It’s that time of year again! The British Royal Family gathered for Trooping the Colour, one of the biggest banner events in the royal calendar. For the uninitiated, TTC is a military display put on by regiments of British and Commonwealth armies. Each year, the Royal Family processes in a public parade and then watches the fly past from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
Part of why I – and many others – enjoy this event is not only getting to see the entire family gather in one place, but the photos that come out each year are one of the best ways to mark how the RF changes over time. Last year, of course, was the Duchess of Sussex’s first time attending, coming on the heels of her wedding. This year, it was our first time seeing Meghan since she and the Duke introduced Baby Archie to the public last month.
This year was also Prince Louis’s introduction. He was spotted with his siblings, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, watching the parade from a window in BP, and then made his balcony debut, splitting his time in the arms of his parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Interestingly, last year Harry and Meghan were in a carriage by themselves, while the Duchess of Cornwall and Kate shared another. This year, all four rode together (with William participating on horseback). I think two things are going on – having Harry and Meghan ride solo last year was a nod to the public’s excitement over their marriage, and having them ride with Camilla and Kate this year is a good display of family unity in the wake of a lot of negative press.
As she nearly always does, Kate chose Alexander McQueen for the day. This time it was a bespoke yellow dress paired with a Philip Treacy hat. I loved the color, particularly paired with the hat, which we’ve seen before, but while I think the dress was necessarily “royal” for the occasion, I’m not sure how I’d feel about it on its own. One of the challenging things about judging Trooping the Colour fashion is that you never get a great look at anything.
I will say, though, that while it was nice to see Meghan today, I’m giving a thumb’s down to the fashion. The short-sleeved coat and dress are Givenchy, and the color and cut are not only classically Meghan, but I think, in this case, particularly roomy to account for HRH having recently given birth. And that’s totally fine – it’s the color that’s killing me. This is such a classically late spring/early summer event and most of the women opt for pastels, pinks, and other light colors. The navy feels a touch out of place.
On the balcony she ditched the jacket to reveal the white and navy color blocking, but it didn’t help in my opinion, so let’s just keep it moving 😉
Other attendees included Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank. She shared a carriage with him and her sister, Princess Beatrice.
The Earl and Countess of Wessex were also there with their children, Lady Louise and the Viscount Severn.
And alongside the Princess Royal and her husband, Timothy Laurence, were her son, Peter Philipps, and his wife, Autumn, and their two daughters, Savannah and Isla.
All in all, a successful outing for the family, and Louis is absolutely adorable. We’ll next see Kate on Tuesday, so see you then.