The Mall was transformed into a sea of mobile phones as royal fans eagerly tried to snap pictures of the Trooping the Colour festivities in London today - including the arrival of the Royal Family.Thousands of well-wishers, holding Union Jack flags, marked the King's official birthday parade this morning, as anticipation over the royals' Buckingham Palace balcony appearance grows.An early sighting of the Princess of Wales left fans delighted as she was pictured travelling to the Horse Guards parade alongside the Prince of Wales and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.Later, crowds will be treated to the sight of a royal carriage procession along The Mall as the King, Queen and Catherine are guarded by a Sovereign’s Escort provided by the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.Riding in the formation will be the royal colonels – the Prince of Wales, who is Colonel of the Welsh Guards; the Princess Royal, Colonel of the Blues and Royals; and the Duke of Edinburgh as Colonel of the Scots Guards.After the Trooping ceremony is over, the Royal Family will come together on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch the Red Arrows fly past.The colour – regimental flag – being trooped this year is the King’s Colour of the Grenadier Guards, presented by Charles in his role as Colonel-in-Chief earlier this week.The Mall was transformed into a sea of mobile phones as royal fans eagerly waited to snap pictures of Trooping the Colour festivities in London todayIn his speech, the King told the guardsmen and officers on parade and their nearby families: 'These new Colours, therefore, bearing 45 battle honours from Tangier to the Gulf, stand as a vivid testament to the courage, resilience and enduring spirit that have defined the Grenadier Guards across the generations.'Those of you present on parade today are the proud custodians of that legacy.Queen Camilla was appointed Colonel of the Grenadier Guards after disgraced former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor returned the coveted military title to the late Queen in January 2022.He was stripped of his honorary affiliations with the armed forces after calls from 150 veterans for the then-monarch to remove his eight British military appointments.The role with one of the British Army's oldest regiments was vacant until December that year, when Queen Camilla took it on, three months after Elizabeth II's death.Andrew had held the appointment for just over four years, having taken it on from Prince Philip in December 2017.Trooping the Colour marks the King's official birthday in a tradition dating back to the 18th century. It is rooted in battlefield custom, when regimental flags, or 'colours,' were trooped in front of soldiers to ensure they could be recognised amid the smoke of combat. The Mall is decorated with Union Jack flags and the procession goes past at the start of the King's Birthday ParadeWell-wishers seen holding Union Jack flags and the Royal Standard A view of Buckingham Palace as royal fans begin arriving at The Mall for Trooping the Colour today Well wishers take photos of a member of Royal Horse Artillery during Trooping The ColourA first sighting of the princess! Kate stuns in a chic blue outfit as she is seen with the Prince of Wales and their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte Catherine looked stunning in a light blue ensemble Catherine gazing out at the crowds, as the Waleses travel to Horse Guards Parade Members of the UK military march along The Mall Musicians from the Massed Bands of the Household Division parade during Trooping The Colour A view of the Royal Standard, the personal flag of the British monarch Trooping the Colour was once the largest public gathering of royals of the year, with more than 40 members of the Firm jostling for position on the Buckingham Palace balcony during the flypast.Now, the sparse group consists of working royals only, including the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Princess Royal and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. They will be joined by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent, now the oldest working royal at the age of 90, while the King's estranged son Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle - who live in Montecito, California - will be notably absent. The daughters of disgraced former prince Andrew, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie will not attend today's Trooping the Colour, which they last attended in 2022. They were last seen on the palace balcony with the late Queen Elizabeth in 2019, after they arrived at the Horse Guards Parade riding in an open-top carriage accompanied by Eugenie's husband, Jack Brooksbank, and Prince Edward. In the wake of the scandal surrounding Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson's friendship with billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, Beatrice and Eugenie - who is expecting her third child with Jack - have largely kept out of the spotlight. While they were welcomed back into the royal fold for Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling's wedding, Beatrice and Eugenie - who are not working members of The Firm - will not attend today's festivities. The Grenadier Guards were raised in 1656 in Bruges, Belgium, by the exiled King Charles II to protect him during the period Oliver Cromwell ruled England.Since their formation, Guardsmen, known for their scarlet tunics and bearskin hats, have fought in every major conflict in British military history from the 17th century Battle of Tangier to Blenheim, Waterloo, the Crimean War, through both World Wars, to recent operations in Afghanistan.Today, the regiment comprises fighting soldiers who carry out a specialist light infantry role during operations and, when in the UK, take part in high-profile ceremonial duties.Following the parade, all eyes will be on the royal balcony to see who King Charles invites to wave to the crowds. The last time members of the royal family gathered together was for Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling's 'intimate' wedding at All Saints Church in Kemble, Gloucestershire, last weekend. Princess Anne's son, 45, married his NHS nurse sweetheart during a ceremony that was attended by Prince William, Catherine, Prince Edward, Sophie, Peter's father, Captain Mark Phillips, and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. Also present were Zara and Mike Tindall, their daughters Mia and Lena, as well as Lady Sarah Chatto and Daniel Chatto, and their son Samuel, who was accompanied by his girlfriend, Eleanor Eskerdijan.