Queen to miss birthday tribute at Trooping the Colour amid 'episodic mobility issues'

The Queen will not receive the royal birthday salute at the Trooping the Colour parade, for the first time in almost 70 years

Queen to miss birthday tribute at Trooping the Colour amid 'episodic mobility issues'
(Image credit: Getty)

The Queen will not receive the traditional royal salute at the Trooping the Colour ceremony in yet another modification for the upcoming Platinum Jubilee celebrations, it has been reported. 


The Queen will not receive the royal salute at the Trooping the Colour ceremony on Thursday, June 2, marking the first time in nearly 70 years that the monarch has missed the tribute. 

The military parade in honor of Her Majesty's official birthday will take place in central London on the first day of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations and is expected to attract thousands of royal fans from across the UK and beyond. It is tradition for the Queen to travel down the Mall to Buckingham Palace, where she is welcomed by a royal salute before she inspects her troops. 

With the past two years of the Trooping the Colour being held in private at Windsor Castle due to COVID-19 restrictions, it was hoped that the Royal Family would bring back the pageant with a bang in 2022. 

Unfortunately, it looks like the highly-anticipated event isn't going to be quite the spectacle it was in times bygone. 

Trooping the Colour

(Image credit: Getty)

The Queen has reportedly asked Prince Charles, Prince William, and Princess Anne to receive the royal salute this year on her behalf, fuelling more even concerns over the 96-year-old monarch's wellbeing. Her Majesty recently pulled out of the State Opening of Parliament due to 'episodic mobility issues', appointing the Prince of Wales to deliver her speech on her behalf. 

It's still expected that she will make an appearance on the balcony flypast at Buckingham Palace with other working members of the Royal Family. 

Prince Andrew and the Queen

The Queen at the Trooping the Colour with Prince Charles and Prince Andrew 

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who will travel to the UK from California for the Platinum Jubilee weekend, have not been invited to join. Prince Andrew, whose military honors and his HRH title were stripped from him following his sex abuse case, has also been excluded from the event.

The news of the Queen's absence comes shortly after a Trooping the Color stand collapsed during a rehearsal, leaving five people in need of medical attention.  

Her Majesty's attendance at the events of the Platinum Jubilee has yet to be confirmed, with Buckingham Palace promising to update the public closer to the day. 

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.