London, UNITED KINGDOM: Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and her husband The Duke of Edinburgh ride out of Buckingham Palace towards Horse Guards Parade in London, 17 June 2006, for the traditional Trooping the Colour parade. More than 1,100 soldiers are taking part in the annual event marking her 80th birthday, which will be followed by a spectacular RAF flypast. The custom of Trooping the Colour dates back to the time of Charles II in the 17th Century when the Colours of a regiment were used as a rallying point in battle and were therefore trooped in front of the soldiers every day to make sure that every man could recognise those of his own regiment. AFP PHOTO / JOHN D MCHUGH (Photo credit should read JOHN D MCHUGH/AFP via Getty Images)
