Young people from around the country came to London to enjoy a fabulous day at the King's Birthday Parade, also known as 'Trooping the Colour', in June. Nearly 500 young people from the Army Cadets, Boys' Brigade, Church Lads' and Girls' Brigade, Combined Cadet Force, Fire Cadets, Girls' Brigade, Girlguiding, RAF Air Cadets, Scouts, Sea Cadets, St John Ambulance Cadets and Volunteer Police Cadets watched the spectacle from a dedicated youth enclosure on the corner of The Mall and Horse Guards Road.
The ceremony of Trooping the Colour is believed to have been first performed during the reign of King Charles II, who was Monarch from 1660 to 1685. In 1748, it was decided that this parade would be used to mark the official birthday of the Sovereign. It became an annual event after George III became King in 1760. Guards taking part are drawn from the Regiments of the Sovereign's Household Troops. King's Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards were this year's Guards' Company to 'Troop their Colour'. They were accompanied by over 1,350 soldiers of the Household Division and King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery, including over 300 musicians from the Massed Bands.
After the parade, the young people from the youth enclosure walked up The Mall to take a prime position outside Buckingham Palace for the Royal balcony appearance and RAF fly past.
Over 430 young people and adult volunteers also watched the Colonel's Review, a full-scale dress rehearsal the Saturday before.
