The Royal Family

Why Prince William’s Trooping The Colour Outfit Has Changed Over The Years

When Trooping the Colour comes around each year fans get to see their favorite royals step out in their best outfits. Usually, the most focus falls on someone like Kate Middleton, who always stuns the public with elegant and gorgeous outfits. But few have noticed that her husband, Prince William, has changed to his outfits each year he has attended the Queen’s birthday parade every June.

Ten years ago in 2011, as someone who just got married, Prince William attended his first Trooping the Colour as a married man, sporting a simple yet great red military uniform. In fact, the outfit he was wearing then was his wedding uniform-his Irish Guards outfit to reflect his position of Colonel of the Irish Guards.

He had been given that role just a few months prior, in February of 2011, becoming the first royal to had served in that position. So it was required of him by the Queen to wear his shiny new uniform on his wedding day and at events such as Trooping the Colour.

Kate Middleton, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, Prince Harry and Prince William

Since then he has been wearing the same uniform anytime he has ridden on horseback at the Queen’s birthday parade and watched the flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

His ceremonial look from 2011 also featured is Order of the Garter sash and star, the Queen’s Golden Jubilee medal, and his Royal Air Force wings, in reference to his time spent as a RAF helicopter pilot.

And then next year in 2012 his look would change as he added another medal to his uniform-the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal in honor of her Jubilee celebrations that year.

He also wore his Order of the Thistle star which features the motto, “No one harms me with impunity,” as he had been installed as a Knight of the Order of the Thistle by the Queen that year, the highest honor available in Scotland.

Then in 2013, the Duke of Cambridge added an eye-catching gold aiguillette to his uniform, worn over his right shoulder. This was due to him now having the new role of one of the Queen’s aides-de-camp, an appointment that is personally bestowed by the monarch on members of the royal family holding military rank.

For his most recent appearance at this year’s Trooping the Colour his outfit has undergone other changes. In addition to everything we mentioned before, now the father-of-three added a third medal to his collection, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee medal.

trooping the colour 2022

However the most noticeable change for this year’s celebration is probably the green sash and heavy gold link chain worn across his chest. This is due to the fact that Thursday the second of June, the anniversary of the Queen’s coronation, was considered a ‘Collar Day’.

On ‘Collar Days’, royals are required to wear a collar (or chain) of their highest order-in William’s case, the Order of the Garter. But, on ‘Collar Days’, royals cannot wear the collar or riband (or sash) of the same order. They wear the riband of their next highest order-in William’s case, Scotland’s Order of the Thistle, a green sash instead of the usual blue we have become accustomed to over the years. And who said that being a royal was easy.

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