Trooping the Colour parade marks Queen's official birthday

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Duke of Cambridge, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince LouisImage source, Getty Images
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Prince Louis and his siblings joined other members of the Royal Family on the Buckingham Palace balcony

The Queen's official birthday has been marked with the annual Trooping the Colour parade.

She was joined by members of her family and thousands of spectators to watch the display in Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall.

The Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex all attended.

The Queen celebrated her 93rd birthday in April.

The Queen and other family members gathered to witness the Red Arrows perform a flypastImage source, Reuters
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The Queen and other royals gathered to witness the Red Arrows perform a flypast for the Trooping the Colour parade

The royal colonels - the Prince of Wales, colonel of the Welsh Guards, the Princess Royal, colonel of the Blues and Royals, the Duke of Cambridge, colonel of the Irish Guards and the Duke of York, colonel of the Grenadier Guards - all rode on horseback as part of the parade.

The Duchess of Sussex made her first appearance in public since giving birth to her son Archie four weeks ago.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with their three childrenImage source, Reuters
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Prince Louis, carried by his mother Catherine alongside his father and siblings, waved at the planes as they flew by

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Meghan and Prince Harry arriving at Trooping the ColourImage source, Danieal Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty Images
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Meghan made her first appearance in public since the birth of her son, alongside Prince Harry

The Duchess of Cambridge at Trooping the ColourImage source, Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty Images
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The Duchess of Cambridge was sitting opposite Meghan in the carriage

The Duke of Cambridge rides on horseback to Horse Guards ParadeImage source, Victoria Jones/PA Wire
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Prince William rode on horseback as part of the parade

Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte peer out of the windows of Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour paradeImage source, Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty Images
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Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte watched proceedings from inside Buckingham Palace before joining their parents on the balcony

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Members of the Welsh Guards, a regiment of Household Division, march to Horseguards parade during Trooping The ColourImage source, Getty Images
The Queen at Trooping the Colour in a horse-drawn carriageImage source, Tolga Akmen/AFP/Getty Images

The Duke of Edinburgh, who celebrates his 98th birthday on Monday, has retired from official public duties and did not attend.

The Queen watched the ceremony - which this year parades the flag from the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards - from a dais in Horse Guards Parade and she also inspected the lines of guardsmen.

Among the guests was Theresa May, who formally stepped down as Conservative party leader on Friday, but will remain in office until a successor has been appointed.

One soldier, Major Niall Hall, of the Regimental Adjutant of the Irish Guards, was thrown from his horse during the parade.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence said Maj Hall was immediately treated by a medical team and taken to hospital. His injuries are not life-threatening.

The Queen inspected the lines of guardsmen as part of the paradeImage source, Tolga Akmen/AFP/Getty Images
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The Queen inspected the lines of guardsmen as part of the parade

Members of the Coldstream Guards take part in the paradeImage source, Reuters
The Trooping the Colour at Horseguards ParadeImage source, Tolga Akmen/AFP/Getty Images
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Members of the Household Cavalry take part in the Trooping the Colour paradeImage source, Peter Nicholls/Reuters
Trooping the Colour paradeImage source, Tolga Akmen/AFP/Getty Images
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Each guardsman trod more than 270 miles in rehearsals and took more than half a million steps

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After the parade, the Royal Family returned to Buckingham Palace, where they gathered on the balcony to watch the RAF flypast.

More than 20 aircraft took part including modern jets and historic aircraft, with the Red Arrows as the finale.

Members of The Kings Troop Royal Artillery lead the parade down the Mall back to Buckingham Palace after of the Queens Birthday Parade, Trooping the ColourImage source, Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty Images
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Members of the Kings Troop Royal Artillery led the parade down the Mall back to Buckingham Palace

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Spectators on the Mall on 8 June 2019
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Crowds of spectators also walked along the Mall to Buckingham Palace ahead of the flypast

The Red ArrowsImage source, Peter Nicholls/Reuters
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The Red Arrows performed a flypast as part of the ceremony

The Red ArrowsImage source, Reuters
Trooping the Colour paradeImage source, Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire
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Following the parade, which involved about 1,400 soldiers, the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery fired a 41-gun salute in Green Park.

Trooping the Colour originated from traditional preparations for battle and has commemorated the birthday of the sovereign for more than 250 years.

Colours, or flags, were carried, or "trooped", down the rank so that they could be seen and recognised by the soldiers.