The monarch has made some changes to a 30-year long royal tradition
This weekend sees King Charles take part in the Trooping the Colour parade, and he'll be doing things a little differently from his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
The parade, which marks King Charles' 75th birthday, will see the royal take to horseback, marking the first time in over 30 years that a monarch has ridden at Trooping the Colour – and it might not be his wisest decision.
Queen Elizabeth II stopped riding a horse during the parade in 1986, when she was 60 years old – 15 years younger than her son is now.
The late Queen decided from 1986 onwards that she would be driven in a carriage for the parade, though it was believed she rode horses well into her eighties.
King Charles' decision to partake in the parade on horseback is a potentially risky one, as while the king is an accomplished rider, temperatures are set to soar to around 26 degrees Celsius, and riding a horse is a strenuous activity.
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Last weekend saw several soldiers faint due to the heat, while they were being reviewed by Prince William ahead of the event.
The review ceremony involved hundreds of horses and soldiers carrying out complex battlefield drill manoeuvres to military music in 28 degree sunshine, with their heavy uniforms causing many involved to faint.
Prince William took to Twitter after the event to share his admiration for those involved, writing: "A big thank you to every soldier who took part in the Colonel's Review this morning in the heat.
"Difficult conditions but you all did a really good job. Thank you. W."
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It's not only the heat that could be a concern for King Charles. While he and his family are known to be confident riders, the monarch has a notoriously bad back, which horse riding could exacerbate.
According to Prince Harry, who wrote about his father's condition in his memoir, , King Charles injured his back while playing polo, and is in 'constant pain.'
Back pain experts Pro Chiro say that horse riding can bring on back pain, explaining: "There is a high occurrence of back pain among horse riders."
Prince Harry explained his father had an unusual remedy for his pain, sharing that the king does headstands to ease the ache.
He performed them daily, in just a pair of boxers, propped against a door or hanging from a bar like a skilled acrobat." Harry wrote, before explaining his father's unusual ritual.
"Prescribed by his physio, these exercises were the only effective remedy for the constant pain in Pa's neck and back," the Duke of Sussex wrote.
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Explaining how King Charles hurt his back and back, Harry noted: "Old polo injuries, mostly."
Here's hoping the monarch remains pain free during the historic ceremony this weekend.
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