Trooping the Colour is a symbol of British patriotism and is one of the nation great symbols of pride, a royal commentator has said.
Held each year to mark the Sovereign's Official Birthday, Trooping the Colour is traditionally celebrated with an extraordinary display of military excellence, marching bands, and an RAF flypast.
As the King's Guards demonstrate their extraordinary level of showmanship, the most distinguished working members of the Royal Family watch on from the iconic Buckingham Palace balcony and wave to the thousands of Britons lining The Mall.
It is undoubtedly one of the cornerstones of the royal calendar - a tradition dating back around 260 years - and captures some of the most timeless and significant patriotic shots. A true celebration of Britain, the Royal Family and the military.
It is, as royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams detailed to GB News, a "unique form of ceremonial."
"You've got this incredible spectacle — there's nothing quite like it," he said.
The annual parade has produced several memorable moments in recent royal history. For example, when the Princess of Wales appeared in 2024 despite her cancer diagnosis.
Previous years have also seen Prince George make his Buckingham Palace balcony debut at just 23 months old, while his younger brother, Prince Louis, became a favourite among royal watchers for his animated facial expressions during the celebrations.
Trooping the Colour is a symbol of British patriotism and is the UK's equivalent of July 4 to the US, a royal commentator has claimed
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"It's the unique nature of the spectacle that goes worldwide," Mr Fitzwilliams noted.
Unlike the United States' Day of Independence or France's Bastille Day on July 14, the UK does not have a specific national day of such magnitude.
Royal historian Rafe Heyden-Mankoo believes Saturday's parade should be considered as such.
"Trooping the Colour is an important occasion for helping to define British culture and British identity," he told The People's Channel.
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Watch Trooping the Colour ceremony live on GB News with Andrew Pierce and Camilla Tominey from 10am on Saturday
| GB NEWS"I think increasingly in this globalised world, people are looking for things that can bring us together, and it is royal ceremonial occasions because the problem with being the world's oldest continuous democracy.
"As Britain is, we don't have an annual Independence Day to celebrate a revolutionary war, like the French do on July 14, or the Americans do on July 4."
According to Mr Heydel-Mankoo, events such as coronations, royal weddings, state funerals and Trooping the Colour play an important role in reinforcing national identity.
"It's royal ceremonial occasions that provide those rare occasions when we can have patriotic displays, and where we can come together as a people, and things like national identity and social cohesion are very much centred on royal occasions," he continued.
Richard Fitzwilliams described the event as a 'nature of the spectacle that goes worldwide'
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"So they do have an important role to play in Britain in society at the moment."
He also highlighted the ceremony's historical significance, noting that it reflects the long-standing connection between the Crown and the Armed Forces.
Concluding, he said: "Trooping the Colour reminds the British people of the important role the Army has played throughout our history and remains one of the great symbols of British pride."
Watch Trooping the Colour ceremony live on GB News with Andrew Pierce and Camilla Tominey from 10am on Saturday
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