Princess Charlotte makes her debut on Buckingham Palace balcony during Queen's birthday celebrations

Robert Jobson11 June 2016

Princess Charlotte covered her ears during the flypast as she appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony with the rest of the Royal Family for the first time.

The Queen’s one-year-old great granddaughter – held in her mother the Duchess of Cambridge's arms – had one hand in her mouth and the other covering her ears as the military aircraft fly overhead in tribute to Her Majesty on her official 90th birthday.

It is her first appearance in public since posing with the Queen and her other grandchildren and great-grandchildren for a special royal portrait in April.

A Spitfire and Hurricane, made famous in the Battle of Britain, and also modern jets like the multi-role Typhoon fighter while the Red Arrows were among the 29 aircraft taking part in the RAF display.

Prince George, 3 in July, made his second balcony appearance for Trooping the Colour.

This time he was not held but stood as his father, Prince William pointed out the planes.

Princess Charlotte makes debut on Buckingham Palace balcony

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Huge crowds – the largest since the Diamond Jubilee celebrations – amassed in the Mall to catch a glimpse of the Queen, dressed in unmissable vibrant green, and the rest of the Royal Family on the balcony.

Earlier many thousands had lined the streets to take part in the Queen's official birthday celebrations

Trooping the Colour

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Before the fly past the Queen attended the Trooping the Colour ceremony at Horse Guards Parade, which included 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses and more than 400 military musicians.

It has been the focus of the monarch’s birthday celebrations since the mid-1700s

Family gathering: the Royals on the Buckingham Palace balcony
REUTERS/Toby Melville

Prince Harry accompanied the Duchess of Cambridge and the Duchess of Cornwall in another carriage, who both looked glamorous, dressed all in white.

Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice followed their grandmother's lead by opting for colourful outfits, with Beatrice wearing an orange fascinator and Eugenie modelled a feathered hat.

One of the traditions of the event is for the monarch to arrive on horseback, and although the Queen could not, Prince Charles, Prince William and Princess Anne all did so in her place.

But the conditions got too much for one guardsman, who collapsed during the ceremony and was then stretchered away by officials.

Out cold: the Guardsman after fainting
Reuters

It is not uncommon for a soldier to collapse at the event, with it happening before in 2013 and 2011, while a guardsman also passed out during rehearsals for this event last month.

The reason is usually a combination of the temperature - today a balmy 22C - and the heavy uniform and bearskin hats the soldiers have to wear.

The spectacle in Whitehall honoured the Queen's enduring ties with her Armed Forces and officially marked her milestone anniversary.

Over the weekend the nation is celebrating the monarch's long and rich life that has seen her become the longest reigning and oldest monarch in British history.

Princess Anne's son, who is running the Patron's Lunch, said: "The majority of the time she (the Queen) is representing these organisations which she is a patron to.

“We came up with the idea of why don't we do a street party," he said, adding that "the pieces all started to fall together.”

Asked how receptive the Queen was to the idea, he said: "Well fortunately, we did sort of run the idea past a number of her staff beforehand, and it wasn't until I saw her that she said 'I hear you're up to something' so I had to confess.”

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