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Why Kate Middleton, Prince William and Other Royals Aren't at Trooping the Colour This Year

Samir Hussein/WireImage Prince Louis, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince George and Princess Charlotte

For the second year, Trooping the Colour is missing some familiar faces.

While the annual public celebration of Queen Elizabeth's birthday usually sees the extended royal family gather on the iconic balcony of Buckingham Palace, this year's festivities at Windsor Castle only hosted two royals: the Queen and her cousin, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent.

The palace announced in March that due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Trooping the Colour 2021 would again be scaled down.

"Following consultation with Government and other relevant parties it has been agreed that The Queen's Official Birthday Parade, also known as Trooping the Colour, will not go ahead this year in its traditional form in central London," they said.

Currently in the U.K., outdoor gatherings are limited to 30 people and indoor gatherings are limited to six people or two households.

RELATED: Behind the Scenes at Trooping the Colour - From a Toe-Tapping Queen Elizabeth to Fainting Guardsmen!

James Devaney/Getty Images Trooping The Colour 2019

Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images Kate Middleton, Prince William, Princess Charlotte, Savannah Phillips and Prince George at Trooping the Colour 2018

RELATED: Queen Elizabeth's Birthday Parade, Trooping the Colour, Triples Last Year's Fete at Windsor Castle

Kate Middleton and Prince William last appeared for Trooping the Colour in 2019 along with their three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis (in his first-ever Buckingham balcony appearance!).

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While some members of the royal family - including Prince William and Prince Charles - ride horses in the parade wearing full military regalia, including large bearskin hats, others take part in the parade via carriages. It's possible that Prince George and Princess Charlotte are now old enough to join the procession - Prince William made his carriage debut in 1987, just weeks ahead of his fifth birthday!

In 2020, the army staged a smaller-scale parade and celebration at Windsor Castle with just the Queen in attendance.

Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage The Queen watches last year's parade

Toby Melville - WPA Pool/Getty Images Queen Elizabeth

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Although the Queen's 95th birthday was on April 21, Trooping the Colour always takes place in the early summer of the second weekend in June. The reason is a practical matter more than anything: the weather is nicer!

The tradition is believed to have started during the reign of King George II in 1748. George II was born in October, but the annual Trooping of the Colour became a celebration of the monarch as well as the armed forces.