Britain’s King Charles III will appear on horseback today in the military parade for his birthday.

King Charles will turn 75 on November 14, but the British monarch’s birthday is celebrated twice a year as tradition dictates – privately on the birthday and publicly on the second Saturday in June.

The tradition of this military parade (Trooping the color) has its roots in the war preparations of the past, when all the flags were displayed to the soldiers in order to be able to recognize them in the confusion of battle. It dates back to the reign of George II in 1748, who, although born on October 30, wanted to celebrate his birthday in the summer.

Queen Elizabeth II, who died last September aged 96, last appeared on horseback in this parade in 1986.

The event is expected to draw crowds around Buckingham Palace. At 10:00 (local time, 12:00 Greek time) the procession will leave the palace for the king to inspect the troops.

Around 1,400 soldiers, 400 musicians and 200 horses will participate in the parade, led by the mare Juno (queen Camilla named her after the Roman deity – equivalent to the goddess Hera of Greek mythology). Juno will be followed by three horses with drums: Perseus, Atlas and Apollo. These horses carry the rank of major in the British armed forces.

After inspecting the troops, King Charles III will return to the palace where, along with Queen Camilla and other members of the royal family, he will greet the crowd from the balcony and watch the spectacular air show.

The mercury is forecast to hover around 25 degrees Celsius, but for members of the royal guard in their traditional fur hats, the heat will be intense. Last weekend, during a rehearsal under the supervision of Prince William, there were not a few who felt discomfort due to the intense sunshine.