Charles inspected the troops on horseback at his first official birthday parade last year, reviving a tradition that his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, gave up in 1986 when she was 60.
This year, William was on horseback, alongside his uncle Prince Edward, and aunt, Princess Anne.
Among the 242 horses that took part in the ceremony are Tennyson, Vanquish and Trojan, three of the five elite military horses that broke lose in April and galloped riderless through miles of downtown London. They have been nursed back to good health, while the other two, Quaker and Vida, are continuing their recovery.
With inspections complete, Charles and Camilla returned to Buckingham Palace amid lightning, thunder, and a summer rain that soaked the crowds.
They then gathered with their family on the balcony at the end of the event to watch a flyover by the Royal Air Force, which took place just as the inclement weather cleared.
In a statement on Friday, Kate shared an update on her cancer treatment, writing that she was “not out of the woods yet” and that she had “good days and bad days.” She said she was “making good progress,” but that her treatment would continue for a few more months.
Her attendance at Saturday’s parade was seen as a significant positive step after a monthslong absence that fueled widespread speculation.
Kate and Prince William’s children, George, 10, Charlotte, 8, and Louis, 5, have also largely been out of the public eye in recent months. They joined her at Saturday’s event, arriving with her in a carriage down the Mall before watching alongside her on the Horse Guards Parade grounds.
Also known as the King’s Birthday Parade, the ceremony has been an annual event since 1760. It is the British military’s annual tribute to the monarch and marks their official birthday.
Charles’ actual birthday is Nov. 14.
