Sean Coughlan
BBC News royal correspondent

The umbrellas are out as the rain pours down outside Buckingham Palace.

At this rate it’s going to be Drooping of the Colour as well as Trooping the Colour.

As a reminder, you can stay across all of this morning's events by following along live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer coverage, which has just begun at 10:30 BST.

Highlights from the events will be broadcast later on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer from 17:50 BST.

Image source, PA Media

We're just minutes away from the carriages departing from Buckingham Palace, and already you can see members of the Irish Guards marching along The Mall, towards Horse Guards Parade.

This year it's this regiment's turn to have their flag "trooped" through the rank of soldiers in central London.

Expect some Irish music and as we just mentioned, their mascot - an Irish wolfhound - to make an appearance later.

Sarah Campbell
BBC Royal Correspondent, reporting from The Mall

Things to look out for during Trooping the Colour...

• Seamus the Irish Wolfhound - the Irish Guards is the only regiment in the Household Division to have a mascot. As a serving Guardsman, Seamus parades with a Drummer. And will be inspected before he takes his place at the front of the Regiment
• Also, beards! This is the first time in over 100 years (other than on medical or religious grounds) soldiers on parade will be allowed to wear beards.
• But there are conditions - including that it must be “full-set”, not patchy or uneven and no “exaggerated colours”
• King Charles will also conduct his review of the troops seated in an Ascot landau carriage with Queen Camilla - last year, he did this on horseback

Sean Coughlan
BBC News royal correspondent, reporting from The Mall

As we've just reported, royal cars are beginning to swing in through the gates of Buckingham Palace. They’ll then have to get ready to parade down the Mall.

Military bands are on their way ahead of them, playing music as they march up a rather soggy Mall, heading towards the inspection on Horse Guards Parade.

This will have been rehearsed down to the last step, with the bright uniforms a splash of colour in the grey rain.

Image source, Getty Images

We've just caught our first glimpse of the Princess of Wales as she rides in a car ahead of Trooping the Colour.

This is the first time Catherine has made an official appearance since announcing in March that she was having a course of preventative treatment for cancer.

It won't be our only chance to see her today as she's also due to appear on the balcony later.

We'll bring you those images and clips as we get them.

Image source, Matt Porteous

As we await for the carriages to leave Buckingham Palace in just a little over ten minutes, let's take you back to last night, when the Princess of Wales issued a statement giving an update on her cancer diagnosis that she first spoke about in a video released in March.

In yesterday’s statement, Catherine confirmed her attendance at today’s events, which will be her first public appearance since Christmas.

She’ll take part in a carriage procession with her children and will also make an appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

In yesterday’s message, Catherine outlined that she was “not out of the woods yet” and that she had “good days and bad days”.

The princess made an official appearance on Christmas Day last year – before she underwent abdominal surgery weeks later in January.

Yesterday she said she hoped to join “a few public engagements” during the summer.

You can read her full statement here.

Sean Coughlan
BBC News royal correspondent, reporting from The Mall

When the royal procession leaves Buckingham Palace later this morning, one of the most visible sights will be a protest by anti-monarchists.

They have big yellow "Not my King" flags waving at the Buckingham Palace end of The Mall.

The Republic group had complained earlier in the week that there had been efforts to block their protest. But they are here and loudly chanting their opposition.

Although it’s understood that they’re not allowed to use amplified sound.

They might have been boosted by this week’s British Social Attitudes report, which showed a dip in public support for the monarchy.

Preparations are well underway for this morning's events.

And with that, we've pulled together a few pictures so you can see what's happening at The Mall and on the balcony at Buckingham Palace.

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Today’s pageantry will begin around 10:00 this morning – with soldiers making their way down to Horse Guards Parade.

The parade will form up there around half an hour later, at approximately 10:30. Then the King will travel down The Mall from Buckingham Palace, escorted by the Household Cavalry.

As the clock strikes 11:00, the royal procession begins, with the King taking a salute from officers and inspecting the troops lined up on Horse Guards Parade.

Around 20 minutes later, at 11:20, Trooping the Colour begins, and a regimental flag – this year from the Irish Guards - will be "trooped" through the ranks of soldiers.

The parade will finish at around 12:45, closely followed by gun salutes in the nearby Green Park and a flypast by the Royal Air Force.

As a reminder, you can watch our live stream of the parade from 10:30 BST onwards by pressing the Play button at the top of this page - if you're joining us from within the UK.

Sean Coughlan
BBC News royal correspondent, reporting from The Mall

As we've been reporting, today will mark the first step back into public life for the Princess of Wales this year.

Like anyone who has been away from their working life for a long time with illness, she’d be forgiven some butterflies of nervousness as she returns.

The first sight of her is likely to be in a carriage as she heads down The Mall - and crowds are already gathering, not to mention rows of TV cameras.

Kate's spoken of having good days and bad days with chemotherapy, it’s the same with the weather today. It’s grey and blustery outside Buckingham Palace.

Image source, PA Media

Before this morning's events get under way, it's perhaps worth reminding all of us what exactly Trooping the Colour - an event that's been taking place for over 260 years - is all about.

Though King Charles’ actual date of birth is 14 November, this military parade has long been used to mark the official birthday of the British Sovereign.

Today, we can expect more than 1,4000 soldiers and 200 horses to take part in a military parade and inspection, as well as music and pageantry.

Following his cancer diagnosis, the King will instead be in a carriage this year rather than on horseback like he was in 2023 – both during the procession and when he inspects the troops.

During the parade a regimental flag is "trooped" through the ranks of soldiers, with this being rotated among the five regiments of Foot Guards.

The Irish Guards, a regiment the Princess of Wales represents as Colonel, will take the lead this year and those attending will be able to hear some Irish music during the parade.

A gun salute will be fired in Green Park and we can also look forward to a RAF flypast later in the day.

Sarah Campbell
BBC Royal Correspondent, reporting from The Mall

Crowds are building up on The Mall. Including a group of anti-monarchy protestors shouting “Not My King”.

In response, the surrounding spectators are answering with a rousing chorus of the national anthem.

Not long now until the carriages leave through the front gates of Buckingham Palace and we see the Princess of Wales for the first time at a public event since before Christmas.

It will be quite a moment.

Johanna Chisholm
Live reporter

Good morning, and welcome to our live coverage of Trooping the Colour - a day that is sure to deliver an impressive display of pageantry and military pomp.

It was confirmed last month by Buckingham Palace that King Charles III would take part in the annual ceremony, which marks the reigning monarch’s birthday, despite his cancer diagnosis.

And then late on Friday, it was revealed that the Princess of Wales would also be attending the annual event in what will be her first public appearance this year following her cancer diagnosis and abdominal surgery in January.

Because of this and other reasons, there will be some changes to this centuries-old ceremony - which will fill you in on in a bit more later.

As usual, we're expecting to see more than 1,400 soldiers and 200 horses gather to flaunt their military precision, which will then end with a massive flypast.

Our royal correspondent Sean Coughlan is positioned near Buckingham Palace, and our colleague Sarah Campbell will be filing live updates throughout.

Curtain is up is at 10:30 BST, and as always, you can also watch live by pressing the Play button at the top of this page if you're joinung us from the UK. Stick with us for more.