King remembers victims of Air India plane disaster at Trooping the Colour
The King has celebrated his official birthday with an eco-friendly flypast by the Red Arrows and remembered all those killed in the Air India plane disaster.
Trooping the Colour was a display of military pomp and pageantry but Charles asked for the traditional programme to include a minute's silence, and for senior royals and officers taking part to wear black armbands as a mark of respect.
When the royal family gathered later on Buckingham Palace's balcony they acknowledged the crowds and watched an aerial display of vintage and modern aircraft with the Red Arrows' finale powered by a blend of sustainable aviation fuel.
The world-famous aerobatic team also used vegetable oil to produce their trademark red, white and blue vapour trails over the royal residence – believed to be a first.
Trooping, also known as the King's Birthday Parade, fell silent after Charles had inspected hundreds of troops on Whitehall's Horse Guards Parade from a carriage with the Queen by his side.
The moment of reflection acknowledged the aviation disaster on Thursday that killed 241 passengers and crew, including more than 50 British nationals, and around 30 people on the ground.
Charles led the royal colonels in wearing black armbands, with the Prince of Wales, Colonel of the Welsh Guards, Princess Royal, Colonel Blues and Royals, and the Duke of Edinburgh, Colonel Scots Guards, all wearing bands on their left arms.
Young royals delighted monarchy fans by making an appearance, with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis riding in a carriage with their mother Kate.
George, Charlotte and Louis joined other members of the royal family, including the Duchess of Edinburgh in the former office of the Duke of Wellington, to watch the spectacle in honour of their grandfather the King.
Kate took her place next to the King and Queen on the dais, in her role as Colonel of the Irish Guards – a symbolic position and one she was unable to take up last year because she was receiving cancer treatment, and instead watched the ceremony with her children.
Trooping the Colour is as much a social occasion as a ceremonial celebration, and stands around Horse Guards Parade were filled with around 8,000 wives, girlfriends and parents of the guardsmen and officers on parade.
The colour – or regimental flag – being trooped this year was the King's Colour of Number 7 Company, Coldstream Guards, also known as the sovereign's bodyguard, which is celebrating its 375th anniversary.
The minute's silence was observed when Charles and Camilla returned to the dais, following an announcement to the spectators and a bugler sounding the Last Post.
During the pageantry, the colour was first trooped through the ranks of soldiers before the guardsmen marched past the King, first in slow then in quick time, with Charles acknowledging the command of 'eyes right' with a salute.
Lieutenant Max Martin, 24, who carried the regimental flag at the heart of the ceremony, said: 'The King's Colour emphasises and symbolises everything that has ever gone before in the Coldstream Guards.
'The gold embroidered silk of the flag is physically heavy, especially in the flourish, but the symbolic weight is heavier still.
'It bears 44 of our 113 battle honours: the achievements and sacrifices of countless generations of our forebears.'
Thousands lined the royal procession route from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade where Trooping was staged.
A group of activists from the anti-monarchy group Republic staged a 'not my King' protest.
During the fly-past Louis, who was dressed in an identical red tie and suit outfit as older brother George, was seen chatting to his father, William, and waving to the crowds.
The sustainable display be the Red Arrows is in keeping with Charles decades long support for sustainability and climate action.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said the King was not involved in the decision but was 'delighted' because he has been encouraging use of the fuel on royal flights where practical and hopes the example will lead to wider use across the aviation sector.
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