Why Prince William Didn't Join His Family In The Carriage During Trooping The Colour 2026

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Every so often, the royal family does something that leaves us scratching our heads, but when you dig deeper, these confounding moments are often steeped in age-old traditions. Such was the case with Prince William's absence from the carriage that transported his family during the 2026 Trooping the Colour event. There was plenty of chatter about the worst-dressed royals at Trooping the Colour 2026, and royal experts got excited about Princess Charlotte's "close bond" with her brothers, which was on full display, but fans were confused when William never actually joined his family for their big carriage ride. 

Princess Catherine, along with Charlotte, Prince George, and Prince Louis, all waved at the gathered onlookers from an open-roof carriage during the parade. The Prince of Wales, however, used a horse as transportation instead. This is chiefly because of his role as Colonel of the Welsh Guards. Those not as informed about all of the royal customs surrounding Trooping the Colour might have assumed that William was absent from the festivities altogether because, admittedly, it's kind of hard to recognize him with his bearskin hat on, which is part of the traditional uniform of the colonel and mostly obscures the wearer's eyes. 

And yet, longtime fans wouldn't have found the prince's absence from the carriage ride that strange. After all, he's been participating in the parade on horseback since 2011, shortly after William married Catherine, which marked his first time participating in the traditional event. Back then, he was the Colonel of the Irish Guards. Catherine shared a carriage with William's brother, Prince Harry, and Queen Camilla that first year. The princess' three kids first joined her for the carriage ride at Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee in 2022.

Prince Harry might be known as the most rebellious royal, but don't discredit Prince William just yet. Royalists and experts alike have long been speculating about what will happen when William becomes king, especially since the Prince of Wales has already started to upend some of King Charles III's longstanding royal rules, and it doesn't seem like he's planning on slowing down anytime soon. One of the most significant changes that William and Princess Catherine have implemented thus far surrounds their commitment to charitable organizations. The royal couple has trimmed their patronages, whereas the late Queen Elizabeth II embodied more is more in this regard. While Her Majesty worked with over 600 organizations, William's tally is less than 100. 

"I care about so many things, and previously the family have been very much spotlighting brilliantly and going round and highlighting lots — I want to go a step further — I want to actually bring change," he explained to reporters during a 2023 Singapore visit, per The Independent. In Russell Myers' 2026 tome, "William and Catherine," the author touched on these sentiments, asserting, "William and Catherine recognized that they would not be able to make the impact they wanted by spreading themselves so thinly." 

Royal experts similarly reckon that the future king is quietly giving the monarchy a modern makeover, even though it may not be obvious to those looking from the outside in just yet. As commentator Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital, William is working hard to ensure The Firm "remains relevant." Fellow royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams also pointed out that the prince's longstanding determination to putting his family before his official duties is further proof that William is going to do things differently when he's king.