Kate Middleton and Queen Camilla granted major new roles by King Charles ahead of national celebration

The Queen Consort and the Princess of Wales have each been appointed positions previously occupied by Prince Andrew and Prince William

Kate Middleton and Queen Camilla granted major new roles ahead of King's birthday parade
(Image credit: Getty)

Queen Camilla and Kate Middleton will take on important new roles ahead of King Charles's first Trooping of Color in June, it has been confirmed. 


The Queen Consort and the Princess of Wales have been granted ceremonial military roles ahead of the King's Trooping of Color next summer, it has been confirmed. 

His Majesty will celebrate his first birthday parade as monarch on June 17, a month after his highly-anticipated coronation. 

Queen Camilla has assumed the role of Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, a role previously occupied by Prince Andrew. The Duke of York was stripped of his military titles last January, in light of Virginia Giuffre's allegations of sex abuse against him. 

Camilla

(Image credit: Getty)

Kate Middleton has also been given a special new job, adding the position of Colonel of the Irish Guards to her already long list of royal duties. The role had previously been held by the Prince of Wales, who was appointed the job by Queen Elizabeth II in 2011. Prior to this, it was held by Prince Major General Sir Sebastian Roberts, KCVO OBE.

Kate M

(Image credit: Getty)

Meanwhile, Prince William has inherited the new role of Colonel of the Welsh Guards from King Charles III. His Majesty had previously held the position since 1975. 

The King's Trooping of Color will see over 1,400 soldiers and more than 200 horses take part in an extravagant parade to mark his official birthday. The tradition of celebrating the monarch's birthday dates back to King George II's reign in the 18th century when the Royal Family decided it made more sense to mark the occasion in summer due to the unpredictable British weather. 

Last year, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her final Trooping of Color during her Platinum Jubilee weekend in June. The historic parade traveled from Buckingham Palace down The Mall to Horse Guards Parade, before concluding with a Royal Air Force fly-past.

Riding on horseback and wearing his military uniform, King Charles III inspected the soldiers on behalf of his mother due to her ongoing mobility issues. Her Majesty died aged 96 on September 8, just a few months later. 

Emma Dooney
Lifestyle News Writer

Hailing from the lovely city of Dublin, Emma mainly covers the Royal Family and the entertainment world, as well as the occasional health and wellness feature. Always up for a good conversation, she has a passion for interviewing everyone from A-list celebrities to the local GP - or just about anyone who will chat to her, really.


Emma holds an MA in International Journalism from City, University of London, and a BA in English Literature from Trinity College Dublin.