The Trooping the Colour 2025 parade experienced a major technical error minutes into the royal parade as Clare Balding opened the two-and-a-half-hour celebration. Alongside footage of the Royal Family travelling from Buckingham Palace to the Horse Guards Parade on streets lined with cheering fans waving Union Jacks, there were also clips from the troops detailing their commitment to their work.

Clare announced: “Leading the sovereign procession is the brigade major of the household division, left tenant colonel Charlie Foinette. Responsible for ensuring that this procession and parade runs like clockwork.” However, as the celebration cut to a pre-recorded clip of the troop talking about his work, the video played with no sound.

As the clip aired, waves of interference could be heard instead of Foinette talking, before quickly being removed and replaced with a live feed from the parade.

Clare was forced to address the blunder and said: “Apologies, we’ve got a few sound issues there. We’ll get another go in a second.” She instead introduced James, who spoke about serving with Foinette.

Viewers also took to social media to complain about the sound, as one addressed the broadcaster and urged: “@BBC can you tell @clarebalding to speak up as the sound quality on #TroopingTheColour is terrible.”

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, a second echoed: “BBC, you need to turn Claire’s mic up! #TroopingTheColour.”

Speaking in Foinette’s place, James said: “Charlie’s a really good friend of mine, we went to (Royal Military Academy) Sandhurst pretty much at the same time and we used to row against each other before the army.

“He’s a fantastic soldier and really is one of life’s good guys. He’s on Percy today. Percy is known for being a little bit of a firecracker, but Charlie’s got him well under control; he’s doing a really good job.”

Clare then re-introduced the clip, which finally worked, as Foinette explained: “This is my first birthday parade as Brigade Major on horse. It’s a wonderful feeling to step out on parade with your regimental family.”

He added: “To go down the Mall when it’s fully dressed for a ceremonial occasion, it’s a breathtaking experience when you are in the middle of that focused energy of a crowd is quite an experience.”