The Royal Family are arriving at Buckingham Palace ahead of Trooping the Colour, the King's birthday parade
King Charles and Queen Camilla will join the military procession as it makes its way along The Mall - here's how to watch
The annual event marks the sovereign's official birthday. More than 1,400 troops are expected to take part - a 41-gun royal salute will greet the King before he sets off
Later, the King will be joined by members of the Royal Family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for a Red Arrows flypast
The balcony is dressed and is being cleaned ahead of its big moment, our royal correspondent Sarah Campbell reports from The Mall
And our reporter at the event has spoken to royal watchers who have travelled across the pond for a glimpse of the King and Queen
Tinshui Yeung
Live reporter, at The Mall
The parade has begun.
Troops are marching at The Mall to the sound of military music, while people raise their mobile phones as if saluting the flags and soldiers.
Children are shouting, with a few lucky ones perched on their parents’ shoulders.
Some adults have climbed on to the railings for a better view.
In front of me, two women with Union Jacks around their necks sit quietly and watch.
Image source, Reuters
Image source, Wire Image
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, ReutersThe BBC's live television coverage of Trooping the Colour is getting under way now with correspondents along The Mall and outside Buckingham Palace.
You can watch all the action on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, or click watch live at the top of this page.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe Prince and Princess of Wales have been pictured arriving at Buckingham Palace ahead of the parade.
They are accompanied by their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Simon King
Lead weather presenter, BBC Weather
The weather looks ideal for Trooping the Colour, with lots of sunshine developing in central London through Saturday morning and temperatures rising to 21C.
Trooping the Colour hasn’t been cancelled due to the weather since 1948 when severe storms were forecast - but never materialised - and so we’ve often seen the parade take place regardless of pouring rain or scorching heat.
An RAF flypast is more susceptible to weather conditions where cloud, wind and poor visibility can result in certain aircraft not taking part in a scaled-down formation.
However, weather won’t be a problem for the RAF this year.
Tinshui Yeung
Live reporter, at The Mall
Image source, BBC/Tinshui YeungTim and his family have travelled from Leicester for the event
"It's important to bring him and her and show them what's going on," Tim from Leicester tells me, pointing at his two young children.
He says that for him, the Royal Family means a lot, and he is glad he can see them today.
"Historically, they are very important to us," he says. "It's much better than having a president."
Image source, BBC/Tinshui YeungOwen came with his family from Hertfordshire - he's most excited for the flypast
Meanwhile, Owen's family from Hertfordshire have also brought him all the way to Buckingham Palace for the event.
He tells me he is a "big fan" of the Royal Family, but his heart also soars for aviation.
"I like Spitfires and Lancaster bombers," he says.
The moment he is most looking forward to - no surprises here - is when the Royal Family appears on the balcony for the flypast.
As a reminder, both the King and the Princess of Wales have received cancer diagnoses in recent years.
In January last year, Catherine revealed she was in remission after being diagnosed in 2024 and temporarily stepping back from public life.
Earlier this month, she visited a specialist cancer unit in Manchester and was seen hugging a young mother who had completed her course of chemotherapy.
King Charles, meanwhile, shared back in December that his treatment would be reducing this year following an early diagnosis and "effective intervention".
The types of cancer they were diagnosed with have not been publicly revealed.
Daniela Relph
Chief royal correspondent, reporting from The Mall
This will be the fourth official birthday parade for the King as monarch.
He attended his first Trooping the Colour when he was three years old in 1951.
He no longer takes part on horseback as he did for decades as Prince of Wales.
The King is now 77 and living with cancer so we will see him today travelling in a carriage with Queen Camilla.
Trooping the Colour will be broadcast live on BBC One from 10:30 BST.
The ceremony's official website, citing the Radio Times, says the BBC first broadcast the event live on radio in 1926.
The first live BBC television broadcast of Trooping the Colour was in 1939 and the second in 1947.
Since 1949, the BBC has broadcast the event annually - with the exception of 1955, when the parade was cancelled due to a railway strike.
Sarah Campbell
Royal correspondent, reporting from The Mall
National and international media have set up opposite the palace.
As far as pomp and pageantry are concerned, Trooping the Colour has it all - as well as the Royal Family!
And that makes it of huge interest to global audiences.
Image source, BBC/Sarah Campbell
Image source, ReutersThe Red Arrows fly over Buckingham Palace at last year's celebration
The Trooping the Colour route begins at Buckingham Palace before processing along The Mall to Horse Guards Parade and returning to the palace.
An online ballot , externalfor tickets for the seated stands on Horse Guards Parade closed in late March, but big crowds are expected to line the edges of St James's Park and The Mall to watch the spectacle.
Members of the Royal Family gather at Buckingham Place for the RAF flypast at 13:00 from the iconic Red Arrows.
It's a moment usually met with cheers from thousands of onlookers.
Image source, ReutersMembers of the Royal Family wave to crowds from the balcony at the Trooping the Colour ceremony in June 2025
Tinshui Yeung
Live reporter, at The Mall
Is it just coincidence? I’m trying to talk to people at random - and the second one I meet is also from the US.
Karenna Tinnion from Mississippi tells me she’s in the UK primarily for Harry Styles, who is currently performing a record-breaking run of shows at Wembley Stadium.
She says that in the US "we always idolise the Royal Family".
She grew up watching Prince William and Catherine get married, and carry their children out of hospital.
So now she’s very excited. "I am hoping to see a few members of the Royal Family pass by. Fingers crossed... I will get to see at least one member of the family, right?"
Image source, BBC/Tinshui Yeung
Image source, PA/BBCKevin Sinfield is knighted while Malorie Blackman and Julia Donaldson are made dames
As part of the celebrations for the King's official birthday, we've also seen the release of the annual King's Birthday Honours list.
Rugby league star Kevin Sinfield, who has raised millions of pounds for charities tackling motor neurone disease after his teammate Rob Burrow was diagnosed with the condition in 2019, is knighted.
Children's authors Malorie Blackman and Julia Donaldson are made dames.Their best-known works - The Gruffalo and Noughts & Crosses - have both been adapted for the screen.
Peter Lord and David Sproxton - the founders of Aardman Aninmations, the studio behind Wallace & Gromit and Chicken Run - are also knighted.
You can read more about who has been honoured in our story here.
Sarah Campbell
Royal correspondent, reporting from The Mall
The large Royal Standard used for ceremonial occasions is now flying above Buckingham Palace.
This is the personal flag of the monarch, and is flown when the King is present at royal residences.
Image source, BBC/Sarah CampbellWhether you're among the crowds along The Mall today or are marking the King's official birthday by watching the parade from the comfort of your own home, we want to hear from you.
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Lt Col Charles Foinette will be leading the parade during today's Trooping the Colour.
The brigade major tells BBC Breakfast that regiments taking part in the procession have been left "sunburned" and "nearly drowned" during rehearsals as the weather seesawed over the past week.
But he says today's conditions are "as good as it gets".
Col Foinette explains that he will be focused on getting his timings exactly right during the ceremony and holding his strong-willed horse back.
"We get on quite well but one has to keep a little bit of an eye on what they're up to," he says.
Col Foinette also points out that the troops on parade are fighting soldiers and carry the rifles they fight with during the event.
"It is not unusual for soldiers to be crawling up a rainy ditch in South Wales and the next day having scrubbed the mud off their weapons, be on parade to change the guard. That is normal for us."
Tinshui Yeung
Live reporter, at The Mall
Hello from The Mall - I’m soaking up the sunshine here and I hope you’re out there enjoying this beautiful day, too.
It’s still over an hour until the event kicks off, but people are already gathering.
I’ve just spoken to Corrigan Gommenginger, one of the first to arrive. He told me he was here at 04:00 today. And yes, he’s come all the way from Seattle, Washington for the event.
"I love the royal family. They do a lot of great things for the country. They inspire people to do good things for humanity and for the world," he says.
No surprise at his enthusiasm - this isn’t his first royal rodeo. He got his crown back at the coronation a few years ago.
"I'm hoping to see the royal family and their carriages, and the horses, and the military today," he tells me.
Image source, BBC/Tinshui YeungCorrigan Gommenginger snagged his crown at the King's coronation
Sarah Campbell
Royal correspondent, reporting from The Mall
The balcony is officially dressed, and vacuuming is under way.
Image source, BBC/Sarah Campbell
Image source, ReutersA palace staff member vacuums the balcony ahead of the Red Arrows flypast
Image source, Getty ImagesTrooping the Colour will see more than 1,400 officers and soldiers march down The Mall in an event marking the official birthday of the King.
Here's what to expect from the coming hours:
BBC One begins its live coverage of Trooping the Colour at 10:30 BST - full details of how you can watch the parade are here.
You can also follow along in this live blog by clicking the watch live button at the top of this page when coverage begins on BBC One.
If you can’t see it live - you can catch up with highlights on BBC Two on Saturday evening at 19:05.
Last year’s ceremony highlights can be seen on BBC iPlayer.
