TROOPING THE COLOUR

The Queen's official birthday is an event which Britons have never failed to celebrate. It remains, apart from the occasional royal wedding, a rare opportunity for the royal house to show off with a bit of pomp. The Trooping the Colour ceremony continues to be one of the world's largest military gatherings. The Red Army alone, it is said, can organise a larger parade.

The origins of the birthday celebration lie in the eighteenth century, when for the first time a traditional guard-mounting ceremony was used in honour of a king or queen's birth. The monach then was George III, now more renowned for his madness.

Following George's reign, ensuing monarchs were tributed. Throughout Queen Victoria's long rule, the Foot Guards performed the ceremonial trooping in her honour on May 24, every year.The colour ceremony retains many of its early plush trappings. Trooping entails the presentation of the colour (flag) to Her Majesty. The colour itself represents the bravery and prestige of the British army and nation.

The Life Guard, the most prestigious of all regiments within the British Army, alongside the 'Blues and Royals' make up the Household Cavalry, which never fails to make a striking impression on the day of the ceremony, with their traditional uniform.

On Saturday, four troopers from the Life Guard will follow the Brigade Major, Household division, who will take up his position at the very front of the procession. Following them will come the Massed Mounted Bands of the Household Cavalry. Next will follow the first and second division of the Soverign's escort, which immediately preceeds Her Majesty.

At the heart of the service is the colour, itself. The colour used this Saturday was originally presented to 1st Battalion Scots Guards by Her Majesty. The job of carrying the colour is one of the most demanding of all in the parade. The official Ensign will have the dubious honour of carrying the weighty flag. At one point, he must hold the colour straight out at arms length, in his left hand. In order for this to be possible, the soldier in question has had to undergo weight training for several months.

During the procession, the soldiers are under strict regulations. Failing to obey the rules is technically punishable by capital punishment. Falling from a horse sHould earn the guilty subject three months in jail. Dropping one's sword is worth a month behind bars. Soldiers joke that if you fall from your horse, you had better fall onto your sword.

If you are in town on Saturday and the weather's fine, you won't get the chance to see many grander scenes than the Trooping of the Colour. The best place to watch the ceremony can be found along the Mall. The event will be televised.

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