How To Watch The 2023 Trooping The Colour Without A Cable Subscription

Each June, the United Kingdom honours the monarchy through its Trooping the Colour ceremony. Set in London, it's also a birthday celebration for King Charles III. Although Charles was born on November 14, royal tradition dictates that monarchs celebrate their birthdays in June when the weather is mild. This has been the norm since the 18th century, thanks to King George II. But what exactly is Trooping the Colour? In simple terms, it's a grand parade involving thousands of soldiers and hundreds of horses and musicians (via the Royal Family). Per the BBC, the "colours" in this case refer to flags from the British army.

In 2023, the Household Division will lead the parade. During Trooping the Colour, Charles will leave Buckingham Palace in a carriage and head to The Mall to participate in the parade. He then will return to the palace to watch a flyover from the Royal Air Force (RAF) from the iconic balcony with other members of the royal family. At the 2022 Trooping the Colour, Queen Elizabeth II was joined by Charles and the Prince and Princess of Wales, along with their children. The royals wore blue for the occasion.

That said, the 2023 Trooping the Colour is a historic and once-in-a-lifetime event. This is the first Trooping the Colour for Charles since his coronation, which broke tradition from his mother's ceremony. Even if you're not in the U.K., you can still watch the event via YouTube.

The 2023 Trooping the Colour is scheduled for June 17, 2023, at 10 a.m. local time. While it will be readily available to watch in the U.K. through the BBC, this is not the case for viewers in the States. According to Hello, you can tune in to watch the event live on YouTube on the electronic device of your choice, including your computer, phone, Smart TV, and more. This is free, but there is a downside; you will have to wake up incredibly early to watch.

If you're on Eastern Standard Time (EST), Trooping the Colour will begin at 5 a.m., and 2 a.m. if you're on Pacific Time (PT). Keep in mind that Trooping the Colour is expected to last for over two hours, with the RAF flyover occurring at 1 p.m. that afternoon. At the time of this publication, this is the only option to watch the event thus far from the United States. In 2022, "Good Morning America" broadcast the Trooping the Colour. However, there's no word if they will do so again in 2023.