The king’s official birthday parade took place on Saturday

King Charles appeared to step in and guide Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis as the royal family gathered on the Buckingham Palace balcony for Trooping the Colour.

The monarch marked his official birthday at the annual central London parade on Saturday, with senior royals including Queen Camilla, the Princess of Wales, Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Princess Anne all watching the traditional flypast over the palace.
The king and senior royals gathered for Trooping the Colour on Saturday (Credit: Cover Images)

King Charles at Trooping the Colour

As the Red Arrows flew overhead and the event drew to a close, the younger royals seemed unsure about what to do next.

As reported by the Express, lip reader Jeremy Freeman claimed Princess Charlotte turned and asked: “Time to wave?”

He said Charles then appeared to address the group, replying: “Very good. Now we give a wave.”

Who appears on the Buckingham Palace balcony at Trooping the Colour?

The Buckingham Palace balcony appearance at Trooping the Colour is usually reserved for senior working royals after the military parade and RAF flypast.

In recent years, the line-up has reflected King Charles’s slimmer working monarchy, with the King and Queen joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children, alongside other senior royals carrying out official duties.

King Charles and Queen Camilla
Prince William and Princess Kate
Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis
Princess Anne
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh

Non-working royals do not always appear, which is why absences can attract attention during major royal events.

Freeman said the king then reinforced the message, adding: “Wave to everyone. Cheerio. That’s right, thank you very much.”

Prince Louis was then seen turning to Prince William and asking: “Is there more?”

According to the lip reader, William replied: “No, that’s it. Go on wave, that’s it.”
The royals gathered for the balcony appearance at Trooping the Colour (Credit: Photo by Matt Crossick/Shutterstock)

Princess Charlotte praised for behaviour on balcony

Elsewhere, royal fans praised Charlotte as she was spotted reacting quickly as the national anthem played.

When the national anthem plays during the event, the royals stand facing forward. On Saturday, fans spotted Charlotte being one of the first royals to stand in position.

One person said on X: “The way Princess Charlotte immediately stood to attention at the first notes of the national anthem yesterday, far quicker than everyone else in her family! She’s such a little star.”

Another fan wrote: “She will keep them all in order when she is older. George is lucky to have her.”

Someone else added: “She is going to make a wonderful Princess Royal for George!”

Princess Charlotte and the wider royal balcony appearance

Elsewhere, body language expert Judi James said the balcony line-up suggested the royals looked “divided”.

She told the Mirror: “The newly-pared down royal firm we saw on the balcony showed two family ‘teams’ or units: On one side we had the solid, dependable and unproblematic royal ‘rocks’ in the shape of Edward, Sophie, Tim and Anne and on the other side of the balcony the tightly-choreographed, immaculately stylish and elegant Wales’s.
Charlotte, George and Louis were seen waving to crowds below at Trooping the Colour (Credit: Mischa Schoemaker/Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images)
“With no Beatrice or Eugenie, the face of the Firm looked emphatic and undiluted. There was even The Duke of Kent there to symbolise the generation before and maybe show the resilience and stoicism of that generation as he is still working in his nineties.”

Why Trooping the Colour is King Charles’s official birthday parade

Trooping the Colour is the monarch’s official birthday parade and one of the biggest fixtures in the royal calendar.

The ceremony takes place in central London and traditionally includes a military parade, a carriage procession and an RAF flypast watched by the Royal Family from the Buckingham Palace balcony.

Although King Charles was born in November, like previous monarchs he celebrates an official birthday in summer, when the weather is more suitable for a large public event.

King Charles’ brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was also absent from the balcony. Hours before the ceremony began, he was photographed nearby with what the report described as a bruised face.

He has been lying low amid growing scrutiny over his February arrest and his past links to late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Read more: Trooping the Colour 2026: Princess Anne’s special role and why she doesn’t dress like the other royal ladies

Andrew’s daughters Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice did not attend either, as the king continues efforts to slim down the working monarchy.