King Charles III, accompanied by other members of the royal family in uniform, wore black armbands and observed a moment of silence during his annual birthday parade on Saturday, honoring the victims of this week’s tragic Air India plane crash.
An Air India flight traveling from the northwestern city of Ahmedabad to London encountered disaster shortly after takeoff on Thursday, resulting in the loss of 241 lives on board and at least 29 on the ground. The ill-fated aircraft was carrying 169 Indians, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian. Remarkably, one individual survived.
The annual birthday celebration of the monarch, known as Trooping the Colour, is a cherished event marked by splendor and military bands. During this occasion, the king inspects his troops at Horse Guards Parade, located next to St. James’ Park in central London.
This military tradition dates back to when the battalion’s flags, referred to as colours, were ‘trooped’ or shown to soldiers in formation, helping them recognize their regiments.
Dressed in a vibrant scarlet military uniform, Charles made his entrance at Horse Guards Parade in an open-topped, horse-drawn carriage, accompanied by Queen Camilla. Following the king, Prince William and other royal family members in uniform rode on horseback, while Kate, the Princess of Wales, and her three children followed in another open-topped carriage.
The festivities included 1,338 soldiers, comprising 244 musicians, who paraded past the king after the poignant moment of silence dedicated to those impacted by the Air India tragedy.
Subsequently, the royal family returned to Buckingham Palace, where they appeared on the balcony to greet the assembled crowd and observe a flyover of military aircraft.
The grand finale of the flyover featured the Royal Air Force aerobatic display team, known as the Red Arrows, which, for the first time, utilized a blend of sustainable aviation fuel to power their aircraft, creating their iconic red, white, and blue smoke trails.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla make their entrance for Trooping the Colour ceremony at Horse Guards Parade in central London on June 14, 2025.