King Charles and Queen Camilla led the official birthday parade in London in the Ascot Landau carriage, accompanied by the royal family

He may be the British monarch and one of the most famous figures in the world, but King Charles firmly showed where his priorities lie during Trooping The Colour on Saturday.

Shortly after setting off down the Mall from Buckingham Palace, the monarch, 77, showed his soft side as he was concerned that his wife, Queen Camilla, wasn’t entirely comfortable in the Ascot Landau carriage.

Watch the moment the King made sure all was in order and prioritised her comfort even before he began waving to crowds who had flocked to see the monarch’s official birthday parade. 

The romantic gesture between the couple was highlighted by the fact that they were wearing matching red ensembles. The King wore the uniform of the trooping regiment, the Grenadier Guards, while his wife of 21 years opted for a Fiona Clare dress, a Philip Treacy black beret, and a Grenadier Guards brooch.

The King and Queen tied the knot in 2005 in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall as they’d both been married before.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive in the Ascot Landau carriage for the Trooping the Colour ceremony© PA Images via Getty Images
King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive in the Ascot Landau carriage for the Trooping the Colour ceremony

Special carriage requirements

Though the King was prioritising Queen Camilla’s comfort on Saturday, he has requirements of his own when riding in the official carriages.

At the funeral of the late Queen in 2022, it was reported that he took a special silk cushion with him to help ease his discomfort from back pain.

The King and Queen were celebrating the sovereign's official birthday© Andrew Parsons / Buckingham Palace
The King and Queen were celebrating the sovereign’s official birthday

The Daily Mail reported that his back pain makes it difficult for him to sit for more than an hour.

Graham Tinsley MBE, former manager of the Welsh Culinary Team, confirmed to HELLO! that Charles does indeed require a special cushion.

He said: “Wherever he goes for a banquet, he always takes a few things with him to be placed on his table. He always takes a little silver Maldon sea salt container, and his favourite cushion.”

The King’s official birthday parade

Saturday’s Trooping is the fourth official parade for King Charles as monarch, after he took the throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth, in 2022.

It is also the 80th anniversary of the formation of the Riding Troop, today known as The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery.

Princess Kate in the carriage with her three kids© Samir Hussein/WireImage
The Princess of Wales and her children attended Trooping

The famous Trooping the Colour event sees military pomp and pageantry put on display in the heart of the capital.

The Princess of Wales and her children joined the Queen and thousands of spectators at Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall to view the spectacle featuring some of the nation’s most prestigious regiments.

Future king Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, eight, watched their grandfather from the first-floor window of the Duke of Wellington’s former office overlooking the parade ground in central London.

The King’s actual birthday is on November 14, when he will turn 78.

SOURCE: https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/907164/king-charles-pauses-duties-loving-gesture-queen-camilla-trooping-the-colour/