Charles 'disappointed' at not following 'kings of the past' after Trooping the Colour change

King Charles would have felt "slightly disappointed" at a change he was forced to accept at this year's Trooping the Colour, a royal expert has claimed.

Former royal butler and royal commentator Grant Harrold believes that despite relishing the public adoration, King Charles may have felt "disappointment" over not participating on horseback during a recent event. Charles, having endured a cancer scare in February, was forced to opt out of his standard practice.

Mr Harrold said: "I think Charles will be slightly disappointed that he's not on horseback as it's something he's always done over the years. We should remember that the Queen, when she was 60 years old, in 1986, swapped from horseback to carriage."

Mr Harrold reflected on the age difference between Charles now and when the Queen made a similar change, saying: "The King is now 75, so he's considerably older than the Queen was when the change was made with her - whether this is a normal move and intentional because of his age is quite possible, but he's very traditional.

King Charles III at Trooping The Colour, London, UK

"Kings in the past were always on horseback, so I can imagine Charles would have wanted to follow suit - we may see him switch back to horseback as a result in the coming years, time will tell. Charles won't be feeling nervous for today's events, he's used to these types of events and he doesn't ever really get nervous in these situations."

Meanwhile Kate Middleton likely felt a touch of "nervousness" at the Trooping the Colour, yet was "happy" to return to Royal engagements she's missed during her cancer treatment.

Mr Harrold hinted that Kate might have been anxious about her first public outing since the news of her cancer battle broke. The 42 year old Duchess made a striking impression as she arrived by car with Prince William and their kids - Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. For this significant comeback, Kate chose an exquisite Jenny Packham dress, paired with a Philip Treacy hat and the Irish Guards Regimental Brooch, denoting her role as the regiment's Colonel.

Mr Harrold told OK!: "Kate will be happy to be back in the public eye. She's always taken her Royal duties very seriously and she carries them out with such confidence too. I'm sure she's been wanting to engage with the public and fulfil her duties, so the thought of getting back out there today, she'll no doubt be pleased about.

"It's certainly a big moment for her, and her family, and there's bound to be an element of nervousness felt among them all - Kate especially. I do think as pleased as she'll be to be back out there, she'll also be feeling cautious too. Hopefully, there won't be any setbacks and it's great to see her doing her first public outing. The reception she's had from the public and the crowds gathered has been amazing, seeing her alongside the Royals again clearly means a lot to the public and knowing Kate, it will mean a lot to her too."