Trooping the Colour

Trooping the Colour is a military pageant or ceremony commonly performed by regiments of the Commonwealth and the British Army. It has been a tradition of British infantry regiments for centuries and it was first performed during the reign of Charles II of England. The origin of this ceremony can be traced to a time when a regiment's colours, or flags, were used as rally points for the regiment's soldiers in a the midst of chaotic battles. For this reason, regiments would frequently have their junior officers (or Ensign) march with their colours between the soldiers' ranks in slow pace during military parades so that they would recognize what their regiments' colours looked like. As regiments no longer carry their colours to battles nowadays, Trooping the Colour has become a ceremony for regiments to display their past military achievements to the general public.

Related Topics:
Military pageant - Commonwealth - British Army - Infantry - Regiments - Charles II of England - Colours - Ensign

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British Army regiments of Foot Guards and Horse Guards, collectively known as the Household Division, still Troop the Colour at Horse Guards Parade in London as part of the Queen's Birthday celebration. Known also as the King's or Queen's Birthday Parade, Trooping the Colour by the Household Division has been performed annually since 1748 (except in bad weather, periods of mourning and other exceptional circumstances). While other regiments in the British Army and the Commonwealth still Troop the Colour, they do so much less frequently than the Household Division.

Related Topics:
Foot Guards - Horse Guards - Household Division - Horse Guards Parade - London - Queen's Birthday - 1748

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