King Charles broke from a long-held Royal Family tradition during his official birthday celebrations at Trooping the Colour on Saturday.
The 76-year-old monarch did not ride a horse, instead taking a carriage alongside Queen Camilla as he oversaw a salute from Britain's armed forces during the procession from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade and back.
His Majesty had long been present in the saddle during the celebrations for his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and reintroduced the tradition of the monarch riding personally during his first Trooping as King in 2023.
However, the Charles' ongoing cancer treatment forced him to take a carriage for proceedings in 2024, and he had followed the same protocol this year.
King Charles rode in a carriage during Trooping the Colour.
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He is not expected to take to the saddle personally again during future Trooping the Colour celebrations.
The late Queen Elizabeth last rode personally during her birthday celebrations in 1986 and opted for a carriage after her beloved mare, Burmese, retired.
Charles has not ridden personally at Trooping the Colour since 2023.
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She continued that tradition until her final Trooping in 2022.
Charles took part in his first Trooping the Colour in 1951, aged three, as he rode in a carriage with his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and aunt, Princess Margaret.
He first rode in the parade as Colonel of the Welsh Guards in 1975. Charles was also a successful polo player and amateur jockey.
However, he has now also given up horse riding for pleasure as well, something his late mother continued until just months before her death.
It is one of the few modifications the King has made to his royal duties since being diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer last year.
The King was forced to abandon riding during the event due to his ongoing cancer treatment.
PA
"The thing you learn about this illness [cancer] is that you just manage it. And that's what he does," a senior royal aide said.
"As long as you just do what the doctors say, just live your life as normal as possible, and that's exactly what he is doing."
The aide added that because the King is "incredibly fit", he is "dealing with it all incredibly well". "As everybody knows, he is driven by duty, so he just gets on with it."
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Charles rode as Prince of Wales during his the Trooping celebrations of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
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Trooping the Colour, the traditional military parade marking the British Sovereign's official birthday, saw senior royals unite at Buckingham Palace to observe the monarch' official birthday.
King Charles was joined by Queen Camilla, Princess Kate, Prince William their three children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, seven.
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh as well as Princess Anne and Sir Tim Laurence are also expected to attend.
Celebrations concluded with an appearance from the family on the Buckingham Palace balcony to greet gathered crowds and observe an RAF flypast.
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