The King’s Official Birthday Parade – Trooping the Colour – will take place tomorrow and King Charles has amended some plans for the day as a mark of respect for the lives lost in the Air India crash
The King has requested changes to Trooping the Colour as a mark of respect for the lives lost in the tragic Air India crash. The King’s annual official birthday parade takes place in London tomorrow and is set to see the Royal Family take part in a procession from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade before appearing on the Palace balcony for the RAF flypast.
The parade filled with pomp and pageantry comes just days after the Air India flight from Ahmedabad bound for London Gatwick crashed in the Indian city killing 241 people, including many British nationals. And following the incident, the King has requested some amendments to the Trooping the Colour programme tomorrow “as a mark of respect for the lives lost, the families in mourning and all the communities affected by this awful tragedy”, a Buckingham Palace spokesman has said.
As part of these changes, Charles has requested that members of the Royal Family participating in the parade on horseback tomorrow in military uniform should wear black armbands. These include Prince William, Colonel of the Welsh Guards, Princess Annel, Colonel Blues and Royals, and the Prince Edward, Colonel Scots Guards.
Queen Camilla, the Princess of Wales and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh are expected to be among the royal party watching the event and royal fans will hope Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will join them as they did last year.
There is no change for other members of the Royal Family attending in civilian clothing. Postilions and coachmen from the Royal Mews will also wear black armbands, alongside other senior officers.
In addition, a minute’s silence will also be held following the inspection of the parade at Horse Guards Parade when the King is on the dais, to be signalled by a Last Post and Reveille.
A similar moment’s silence was incorporated into Trooping the Colour in 2017 in the wake of the Grenfell fire three days previously. It comes as Union flags across official royal residences were also flown at half-mast today as a mark of respect.
Yesterday, the King said he was “desperately shocked by the terrible events” of the Air India crash, and expressed his “deepest possible sympathy” to those who “await news of their loved ones”.
The monarch has been kept updated on the developing situation since news emerged of the incident, Buckingham Palace said. The King said in a written message: “My wife and I have been desperately shocked by the terrible events in Ahmedabad this morning.
“Our special prayers and deepest possible sympathy are with the families and friends of all those affected by this appallingly tragic incident across so many nations, as they await news of their loved ones.
“I would like to pay a particular tribute to the heroic efforts of the emergency services and all those providing help and support at this most heartbreaking and traumatic time.” It later emerged there was a sole survivor, UK national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh.