King Charles is expected break the tradition of riding on horseback by travelling via carriage during this summer’s Trooping the Colour parade.
Buckingham Palace confirmed “forthcoming engagements will be adapted where necessary” to accommodate for the KIng’s recovery following his cancer treatment.
An incident involving a fidgeting horse during last year’s event appears to have done little to persuade courtiers to convince the King to appear on horseback again this year.
“The King is most likely to be taking part in Trooping via carriage this year but a final decision is yet to be made,” a source told The Times.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla wave as they watch the fly-past on the Buckingham Palace balcony
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Charles became the first monarch to appear on horseback for the Trooping the Colour last June.
Queen Elizabeth II last rode out for the parade in 1986.
King Charles first attended the Trooping the Colour aged two in 1951 when his grandfather King George VI was too ill to attend.
A former palace aide told royal author Robert Hardman: “[The King] always used to ride this wonderful old horse, George, who would just go to sleep.
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King Charles III saluting as he departed Buckingham Palace for the Trooping the Colour ceremony at Horse Guards Parade
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“That’s not what happened this time. He was on a very feisty horse.”
King Charles, Queen Camilla and Prince William will also commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day on from June 5-6.
The 75-year-old first commemorated the pivotal Second World War landings in 1984.
There was speculation that Charles could miss out on his latest opportunity to pay his respects to the almost 25,000 British soldiers who landed in France on June 6, 1944.
Typhoon fighter jets fly over The Mall after the Royal family attended the Trooping the Colour ceremony at Horse Guards Parade
PA
However, Buckingham Palace confirmed the King will also visit the British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer and commemorative ceremonies for fallen Canadian soldiers.
A palace source last month stressed the public ought not to expect to see a “full summer schedule” from the monarch.
During a garden party in Rye, East Sussex, on Thursday, Queen Camilla said: “Well, he would be if he behaved.”
She also stressed her husband had been “quite cross” not to join her on the visit but just hours later he was on stage at the Royal Opera House taking part in a curtain call with the cast.
A palace spokesman acknowledged that the King’s diary would be “carefully calibrated” over the next few weeks and months to account for his continued recovery.
