According to The Sunday Times, The Queen will not receive the royal salute at this year’s Trooping the Colour.
Plans are said to be drawn up for members of the Royal Family to replace the 96-year-old Monarch for the first time in her 70-year reign.
The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and The Princess Royal are set to take a greater role in this year’s ceremony. Charles, William and Anne will ride on the parade as colonels of the Welsh Guards, the Irish Guards and the Blues and Royals, respectively.
Traditionally, Trooping the Colour takes place at Horseguards Parade, where The Queen is greeted by a royal salute before carrying out an inspection of the troops.
The outlet reports that one plan being considered by officials is Her Majesty travelling by carriage from Buckingham Palace to briefly inspect troops before making an appearance on the balcony.
Prince Charles, Prince William and Princess Anne riding at Trooping the Colour
Meanwhile, The Queen is not planning to appoint a new royal colonel of the Grenadier Guards prior to this year’s ceremony. The incumbent was The Duke of York until he handed back the role following his civil sexual assault case in the US with Virginia Giuffre. Andrew had taken over the role in 2017 after the late Duke of Edinburgh had held the post for 42 years.
Instead, Major General Roland Walker, a former commanding officer, will represent the Grenadier Guards during this year’s Trooping.
During the balcony appearance at the 2022 Trooping the Colour, the following members of the Royal Family will appear: The Queen; The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall; The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis; The Earl and Countess of Wessex and their children, Lady Louise and James; The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence; The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester; The Duke of Kent, and Princess Alexandra.
The Queen’s Birthday Parade, or Trooping the Colour is attended by almost every member of the Royal Family. Pete Maclaine / i-Images
The balcony appearance is often seen as the main attraction of any major royal occasions, including Trooping the Colour and weddings. It usually sees The Queen and her family gather to watch a fly-past and is a rare chance for royal fans to see the entire extended family together.
The news comes at a time where The Queen has pulled out of a number of major engagements in the royal calendar, including the State Opening of Parliament. Instead, Prince Charles and Prince William attended the event as her Counsellors of State.
