It is customary for Queen Elizabeth II to mark her official birthday with a special event known as the Trooping the Color parade. It is an annual program which Royal family members attend. They watch the proceedings from the balcony of Buckingham Palace. This year, both Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle were there. Last year, they were there as newlyweds, this year they were as parents. It was Meghan’s first public appearance since she became a mother.
Los Angeles Times reports about the Trooping the Color parade. It consists of thousands of soldiers in traditional dress who march past The Queen in a ceremony watched by the people who gather in large numbers.
Members of the Royal family also enjoy the ceremonies, especially the fly-past of aircraft. This year, those present included Prince Charles and his sons Prince William and Prince Harry, accompanied by their wives. There were also Kates’ three children. It was debut time for Prince Louis, who is Kate’s youngest child.
Meghan Markle makes her debut public appearance since the birth of her son, Archie, at the Trooping the Color parade, marking Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday. Members of Britain's royal family gathered on the Buckingham Palace balcony to watch the Royal Air Force flypast. pic.twitter.com/6eVbzzodCu
— The Voice of America (@VOANews) June 8, 2019
The Queen and her birthday
Queen Elizabeth II celebrates two birthdays every year.
The first is her actual birthday, which falls on April 21. It is usually a family affair where close family members participate. The second one is an official ceremony invariably held in June. It is that time of the year where the weather is good and ideal for Trooping the Color parade. That allows spectators who assemble in nearby St.
James's park and later walk down to Buckingham Palace to enjoy the parade and fly-past of aircraft.
Meghan Markle's First Major Post-Baby Outing at Trooping the Colour 2019 Looked Like a Lot of Funhttps://t.co/s9NcfwYypY pic.twitter.com/z0oasdltp8
— TIME (@TIME) June 8, 2019
Los Angeles Times goes on to add that it was a busy week for the Queen.
She was there at the global event of the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings. However, the 93-year-old monarch did not appear to be tired. She was her usual self as she waved and smiled to the crowd.
Meghan Markle is back
According to News AU, Meghan Markle has come back from maternity leave following the birth of son Archie on May 6. She was there in the midst of the Royal family to celebrate all the pomp and ceremony of the Trooping of the Color with Queen Elizabeth II in London. Incidentally, Meghan was not visible at a state banquet for Donald Trump at Buckingham Palace during his state visit. It seems there was some awkward incident in the past before Trump was elected that led to a rift between them.
Anyway, the Trooping the Color parade event was a gorgeous one with thousands of soldiers, hundreds of horses and musicians who marched in measured steps to present a grand spectacle. Prince Charles and Prince William had donned their uniforms and arrived on horseback to participate in the parade. Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, will be celebrating his 98th birthday on Monday. However, he retired from official public duties and did not attend. Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton sat opposite each other in the same carriage. There are rumors in the media about some rift between them but there was nothing to substantiate that line of thinking. Meghan has a special rapport with the Queen.