Trooping the Colour live: Royals prepare for King's birthday as shamed Andrew spotted with lingering mystery bruise

Trooping the Colour live: Royals prepare for King's birthday as shamed Andrew spotted with lingering mystery bruise Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was spotted driving around the Sandringham estate with his bruised face beginning to heal - just hours before the working royals gather for the annual Trooping the Colour Disgraced Andrew has been spotted just hours before one of the Royal Family's biggest events of the year - with his mystery bruised face lingering. The former Duke of York was snapped driving close to his home in Sandringham - a week after he was last seen with a large bruise down his right cheek. However, the new photos taken today show the ex-prince's bruise has begun to fade. It comes as the nation will celebrate the King’s official birthday with the famous Trooping the Colour ceremony staged by some of the military’s most prestigious regiments. The royal family will join thousands of spectators in Whitehall for the annual event that will bring together the three services to mark Charles’ anniversary. Crowds will be treated to the sight of a royal carriage procession along The Mall as the King, Queen and the Princess of Wales, likely to be joined by her children, are guarded by a Sovereign’s Escort provided by the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment. Riding in the formation will be the royal colonels – Prince William , who is Colonel of the Welsh Guards; Princess Anne, Colonel of the Blues and Royals; and Prince Edward as Colonel of the Scots Guards. Guardsmen in their scarlet tunics and bearskin caps will deliver a display of precision marching on Horse Guards Parade, honed over weeks of practice and part of their ceremonial duties when not fighting soldiers. The national celebration is one of the highlights of the royal calendar and later will feature the royal family assembled on Buckingham Palace’s balcony for the traditional fly-past of RAF aircraft. King Charles has been left with a potential diary conflict on the day of his official birthday parade. The annual Trooping the Colour, which sees a spectacular military parade followed by a Buckingham Palace flypast, is set to take place today. It will see the King joined by all working members of his family, including the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Now it has emerged that on the same day, one of Charles’ late mother’s closest friends, Lady Pamela Hicks, will be laid to rest. Lady Pamela, who was a bridesmaid for Elizabeth II when she married Prince Philip in 1947, died at the age of 97 last week. The nation will celebrate the King’s official birthday with the famous Trooping the Colour ceremony staged by some of the military’s most prestigious regiments. The royal family will join thousands of spectators in Whitehall for the annual event that will bring together the three services to mark Charles’ anniversary. Crowds will be treated to the sight of a royal carriage procession along The Mall as the King, Queen and the Princess of Wales, likely to be joined by her children, 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. Guardsmen in their scarlet tunics and bearskin caps will deliver a display of precision marching on Horse Guards Parade, honed over weeks of practice and part of their ceremonial duties when not fighting soldiers. The national celebration is one of the highlights of the royal calendar and later will feature the royal family assembled on Buckingham Palace’s balcony for the traditional fly-past of RAF aircraft. The colour – regimental flag – being trooped this year is the King’s Colour of the Grenadier Guards presented by the King earlier this week during a Buckingham Palace ceremony and it will be escorted during Saturday’s spectacle by guardsmen from the King’s Company. Disgraced Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been spotted just hours before Trooping the Colour with his mystery bruise beginning to fade. Photos taken of the ex-prince close to his Sandringham home yesterday, show him at the wheel of his car, with the mark on his face starting to heal. Last week, he was spotted with a huge bruise on his cheek - after being seen in public for the first time in weeks. Come rain or shine, this year's Trooping the Colour is taking place under a dark cloud - even if the royals try to continue with "business as usual". As a celebration of the monarch's official birthday, it's one of the biggest events in the royal calendar and showcases the best of the House of Windsor's pomp, pageantry and tradition. But this year, a long shadow has been cast over what should be an easy win for King Charles and the working royals. Rugby league great Kevin Sinfield, actress Dame Helen Mirren and six of the European Championship-winning Lionesses lead the King’s Birthday Honours. Sinfield was knighted, becoming Sir Kevin, while members of the England women’s football team were made Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). At 20 years old, rising star forward Michelle Agyemang is the youngest recipient on the list. Goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, forwards Alessia Russo and Lauren James, and defender Jess Carter were also honoured. Actress Dame Helen Mirren was made a Companion of Honour for services to drama. Special honours are given to people who make outstanding contributions to their community and the country, with the King’s Birthday Honours acknowledging 1,182 recipients from every part of the UK. A lip reader has revealed what Prince Louis asked his brother Prince George as the Royal Family made their entrance at Trooping the Colour last year. Roars of delight rang out from the gathered crowds as George, alongside his mischievous younger brother Louis, were spotted making their way to the King's birthday celebrations along the Mall in London. The two royal brothers were seen beaming and chatting animatedly as their open carriage made its way along the Mall on a gloriously bright morning last June. A professional lip reader has since disclosed precisely what she believes the young duo were discussing. The annual Trooping the Colour is due to get underway soon, with members of the Royal Family and royal enthusiasts descending on the Mall to mark King Charles' birthday. Following the Horse Guards Parade and during the RAF flypast, the senior members of the Firm will gather on the Buckingham Palace balcony, which has famously served as the backdrop for numerous iconic moments. One particular instance dates back to the 2019 Trooping the Colour, which marked the last occasion Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attended the annual ceremony. As all the royals waved at devoted supporters lining the Mall and took in the RAF flypast, sharp-eyed observers believed they caught an uncomfortable moment between Harry and Meghan, creating a somewhat strained atmosphere on the balcony.