The Duke and Duchess of Clarence

Chapter Twenty-Two: Trooping the Colour 2023

17th of June 2023 - Horse Guards Parade, London

The parade began at 11 am, marking the first time since 1986 that the monarch had ridden on horseback during the ceremony. 

The King was accompanied on horseback by William, Prince of Wales, Prince Simon, Duke of Clarence, Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, and Anne, Princess Royal. 

Senior members of the royal family, including Queen Camilla, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Princess Adeline, Duchess of Clarence and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, rode in carriages to the Horse Guards Parade. 

All five regiments of the Foot Guards participated in the parade, alongside the two regiments of the Household Cavalry. 

The colour was trooped by the Welsh Guards. 

The parade was the first following a shift in honorary colonelcies in the Foot Guards in December 2022. 

Queen Camilla replaced Prince Andrew, Duke of York as colonel of the Grenadier Guards, while Prince William became colonel of the Welsh Guards. 

The Princess of Wales took her husband's former role as colonel of the Irish Guards. 

The Duke of Edinburgh rode in his capacity as colonel of the London Guards, a reserve regiment formed in May 2022 and the Duke of Clarence rode in his capacity as colonel of the Scots Guard. 

The parade also saw the attendance of the King's grandchildren by his eldest son and only daughter; the seven children all on display for the event. 

After a busy May, there was no doubt that the coming summer holidays was a much needed break for the family; everyone eager to unwind and relax after everything that had happened in the past few weeks. 

The success of the Coronation was not forgotten and everyone was relieved that it had gone so well especially after how the rest of the month had played out. 

It was the moment that many would agree that Harry and Meghan had gone too far, the very idea that they had staged a car chase much like the one that had cost Diana had her life nearly twenty-six years earlier. 

The couple had released a statement stating that the "relentless pursuit" lasted for more than two hours and resulted in "multiple near collisions" after they had attended an aware ceremony with Meghan's mother. 

It followed claims the chase involved half a dozen cars, with reckless driving including going through red lights, driving on the pavement, carrying out blocking moves, and reversing down a one-way street - as well as taking photographs while driving.

However, the images that had been shown from that evening were a far cry from what the couple were claiming; having ditched their security car with blacked out windows for a taxi that was caught in the busy traffic of New York City. 

The images that were released show not panic or fear as the couple claimed, even the taxi driver who didn't think the paparazzi were that aggressive and that they kept a distance from the taxi in the event that took around 10 minutes not the 2 hours that the Sussexes were claiming. 

William and Adeline had agreed that there was no coming back for Harry now, they would never forgive him for what he had done and they wanted nothing to do with him even when Meghan was done for him. 

The attacks had been one thing but to see him stage an accident like the one that had killed their mother was enough for them to never wish to speak with him again. 

Adeline and William were contented with their decision, they would not allow Harry to think that after everything that he had done that he could come back and act like all was well.