King Charles jokes as he meets Grenadier Guards ahead of Trooping the Colour: 'No drinking tonight!'

King Charles paid a visit to the Grenadier Guards at Lille Barracks in Aldershot on Friday evening, offering his best wishes ahead of Saturday's Trooping the Colour ceremony.

In his capacity as Colonel-in-Chief, the monarch met with members of his King's Company, a unit that maintains a particularly close bond with the sovereign.

Charles wished the soldiers "great success" and assured them "you'll make us very proud of you."

The King also drew laughter from the assembled guardsmen when he quipped, "No drinking tonight!" while commending their extensive preparations for the prestigious parade.

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Following the promotion of three guardsmen to the rank of Lance Corporal, the King delivered a spontaneous address to the assembled soldiers and officers.

"I know just how much effort goes into the parade you do tomorrow," the King told them.

He acknowledged the regiment's rigorous training regime, remarking that the rhythmic beating of drums had been audible from his residence since Easter.

"I can hear from Buckingham Palace the sound of the drums thumping away regularly so I know you're all marching up and down trying to get ready for the parade," the monarch observed.

The King expressed pride in the regiment's 370-year history of service and sacrifice to the nation.

The monarch also displayed his characteristic wit when touching upon more sombre matters, drawing sympathetic laughter from those present.

The King's Company holds the solemn duty of bearing the sovereign's coffin upon his death, a tradition Charles referenced with good humour.

"At least, as I was saying to some of you earlier, I know you'll be there when I finally shuffle off this mortal coil, the most wonderful tradition, I think, that you maintain," he remarked.

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During his tour of the barracks, Charles viewed displays showcasing the regiment's varied responsibilities, from ceremonial functions to overseas deployments and modern drone warfare training.

Thousands of spectators are anticipated to gather at Horse Guards Parade on Saturday to witness the royal family celebrate the King's official birthday.

New Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is expected to attend the ceremony alongside other senior Cabinet figures, including the Prime Minister.

His presence comes just days after his predecessor John Healey departed from the role on Thursday amid disagreements concerning long-term military funding.

The regimental flag being trooped this year is the King's Colour of the Grenadier Guards, which the King presented during a ceremony at Buckingham Palace earlier this week.

Guardsmen from the King's Company will escort the colour throughout Saturday's spectacle.

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