Where Was Prince William During Trooping The Colour?

We noticed that he was absent from his expected seat next to Kate Middleton during the morning carriage ride.

Trooping the Colour 2018 had tons of special moments, from Meghan Markle’s first ever appearance on the balcony at Buckingham Palace, to the Queen’s great-granddaughter stealing the show with her antics.

However, there was something that felt off about the event, and many fans have asked the question: why didn’t Prince William sit with Kate Middleton during the carriage ride procession?

Prince Harry, for instance, arrived at the event with his wife, Meghan Markle, in the same carriage. Kate Middleton traveled with her mother-in-law, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. Meanwhile, Prince William was riding horseback alongside his father, Prince Charles.

As Good Housekeeping reports, there’s a very important reason that Prince William rode on horseback, alongside Prince Charles, Princess Anne, and Prince Andrew:

“All four have ceremonial roles as colonels of the Household Division. The group includes the most elite, senior units of the British army. Even the Queen’s youngest son Prince Edward doesn’t have one of these prestigious titles.”

Good Housekeeping continues: “Prince William was dressed in the ceremonial uniform for the Irish Guards, the same ensemble he wore for his wedding. He’s the Colonel of the Regiment, a.k.a. the second in command after the Queen.”

Meanwhile, Prince Harry is not yet a colonel. That explains why he came to the event in a carriage with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. The couple just returned from their honeymoon, and fans were excited to see them arriving at the Queen’s birthday together.

Even though Kate and William didnt arrive at Trooping the Colour 2018 together, they still spent most of the time together on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, watching the RAF’s Red Arrows fly-past.

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