All Three Cambridge Kids Make Carriage Debuts at Trooping the Colour

Prince George Princess Charlotte Prince Louis

(Image credit: Karwai Tang / WireImage for Getty Images)

published 2 June 2022

The Platinum Jubilee—celebrating Her Majesty’s historic 70 years on the throne—is a royal first. And, in that spirit, we have another significant royal first: All three of the Cambridge kids—Prince George, 8, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, 4, made their carriage debut at the Trooping the Colour parade this morning.

Kate Middleton Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall

Riding across from their mother, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, the Cambridge three waved at crowds assembled as they rode in the carriage down the Mall. Kate wore a white dress—a rewear!—from Alexander McQueen and a white and blue Philip Treacy hat, while her three children coordinated in blue. George wore a suit, white collared shirt, and blue tie, Charlotte donned a blue dress with sheer sleeves, and Louis wore a sailor-inspired white and blue outfit.

Though her actual birthday is in April, Trooping the Colour is the annual public celebration of the Queen’s birthday, held each year in June. This Trooping the Colour is extra significant, as it not only celebrates Her Majesty’s 96th birthday, but also her groundbreaking 70 years on the throne.

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For context, the Cambridge kids’ father Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, made his own carriage debut in 1987, just weeks ahead of his fifth birthday, per PEOPLE. And the blue color theme was present even then, as the young prince wore a pale blue coat as he rode with his mother, Princess Diana, and his great-grandmother the Queen Mother, originally sitting across from them before switching to a spot between the two women (as PEOPLE suggests, perhaps for a better front-facing view). Prince Harry was four as well when he made his Trooping the Colour debut, riding alongside his brother, mother, and great-grandmother.

And, though this is the first time George, Charlotte, and Louis have taken part in the carriage procession, all of them have taken part in the Buckingham Palace balcony appearance to watch the Royal Air Force flypast.

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.