the guards and officers on parade. Crowds had gathered in The Mall to watch the royal family’s carriage procession from Buckingham Palace with Charles and Camilla in the middle of a Sovereign’s Escort provided by the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.
