Striking pictures show preparations underway for king's trooping the colour

Striking pictures have captured the preparations getting underway ahead of King Charles's first Trooping the Colour later this month. The King will join members of the Royal Family to

celebrate his official birthday as Sovereign. The King and Queen Camilla will lead the historic parade in front of tens of thousands of royal fans cheering on the new King and Queen. Photos

show members of the Household Cavalry rehearsing on The Mall for the celebrations on June 17. Members of the Scots Irish and Welsh guards regiments were also photographed at Horse Guards

Parade where a temporary stand has been put up for spectators. The parade includes more than 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses and hundreds of Army musicians. Each year, a different regiment is

paraded at the Trooping the Colour - and each regiment has a colonel at the helm, who is normally either a member of the Royal Family or a senior officer within the Army The Colonel of the

Regiment for the Household Division is The King. The Princess of Wales was recently made Colonel of the Irish Guard, replacing Prince William who was made Colonel of the Welsh Guards and

Queen Camilla replaced Prince Andrew as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards. The Royal Family were out in full force to mark the occasion, with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis

all making their debut. During the celebrations, Prince Charles rode on horseback alongside Prince William and Princess Anne during the parade. The King and the Prince of Wales are expected

to ride from horseback again this year while the Princess of Wales and Queen Camilla watch from the carriages. The parade traditionally goes from Buckingham Palace, down The Mall to Horse

Guard's Parade and back with members of the Royal Family included. Following the parade, The King and Queen will appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony alongside senior members of the

Royal Family for an RAF flypast. Last year, in one of her last public appearances, the late Queen was joined by Charles, Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales to take the salute. It

is not known who will appear alongside The King and Queen this year. Last summer more than 70 aircraft - including Spitfires from World War Two and the Red Arrows - took part in a flypast,

with several jets flying together to form the number 70 in honour of the Queen’s reign