Three British soldiers fainted from the heat during a parade rehearsal on Saturday, with one having to be carried off in a stretcher.
Prince William, in full military regalia, directed the rehearsal known as the Colonel’s Review. The event was a practice for the grand birthday parade of his father, King Charles, scheduled for Saturday, June 17.
After the event, the prince tweeted his appreciation for the troops, who fought through temperatures in the upper 80s, while wearing woolen tunics and bearskin hats.
“A big thank you to every solider who took part in the Colonel’s Review this morning in the heat. Difficult conditions but you all did a really good job,” he wrote.
The annual Trooping the Colour — a public military parade held each June to honor the British monarch’s birthday — marks the first birthday parade of King Charles’ reign.
Prince William, the honorary Colonel of the Welsh Guards, oversaw the regiment’s preparation.
The Welsh Guards have been bestowed with the privilege of Trooping the Colour at this year’s parade, and their flag will be ceremoniously presented to the King.
“The purpose of the Colonel’s Review is to decide that they are ready for the monarch,” a military source informed People Magazine.
The Prince of Wales rode on horseback, leading the guards down the Mall in London. He exuded a regal presence, donning the Guard of Honour Order, which includes a bearskin cap, tunic, garter sash and sword.
The event consisted of over 1,500 soldiers and 300 horses, representing the Household Division of Welsh, Scottish, Irish, Grenadier and Coldstream Guards. The guards practiced a number of elaborate battlefield drills as musicians played “a distinctly Welsh theme,” as the prince’s office described it.
The group is now one week away from the event, set to be viewed in person by the royal family, including Kate Middleton and Queen Camilla, as well as millions tuning in on television.
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