Trooping The Colour 2025: When Is It? What's It About? How Do You Get Tickets?

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Last Updated 05 February 2025

Trooping The Colour 2025: When Is It? What's It About? How Do You Get Tickets?

Trooping the Colour is a regal slice of London pomp and ceremony that harks back to the time of Charles II. Though not for everyone, it's a well-known London tradition and a big draw for tourists. If it's up your alley, here's what you need to know.

Trooping the Colour tickets 2025: A regimental ceremony taking place at Horseguards Parade
Atten-shun! Image: Corporal Paul Shaw/MOD via creative commons

What are these colours you speak of and why are they being trooped?

Two excellent questions. The 'colours' in this case are the various flags or standards held aloft by military regiments. Back in the days of hand-to-hand battlefield combat, these colours were a proud proclamation of who was fighting and also a useful visual aid for soldiers prone to losing their way in the melee.

For a long time now, Trooping the Colour has been a ceremony to mark the Sovereign's birthday (the one they all celebrate in June, rather than Charles' human birthday which is on 14 November). The five regiments of Foot Guards (Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish and Welsh Guards) take it in turns to parade in front of the monarch in a highly-orchestrated inspection on Horse Guards Parade.

Each ceremony entails around 1,200-2,350 soldiers plus hundreds of horses and musicians.

Trooping the Colour tickets 2025: The Queen riding a horse next to her husband
Queen Elizabeth II doing her last Trooping the Colour on horseback, in 1986. Image: Sandpiper via creative commons

When did Trooping the Colour first take place?

Charles II was the first monarch to preside over it, although it wasn't until 1748 that Trooping the Colour was used to mark the sovereign's (i.e. George II) birthday. In 1760, the year King George III acceded to the throne, it became an annual thing.

Queen Elizabeth attended almost all of her Trooping the Colours, missing just 1955 (rail strikes) and 2020 (you-know-what).

Trooping the Colour tickets 2025: Soldiers in red and bearskin hats lined up with rifles
1,350+ troops take part in the spectacle. Image: Jon via creative commons

When is Trooping the Colour 2025?

There are actually three ceremonies:

  • The Major General's Review (Saturday 24 May 2025). It's a first rehearsal. 2025 tickets on sale soon.
  • The Colonel's Review (Saturday 7 June 2025). The second rehearsal. 2025 tickets on sale soon.
  • The King's Birthday Parade (Saturday 14 June 2025). This is the biggie, which traditionally sees the King ride on horseback* from Buckingham Palace down The Mall to Horse Guards Parade. Here the troops march slowly past the King, while he inspects the colours. The King then rides back up The Mall to Buckingham Palace, where he and family usually assemble on the balcony. 250 soldiers from the Foot Guards line the processional route along The Mall on 14 June too, and the special birthday ceremony is rounded off with a flyover from the RAF at lunchtime. Spiffing stuff. 2025 ballot now open.

*Given the King's age and recent state of health, it's more likely he'll travel by carriage.

Trooping the Colour tickets 2025: Troops lining up in Horse Guards Parade
There are actually three Trooping the Colour ceremonies. Image: Ibagli via creative commons

What time is Trooping the Colour?

If the time are the same as in recent years, for each of the above ceremonies, the parade begins at Horse Guards at 10.30am and finishes by 12.25pm. (Just make sure you stick around for that flyover on 14 June.)

How do I get tickets for Trooping the Colour?

You can buy tickets for Trooping the Colour for £5-£30 depending on which one you attend, and whether you're sitting or standing. Tickets for the King's Birthday Parade are available via ballot only, and you can apply for a maximum of four seated tickets per person at £30 each. The 2025 ballot for seated tickets is now open, until midday on Monday 24 March. Successful applicants will be informed by 25 March. Tickets for wheelchair and standing spots go on sale 26 March.

Is there a free option?

Absolutely. Just turn up to The Mall/the north east corner of St James's Park on any of the three dates, and you can watch without handing over a dime. While you might struggle to get a good view of the actual Trooping the Colour, you should be able to catch some of the parading up and down The Mall. If you're tall enough/get there early enough, anyway.

And is it on TV?

Yes, the King's Birthday Parade on 14 June 2025 will be broadcast on the BBC from around 10am.

Trooping the Colour tickets 2025: Kate, Camilla, Harry and Meghan in a carriage
Kate has now resumed royal duties, but may or may not be at one of the 2025 events. Image: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from Washington D.C, United States via creative commons

And is it on TV?

Yes, the King's Birthday Parade on 14 June 2025 will be broadcast on the BBC from around 10am.

Will Kate be at Trooping the Colour 2025?

Rumours swirled around last year, when the British Army suggested the Princess of Wales would attend a Trooping the Colour ceremony on 8 June, only to later remove this claim from its website. As it turned out, the 2024 ceremony on 15 June saw the Princess of Wales' first public outing since her cancer diagnosis. Will she be at one of the 2025 ceremonies? Our guess would be yes, but at this time that's purely Londonist conjecture.