What Queen Elizabeth Said To Prince Louis At Her Last Trooping The Colour, Per Lip Reader

Uninhibited children spread hope, joy, and, more often than not, laughter. Prince Louis is no exception. At Queen Elizabeth II's final Trooping the Color parade, the little prince, only 4 years old at the time, stood beside his great-grandmother on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Beside them were the future King Charles III and Queen Camilla, as well as Louis' parents, Prince William and Kate, and his siblings Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince George, 8. As the Royal Air Force thundered overhead, all eyes (and cameras) were trained on the queen and her tiny companion. Louis made assorted faces, dramatically waved his arms, chattered to his great-grandmother, and generally created a spectacle.

The Trooping the Color parade is the reigning monarch's birthday celebration combined with a military inspection, with regiments flying their colorful flags and banners as they march, according to Town and Country. The tradition dates back to 1748 when King George II decided to "move" his October birthday party to a sunny summer day. Annually televised, onlookers near and far eagerly anticipate the concluding moments when the royal family appears on the palace balcony. Naturally, when it's all over, everyone wants to know who said what. 

After last year's celebration, rumors centered on Queen Elizabeth's conversation with Prince Louis, with a lip reader interpreting the exchange between the former monarch and her great-grandson.

Jeremy Freeman, a speech reading expert, told The Mirror that just before the planes arrived, Prince Louis asked Queen Elizabeth, "Are the Red Arrows coming?" "I hope so," answered the queen, who also appeared eager for the arrival of these special planes that paint the sky red, white, and blue. When the engines were heard, Louis exclaimed, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" Looking fondly at the boy, the Queen said, "There it is!" Unable to contain himself, Louis cried out, "Red Arrows — whoa!"

Not exactly a riveting conversation, admittedly. Still, this is what true fans of the royal clan enjoy most. Such an everyday exchange could easily occur within the walls of their own humble abodes. This, then, is the stuff that endears the royals to their adoring public. 

While last year's Trooping the Color parade was exceptional — it helped kickstart the Platinum Jubilee celebration of the queen's record-breaking 70-year reign — this year's parade will also be unique. It's a first for King Charles III. 

King Charles' Trooping the Color parade will be broadcast Saturday, June 17, 2023, beginning at 10:30 a.m. British Summer Time (5:30 a.m. ET). The event will celebrate his 75th birthday, which actually occurs on November 14. The parade will feature more than 1,400 officers and men from various regiments, 200 horses, and more than 400 members of 10 military bands and drum corps, according to The Household Division website. (The Household Division comprises seven British regiments that serve the reigning monarch.) During the ceremony, Charles will be greeted by a royal salute, after which he will inspect his army. 

BBC bills this event as "a world-renowned spectacle full of music, majesty, and military precision." It will conclude with the royal family gathering on the balcony to witness the dramatic flypast of the Royal Air Force. Viewers around the world can only hope that the still-young Louis will once again supply some spontaneous entertainment all his own.