King Charles to honour Air India crash victims at Trooping the Colour parade
King Charles III has directed members of the Royal Family to wear black armbands during this year's Trooping the Colour parade as a tribute to the victims of the recent Air India plane crash, Buckingham Palace announced. The ceremonial event, which marks the British monarch's official birthday, will also observe a minute's silence.
According to a Palace spokesperson, the King requested the moment of reflection following his inspection of troops on Saturday, 'in recognition of the lives lost, the families in mourning, and all the communities affected by this awful tragedy.'
Following the devastating plane crash that claimed the lives of 241 passengers and crew near Ahmedabad—with only one survivor—the King had issued a message expressing that he was 'desperately shocked by the terrible events in Ahmedabad.' In the days since, flags at royal residences have been flown at half-mast as a mark of mourning.
The Trooping the Colour ceremony, one of the UK's most significant annual royal events, will involve 1,350 soldiers parading along Horse Guards Parade and The Mall in London. The King, currently undergoing cancer treatment, is expected to travel in a carriage rather than on horseback, as he did last year.
The black armbands will be worn by senior royals in military dress—including King Charles and the Prince of Wales—as well as coachmen and women participating in the parade.
Members of the Royal Family not in uniform are unlikely to wear the armbands, according to Palace sources cited by the BBC.
This year's parade will feature the regimental colours of the Coldstream Guards. As is customary, the event will conclude with a flypast by the Royal Air Force's Red Arrows, watched by the Royal Family from the Buckingham Palace balcony.
While King Charles's actual birthday is in November, the tradition of celebrating the sovereign's official birthday in summer dates back to the 18th century, largely to ensure more favourable weather for public festivities.
Both the King and the Princess of Wales have recently resumed public appearances after undergoing cancer treatments.
(With inputs from BBC)
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