A moment of discomfort marked the traditional Parade of the Banner (Trooping the Color) last Saturday, the 13th, in London, when Princess Kate Middleton and her children George, Charlotte and Louis participated in the carriage procession. The family, belonging to Prince William, was the target of boos and shouts such as “Not my king” by a group of anti-monarchy activists who were protesting along the route.
Images recorded at the event show the Princess of Wales struggling to demonstrate serenity during the episode. With an unchanged expression, Kate Middleton stared at the protesters as the carriage continued. On the other hand, the young royals expressed surprise and clear discomfort with the public’s reaction.
Subsequently to the incident, the princess and her heirs went to Buckingham Palace. There, they joined other members of the royal family to watch the aerial flight of the Red Arrows aerobatic squadron, a tradition of the event.
Trooping the Color, a celebration that takes place annually in June, serves to commemorate the official birthday of the British sovereign. This ceremony is one of the most symbolic milestones in the monarchy’s calendar, involving the participation of more than a thousand soldiers, approximately 200 horses and hundreds of instrumentalists, reinforcing the pomp and tradition that, ironically, protesters questioned at the event.