Talk:Trooping the Colour

Initial message
Although this page is well written and contains a wealth of interesting material, "The Ceremony" section is long and unwieldy and I propose introducing subsections. This would be done without altering much of the writing but would be a comprehensive re-organisation. Comments appreciated. -- FClef 23:20, 14 June 2006 (UTC)

Saluting BASE, not "Dais"
I do not know who changed this in the Definitions and throughout the article to Saluting Dais, but it is in fact Saluting Base. The BBC commentary bears this out year by year. In addition, I attended Trooping the Colour this year (2006)- and have made many contributions to this article - and my programme from the event also has Saluting BASE throughout. Please take note and do not change it back. Thanks. -- FClef 21:56, 4 July 2006 (UTC)
 * This sort of edit happens all the time on Wikipedia, which is why it is always a good idea to use references. It would be a good idea to cite this fact using your program as the reference, if you don't know how to make an inline cite, leave a message on my talk page. Giano | talk 08:42, 6 July 2006 (UTC)

Ok no problem, it the army we always call it a saluting dais - unfortunately I have no reference for this and doubt that there's a reference in QRs either. I have found my programme for the event, and it is indeed called a base. I just went through adding bits of military terminology. Oh friendly tip, don't rely on the BBC, that Welsh guy makes it up as he goes along, swear to god. The terms are no big deal to most people anyway I presume. 14:29, 6 July 2006.

Many thanks for quick reply and for your forbearance. Have you got a user name? -- FClef 13:32, 6 July 2006 (UTC)

Nope, I was just looking though Wiki to get some ammo for an argument I was having on Trooping the Colour! 14:34 6 July 2006


 * Do you know how to sign your comments? Use four tildes (the tilde mark is ~  as in Spanish - and you need 4 to bring up your username, date and time.)  The military terminology is good - I come from a history standpoint myself.  I would like to bring this article up to featured standard but there's lots of work to do.  Look at Giano | talk  for an idea of the scale of stuff that needs doing.  I may not bother...  -- FClef 13:39, 6 July 2006 (UTC)

Ok, cheers. On a side note, this year's Trooping the Colour wasn't that great I thought - but still impressive by any standards! 62.56.98.120 13:53, 6 July 2006 (UTC)

In reply to the message you sent me, hey fine I'm not fussed. If you want it left alone, well fair enough. I'm no computer tech and wiki isn't my strong point. The last edit on the march in quick time was to remove something that I had inserted before. It wasn't entirely correct in the wording, as it suggested the the colour would not be saluted by general officers if it was not lowered - which of course it is. Hence the deletion rather than adding wordy phrases. Just trying to fix my own mistake. Yep I was at the Trooping this year, not as part of the parade as I'm not part of the guards div, but watching from the stands in my No2s. Yep I saw the C/Sgt get a beating - good man held onto the colour though. 62.56.98.120 21:06, 6 July 2006 (UTC)


 * I've changed it to dais again. This is how I have always heard it described (I have attended Trooping the Colour 7 times) and also how it is described in General Sir Michael Gow's (formerly Scots Guards) booklet "The Sovereign's Birthday Parade".  I don't have a programme from 2006, but none of the programmes from 1999 to 2004 use either base or dais.  I would take the General's view as being correct, as opposed to the 2006 programme.  Bbombbardier 13:36, 14 November 2006 (UTC)


 * Dear Bbombardier, I was not able to access your Talk page. I have also changed it back to Base - because it is described thus every year on the BBC commentary as well as in the official programme.


 * If you Google the words Saluting Base, you will notice that Saluting Base is the term used on the Army's official description of Trooping the Colour. Various other sources also use this term to refer to Trooping the Colour.


 * I too have Sir Michael Gow's book. I have not been 7 times to T the C (lucky you!) but I have attended twice, the last time being last year.  I did work for the Royal Household at Buckingham Palace a few years back.  --FClef  (talk) 22:47, 6 March 2007 (UTC)


 * I went to the Major General's Review today and in the 2009 program it was called the "saluting dais". I think it is an official program as I bought it from one of the men from the Household Division.--Peter baptist (talk) 13:09, 30 May 2009 (UTC)Peter baptist


 * Base/Dais, part 843 as we rumble on.....Well, me ole chucks, I went to the Colonel's Review on 5 June and in the 2010 programme it is called "saluting dais." However, the BBC and the Army themselves call it Saluting Base.  I will check this with the Garrison Sergeant Major, Bill Mott, who should be able to give a definitive answer.FClef  (talk) 01:41, 7 June 2010 (UTC)

Information re Featured Article status
NOTE: I have copied this over from Giano's talk page to facilitate work on editing.

I have worked on cleaning up the middle of the article. I inserted the bullet points to clarify the article, which, though informed, was muddy.

Regarding the uniforms, these are dealt with on the appropriate regimental pages of the Foot Guards companies, but I could put in a bit more. I have not yet inserted any pix and am something of a technophobe.

In all, thanks, but probably I have not the time to dedicate for all the work required to get it to FA standard. Would you like to shine some of your sunny beams to the article? (I imagine you don't have time either...)  -- FClef 12:52, 6 July 2006 (UTC)

I have not read the article, but bullet points often help with a list; however, they seldom make prose better. I will give the article a copyedit if I have time, but please don't give up: you may like to get a peer review and then nominate it as a good article. -- ALoan (Talk) 13:48, 6 July 2006 (UTC)

Hi all. Am also curious about the Base Vs. Dias debate. I seved in the Royal Artillery and never heqard anything other than 'saluting dias'. Would be intresting to get to the bottom of this. Cheers, Wallbars Wallbars (talk) 19:09, 13 June 2009 (UTC).

Why I haven't put the full references in for the BBC Broadcasts
I am in the United States. A friend of mine records the ceremony and sends the DVD to me. Thus, I don't know the dates of the transmissions. For the 2006 ceremony, I suspect it was on BBC 1, since it has fuller detail. The 2005 ceremony DVD was on BBC 2; I saw the "bouncing" logo. I suspect that was 12 June 2005. GABaker 14:23, 14 July 2006 (UTC)


 * I will try to find out how to do full refs for these at a later point - the TV commentary is v. useful and it therefore belongs in Refs. ( If this turns out to be impossible I will work around it somehow and mention the live transmissions, possibly naming the commentators, etc.  - but hopefully it won't come to that. )   Incidentally did you know that the music is recorded every year?  -- FClef (Talk) 22:35, 14 July 2006 (UTC)
 * Yes, the play list changes each you to my knowledge. Philip.t.day (talk) 17:16, 17 June 2009 (UTC)

Malaysia has Trooping the Colour too
With the addition of a feature about the Trooping the Colour in Malaysia, everyone can now know that even Malaysia has Trooping the Colour, held every 1st Saturday for June, right before the Trooping the Colour in London begins. There are even Youtube videos that are proof that even Malaysia adopts the British military marching traditions and ceremonies, with an Islamic touch. Can anyone link those Youtube Videos about Trooping the Colour in Malaysia to us? - JMRAMOS0109, 17:23 Hrs. May 24, 2010 (Philippine Time) I edited this article to show that even other countries inside or outside the Commonwealth perform this ceremony. JMRAMOS0109, 18:00 Hrs. August 23, 2010 (Philippine Time)
 * Hi, JM. Great stuff. However this article is about the official Birthday of the British Sovereign. Malaysia is in a very special position, with a distinctly British-flavoured Trooping ceremony, with important differences,  but not celebrating the British sovereign's birthday in that Trooping - and that is the subject of this article, which you'll see is on the London Project. However, the Yang di-Pertuang article has a section about the Malaysian Sovereign's Official Birthday and have moved your copy to there with a note crediting your Authorship, on the History page.  In this article, on which I have worked for the last four years, I have retained the best elements of your research and done a summary showing the splendour and uniqueness of the event.  I've also managed to provide a link to a Youtube video - although at least one Administrator I've dealt with in the past has said that Wikipedia apparently discourages these (don't know why....)   How is it in the Philippines?  Weather here is up-and-down like a yo-yo, as we say.  All the best, FClef  (talk) 01:19, 7 June 2010 (UTC)

The Trooping The Colour in Thailand
I even included a section about the Trooping the Colour in Thailand every December. JMRAMOS0109, 18:02 Hrs. August 23, 2010 (Philippine Time)
 * I have some concerns about the other countries, it makes sense to mention the Commonwealth realms, like Canada and Australia but we need to be careful with how we handle the non commonwealth realms with completely separate ceremonies, even if they are very similar. Youtube is also not a reliable source.


 * If there are sources to back up that these countries basically based their ceremonies on the British trooping the colour then a single section covering outside of the commonwealth realms may be appropriate. But we need to be clear it is just based on the ceremony and its not connected to Trooping the Colour in the UK to avoid confusion. BritishWatcher (talk) 10:24, 23 August 2010 (UTC)

Question
The article says: Her Majesty started riding in a carriage in 1987. What did she do before that? Walk, automobile (taxi - maybe?), bicycle. roller skates? OK, just kidding, I know she was carried in a litter but the reader should not be left guessing. By specifying a date and using the word "started" one is left wondering what happened previously. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.207.161.12 (talk) 20:23, 28 August 2011 (UTC) Actually she rode at the head of her Guards on horseback, with the Royal Colonels flanking her. This is quite clearly documented in the article if you read it. 74.69.121.132 (talk) 13:59, 21 April 2013 (UTC)

Union Flag/Jack
I have reverted an edit from someone touting the common belief that a Union Jack must only be called so, when on a RN Jack Staff.

In accordance with current belief from 'experts' as reported at Union Flag I have removed this change to show the interchangeable use of Jack/flag. Philip.t.day (talk) 14:18, 26 February 2011 (UTC)

Other countries
Similar ceremonies in non-commonwealth countries should be moved to separate articles. I'll move the Thai ceremony to the descriptive title Thai Royal Guards parade. --Paul_012 (talk) 07:52, 11 November 2011 (UTC)

TV broadcasts
I've often heard of TtC being broadcast around the world. More information on this would be interesting, if anyone knows. How popular is it in Commonwealth nations, or Germany, for instance? I've seen at least one video with German commentary. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.114.185.149 (talk) 11:13, 23 December 2014 (UTC)

A minor correction
The page says: "Trooping the colour through the ranks

To the strains of the Grenadiers' slow march, "Scipio" by Handel, the Escort to the Colour then troops the colour down the long line of Nos 6-2 Guards." The emphasized phrase is wrong. The tune then played by the Massed Bands is "The Grenadier Returns" (also known as "The Grenadiers Slow March", wich may have caused the mistake). 177.40.201.130 (talk) 00:47, 13 June 2015 (UTC) João Carlos (jccunhalima@gmail.com)


 * I have made a correction. I went without an apostrophe after Grenadiers, but I am unsure. Is it a slow march of the grenadiers, or the grenadiers slow marching? Dhtwiki (talk) 04:42, 13 June 2015 (UTC)


 * You will find this march in YouTube either with or without the apostrophe ("Grenadier's Return" / "Grenadiers' Return" / "Grenadier Return"). It's not directly associated with the Grenadier Guards Regiment (their Slow March is, indeed, "Scipio"), but to "grenadiers" in general (as the Escort for/to the Colour is, no matter wich Regiment of Foot Guards is prividing it).


 * P.S: It seems the title of the march is better known as "The Grenadier's Return" (and, thinking better of it, makes better sense)
 * 177.40.201.130 (talk) 18:38, 13 June 2015 (UTC) João Carlos


 * I saw the plural apostrophe used on sheet music, which would legitimize that use. I've heard it called the Grenadiers(') Slow March during the Trooping, by a BBC announcer, which, to me, makes it the name by which it's better known. Dhtwiki (talk) 02:08, 14 June 2015 (UTC)

Newly added to Youtube
youtu dot be/Yl8NJ89LQNM

First Ever Movietone Newsreel Story - Trooping the Colour 1929

Published on Jul 9, 2015 This was the first story in the first ever British Movietone News edition of the newsreel. The second story is here - excisedlink - these two stories made up the first British sound newsreel.

Duke of Connaught takes salute at King's Birthday Parade. Shot of the procession with the Royal Brothers on horseback leading. Various shots of the ceremony. Close shots of the troops in full dress marching past camera. Good shots of this.

I always seem to do this wiki editing thing wrong so figured I would add it to the talk page and let someone else sort it out for us. 74.202.32.198 (talk) 23:37, 27 July 2015 (UTC)


 * Here is a better direct link to the video, which is pretty high-quality for the time, with sound well synchronized. And note how quickly and perfectly the dressing in open order is done. Dhtwiki (talk) 06:43, 28 July 2015 (UTC)

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2023 Trooping, and beyond
Made some updates, but until the 2023 Trooping? We won't know if the King (who's in his mid-70's) will arrive on horseback, or in a carriage. GoodDay (talk) 15:34, 22 September 2022 (UTC)

Change from King to Monarch?
I know the UK has a king and will have one for two more generations, circumstances notwithstanding, but the UK allows for reigning Queens and well has had some. Given the history of the British Monarchy, should we be more gender neutral and just replace references to the King with Monarch instead, that way we won't have to change the reference every time the reigning monarch changes gender or sex? FusionLord (talk) 04:57, 12 May 2023 (UTC)