Royal fans buoyed by the news of the King’s improving health will be able to enjoy this year’s Trooping the Colour on June 15 – here’s how you can watch if you can’t make it to London
The iconic Red Arrows will once soar across our skies to celebrate the birthday of monarch, and this year will be even more special with King Charles’ diagnosis originally casting uncertainty over the event.
Every year, the streets of London are lined with royal fans waving flags for the spectacular, which features 1,400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians. This year’s celebration, due to be held on June 15, was thrown into doubt with the shock confirmation of the King’s cancer battle in February.
The official flypast with the Red Arrows will go over Buckingham Palace after Trooping the Colour, and it will feature the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight which includes a Lancaster bomber, usually flanked by 12 other aircraft – Spitfires, Hurricanes, a Dakota and a couple of DHC-1 Chipmunks.
More aircraft are yet to be confirmed but are sure to be involved. The website Military Airshows has shown the route that the aircraft are set to take and MyLondon has pulled together this info to show the route below.
RAF flypast route
There will be restrictions on airspace as the aircraft make their way to Buckingham Palace. The route crosses multiple counties before entering London scheduled for 12.40pm.
It starts with the aircraft amassing over the water just off the coast of Suffolk around 11am. They will then come onto land, through Suffolk heading across Ipswich and then entering Essex around 12.35pm. The route goes over Colchester, then down past Chelmsford.
The aircraft will enter London from the North East, typically flying over the Hainault before making their way into the capital’s centre via Stratford. This is expected at the earliest at 12.40pm with the flyover at Buckingham Palace scheduled for 1pm.
After Buckingham Palace the planes exit the city through the North West. At this stage the exact route over the city is vague so more places in London may get a chance to see the aircraft overhead.
How to watch
You can head to Buckingham Palace to watch the whole parade for Trooping the Colour and can stand on The Mall or on the edge of St James’s Park overlooking Horse Guards Parade. You can also purchase seating in the grandstand surrounding Horse Guards Parade.
The whole show will also be broadcast live on the BBC if you would like to watch from the comfort of your home.
