The RAF flypast marking King Charles’s official birthday is set to take place over Buckingham Palace at around 1pm today, the centrepiece of the Trooping the Colour celebrations after a procession down the length of The Mall.
The flypast is expected to last approximately six minutes, concluding at 1.06pm with the arrival of the Red Arrows. A range of military aircraft will take part, including Chinook helicopters, Typhoons and Lightning fighter jets, though the Ministry of Defence has cautioned that the specific line-up remains subject to change depending on “weather, aircraft serviceability, and operational commitments.”
According to the MOD, the aircraft will take off from various RAF stations around the United Kingdom before joining holding patterns over the North Sea and forming up together ahead of approaching London from the east coast. “The aircraft will fly directly down the length of The Mall over Buckingham Palace,” the MOD said. The Red Arrows, who form the tenth and final wave of aircraft arriving over the capital, will take off from RAF Waddington at 12.27pm, passing over Lowestoft at around 12.48pm and Colchester at around 12.58pm before reaching London. The full planned route, including the specific path for the Red Arrows, is detailed on the website Military Airshows.
The flypast caps a morning of ceremony that begins at 10am, when troops and bands gather at Horse Guards Parade. The Royal Procession, featuring King Charles and Prince William, departs Buckingham Palace at 10.45am to travel to Horse Guards Parade, where the King takes the Royal Salute at 11am as the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery fires a 41-gun salute in Green Park. Between 11.05am and noon, the parade proceeds through a series of royal and army traditions, including the King’s inspection, the Massed Bands Troop, the Trooping of the Colour itself, and the Foot Guards marching past the King. The procession returns to Buckingham Palace by 12.20pm, with the royal family appearing on the balcony at 12.55pm ahead of the flypast at 1pm.
Coverage of the event airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 10.30am today, hosted by Clare Balding, with highlights of the parade available on BBC Two and iPlayer from 7.05pm for anyone who misses the live broadcast.
