King Charles III Hopes To Revive A Former Tradition For His First 'Trooping The Colour'

King Charles III is all about making history! Like his unique coronation, the new monarch of the British empire plans on restoring an old tradition at his first birthday parade.

The former Prince of Wales has been breaking records before his ascension to the throne following the death of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II. He formerly held the title of the longest-serving heir apparent, and he is the oldest person to become King in British history.

During his crowning ceremony, the 74-year-old donned some of his predecessors' precious vestiges and received shards of the true cross from Pope Francis. After making waves with these phenomenal achievements, the father of two is ready to saddle a horse in style.

As shared by PEOPLE, Buckingham Palace announced that the Head of the Commonwealth realms would play an active role in his upcoming birthday parade. The royal affair, scheduled for June 17, shall occur in London.

Thanks to the King's willingness to ride at the annual Trooping the Colour procession, the event shall mark the first time a British monarch has saddled up for the parade since 1986. The last person to carry out the stellar act was the late Queen Elizabeth II, who rode on her beloved horse Burmese.

After her iconic moment, the former ruler of the empire skipped horse riding for a carriage. In 2003, the monarch's deceased husband, Prince Philip, retired from his saddle to join his spouse. Nevertheless, the mother of four reportedly remained devoted to her equestrian pursuits well into her 90s.

The 96-year-old's love for horses and horseback riding was passed down to some of her children and grandchildren, including King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince William. The mentioned individuals have all ridden in the royal procession, showing impressive skills.

The annual Trooping the Colour procession was not held in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID pandemic. At the upcoming Saturday affair, King Charles's first event as a monarch, the father of two shall be honored as ceremonial head of the Grenadier Guards, Welsh Guards, Irish Guards, Blues and Royals, Life Guards, and Coldstream Guards.

As for his role in the parade, the 74-year-old would ride from Buckingham Palace to The Mall to Horse Guard's Parade at St. James’ Park, covering almost a mile on horseback. At his stop, the environmentalist shall be greeted by a Royal Salute before inspecting the troops representing the regiments.

Additionally, the Global Environmental Citizen Award recipient, his wife, Queen Camilla, and other royal family members would enjoy a presentation from the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards. The group shall "troop their color" or present their flag as shared by the Palace.

The soldiers shall from the regiment in which Princess Anne serves as Colonel-in-Chief, the Blues and Royals, shall also escort the former Prince of Wales alongside troops from the Life Guards. After the parade, the King and his relatives shall return to Buckingham Palace, either on horseback or by horse-drawn carriage.

Once at their royal residence, the group shall enjoy the rest of the Trooping the Colour festivities on the Palace's balcony. They would watch a March Past before turning to the sky for a flypast from the Royal Air Force.

With the parade coming in days, the rehearsals for the monarch's first birthday procession as King are underway but it hasn't been entirely positive. Per reports, a band member reportedly fainted on Saturday, June 10, losing consciousness while training for the upcoming Trooping the Colour procession. 

During the practice session in London, the soldier passed out from the extreme heat conditions. However, the unidentified male stayed true to his position, regaining consciousness moments later to continue playing his trombone.

Despite his interest in fighting until the end, the soldier was thankfully taken away for medical assistance. The trooper's commitment to rehearsing under the unfavorable conditions touched Prince William's heart.

The Prince of Wales gave a special shout-out to all the band members and soldiers practicing for his father's birthday parade on the official Prince and Princess of Wales' Twitter account. The royal's message read,

"A big thank you to every soldier who took part in the Colonel’s Review this morning in the heat. Difficult conditions, but you all did a really good job. Thank you. W."