King Charles to Honour Air Crash Victims During Trooping the Colour
King Charles has asked members of the Royal Family participating in the Trooping the Colour parade to wear black armbands in honour of the victims of the recent Air India plane crash, Buckingham Palace announced.
The King has also requested a minute’s silence after his inspection of the troops on Saturday, to recognize “the lives lost, the families in mourning, and all the communities affected by this awful tragedy,” a Palace spokesperson said.
Trooping the Colour is held annually in London to mark the King’s official birthday, featuring 1,350 troops in a ceremonial display. This year, as he continues cancer treatment, King Charles is expected to travel in a carriage rather than on horseback, as he did last year.
The King, who previously sent a message of condolence after the crash, expressed he was “desperately shocked by the terrible events in Ahmedabad,” which claimed the lives of all but one of the 242 passengers and crew. Flags at royal residences have been flying at half-mast, and the black armbands will serve as an additional sign of respect.
Senior royals in military uniform, including the King and the Prince of Wales, as well as coachmen and women in the parade, are expected to wear the black armbands. Royals not in uniform are unlikely to wear them.
The Trooping the Colour ceremony includes an inspection of troops on Horse Guards Parade, a procession along the Mall, and traditionally concludes with a Red Arrows flypast over Buckingham Palace, viewed by the Royal Family from the balcony.
Although King Charles’s birthday is in November, the public celebration is held in June for better weather, following tradition. This year, the colours of the Coldstream Guards will be presented.
The event also marks the return of the Princess of Wales, who is now in remission after her cancer treatment, for what will be her first public appearance of the year.
Despite ongoing cancer treatment, King Charles has remained active, recently returning from a successful visit to Canada, and appears well enough to continue his public duties during this significant ceremonial occasion.
