2015 Trooping the Colour

Today (June 13, 2015), almost the entire British royal family turned out to officially celebrate the Queen's birthday t the annual Trooping the Colour ceremony. Her Majesty turned 89 years old on April 21 but the celebration is always held on the second Saturday in June for better weather.

Trooping the Colour is carried out by the Household Division (Foot Guards and Household Cavalry) of which Her Majesty is Colonel-in-Chief, and this year, as they mark their centenary, The Queen’s Colour of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards was carried down the ranks, or 'trooped'.

 

 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh riding in a carriage during the Trooping the Colour processional.

 

 

 
 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh inspecting soliders during the Trooping the Colour processional.

Crowds gathered in front of Buckingham Palace to watch the Trooping the Colour flyover.

 

 

 Prince George waving good-bye to the crowds as he left a balcony at Buckingham Palace 
after watching the Trooping the Colour flyover.

L-R: Prince Andrew, the Duchess of Cambridge, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, waiting for the Trooping the Colour flyover
 
 

For today's Trooping the Colour, the Duchess of Cambridge wore an ivory and blue silk 'Astrid' coatdress by Catherine Walker. The new piece featured a contemporary pencil line and a rounded collar. Kate accessorized the outfit with a blonde £895 'Marisabel' hat, handcrafted by Sylvia Fletcher, Lock Hatters leading milliner. The hat was sculpted using sinamay and finished with a curled feather in a matching tone.

 

The Duchess of Cornwall, the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry riding in a carriage during the Trooping the Colour processional.

 

Prince George, being held by Nanny Maria, watching the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge 
participate in Trooping the Colour from a Buckingham Palace window.

 

Trooping The Color: The British royal family in 1984 and 2015. Prince George wore the same outfit Prince William wore in the top photo. Both future kings were two years old when the pictures were taken.

Like father, like son! Prince William in 1984 and Prince George in 2015, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for Trooping the Colour, both wearing the same outfit.

 

Prince Harry on June 11, 1988, and Prince George on June 13, 2015, watching the Trooping 
the Colour ceremony from Buckingham Palace.

Prince George holds baby sister Princess Charlotte in family pictures taken by Kate Middleton.

Four photographs taken by the Duchess of Cambridge of her two children Prince George and Princess Charlotte are published today

Members of the public have been invited to share in Princess Charlotte's christening this Sunday by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The royal couple have asked for the paddock outside St MaryMagdalene Church, Sandringham, to be opened to the public so they can see the baby before and after her baptism. The church itself will be open to invited guests only, but thousands of people are expected to turn out for a rare opportunity to see the fourth in line to the throne.

It will be the first time in living memory that the christening of such a senior member of the Royal family has involved the public in any way.

When Prince George was christened two years ago, the ceremony was held in the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace, meaning there was no access to the public at all. The same was true of Prince William, the Prince of Wales and the Queen, who were all christened at Buckingham Palace, and Prince Harry, who was baptised at Windsor Castle. 

But for Princess Charlotte's christening, Kensington Palace said that: "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be pleased to welcome well-wishers into the paddock outside the church. "The Duke and Duchess are hugely grateful for the warm wishes they have received since Princess Charlotte's birth - many of them from local people in Norfolk - and are delighted the paddock can be opened on the day of the christening." 

Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana.

The royal baby has a name! It is Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. She will be known as Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge.

Why is the royal baby's name Charlotte? Meaning, history, namesakes and surname

 

 

Two days after her arrival into the world the new princess's name has been officially announced today. Weighing 8lb 3oz, Charlotte, the name given to the newest member of the Royal Family, was short odds with the bookies.

An official statement released this afternoon said: "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted to announce that they have named their daughter Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. "The baby will be known as Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge."

Charlotte's parents are understood to have had a few ideas for names in mind and waited to confirm which one was right for their daughter, possibly conferring with their family when they visited. But the decision of what to call their second child was William and Kate's alone, and the name was chosen simply because they liked it.

Her middle names were chosen in honour of Charlotte's great-grandmother the Queen, and her late grandmother Princess Diana. So after keeping a joyous nation waiting, why did they settle on Charlotte?

Predecessor: Born Sophia, Queen Charlotte adopted the name given to the royal baby

 

It is thought William and Kate may have chosen Charlotte - the feminine version of Charles - in honour of the Duke's father, the Prince of Wales.

The name has historic royal links having already had a Queen Charlotte and Princess Charlottes - although they were all several hundreds of years ago. Although born Sophie in 1744, Queen Charlotte, who was married to George III, shunned her Christian name to go by the title. She was Queen of Great Britain and Ireland from their marriage in 1761 until the union of the two kingdoms in 1801, after which she was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until her death in 1818.

Historical link: Charlotte, Princess Royal, was born in 1766

 

In 1766 Queen Charlotte gave birth to a daughter, who she called Charlotte. She was known as the Princess Royal. The daughter of George IV and Caroline of Brunswick was Princess Charlotte of Wales.

Born in 1796, had she outlived both her grandfather King George III and her father, she would have become Queen. However, she died following aged just 21 in 1817 following childbirth, leading to a mass outpouring of national grief.

And it could be that Kate wanted to include her family's heritage in the naming process as well, with Charlotte being the middle name of her sister Pippa.

Tragic: Princess Charlotte of Wales died aged just 21 following childbirth

 

Surname

Royals don't tend to use their surnames much - Prince William is known as Captain Wales in the army for example.

His father Charles is the Prince of Wales so William grew up as Prince William of Wales in the same way his son is Prince George of Cambridge. Day to day Charlotte will be known as Princess Charlotte of Cambridge. But if she does need a surname (most likely for marriage) she will be styled Mountbatten-Windsor.

 

Titles

Until a few years ago the Duke and Duchess' daughter would not have been entitled to call herself a princess.

In 1917 George V decreed that the titles HRH - and so the title prince and princess - were limited to the monarch, the children of the sovereign's sons as well as the Prince of Wales' first grandson.

If those rules had still being in force Charlotte would have been styled Lady Charlotte Mountbatten-Windsor.

However, shortly before Prince George's birth the Queen used an ancient style of legal powers to repeal the rules allowing all children of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales can carry the title HRH, meaning the newborn will be known as HRH Princess Charlotte.

 Congratulations to William and Kate!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Princess of Cambridge on Saturday makes the front pages of Newspapers.

The arrival of the Princess of Cambridge on Saturday makes the front pages of newspapers on Sunday.

" ...i think ... Princess of Cambridge looks like the Queen Elisabeth "

Bless her!

By George: I've got a sister!

Prince George has arrived at the Lindo Wing to meet his newborn sister, offering a timid wave to the gathered crowds from the hospital steps.  

The 21-month-old was driven from the family home at Kensington Palace to St Mary's Hospital by his father, Prince William, at around 4pm this afternoon. 

After being lifted out of the car and put on the ground George stretched out his arms to be lifted back up by his father before offering a timid wave to the gathered media and fans. 

The new princess was born at 8.34am today weighing 8lbs and 3oz less than three hours after the Duchess of Cambridge was admitted to hospital. 

A shy wave from Prince George as he arrives with William to visit Kate Middleton and the royal baby

Both Kate, 33, and her newborn daughter were said to have been 'doing well' when the news came shortly after 11am today. The baby, whose name is not yet known, will be known as Her Royal Highness Princess of Cambridge. 

 

The announcement came by way of a statement released by Kensington Palace shortly after 11am. It was then posted on the palace's official Twitter page two minutes later. 

'Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a daughter at 8.34am,' it said. 

'The baby weighs 8lbs 3oz. 'The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth. 

'The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and members of both families have been informed and are delighted with the news. 

'Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well.'

At around 12.30 a framed certificate signed by Kate's medical team was placed on an easel outside Buckingham Palace with the same words. 

The baby's name is not yet known but Alice and Charlotte are the most popular among bookmakers. 

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall released a statement this afternoon saying they were 'absolutely delighted' with the arrival of their granddaughter while the Earl of Spencer, Prince William's uncle, said: 'It's wonderful news - we are all thrilled for all four of them.'

The Prime Minister was among the first to congratulate the couple this morning writing on Twitter: 'Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their baby girl. 

'I'm absolutely delighted for them.' 

He was followed by Nick Clegg who said: 'Congratulations to the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their new baby. Miriam & I wish them all the best as their family grows.' 

William planted a kiss on his little boy's head as they waved from the steps of the Lindo Wing this afternoon before disappearing into the hospital where Kate and the newborn princess remain.

 

 

 

 

" We're very happy, 

very happy, thank you.

I'm just going to pick up George "

Prince William  

 

After telling the gathered media and fans he was 'very happy', William drove himself away from the hospital to go to collect Prince George.