Silence, Black Armbands At King Charles’s Birthday Parade Honour Ahmedabad Crash Victims

Last Updated:June 14, 2025, 21:43 IST

King Charles requested changes to Trooping the Colour as tribute to victims of Ahmedabad crash.

Britain's Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, Britain's Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, Britain's Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, Britain's Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, Britain's Queen Camilla, Britain's King Charles III, Britain's Prince Louis of Wales, Britain's Prince George of Wales, Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Princess Charlotte of Wales, and Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, pose on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after attending the King's Birthday Parade "Trooping the Colour" in London. (IMAGE: AFP)

A minute’s silence was observed on Saturday during King Charles III’s official birthday parade in London to honour the victims of the Air India crash. Some members of the royal family were seen wearing black armbands as a mark of respect.

The king, 76, had requested changes to the ceremonial Trooping the Colour event following Thursday’s disaster, which claimed 279 lives, including passengers, crew and people on the ground in Ahmedabad. The aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, was headed for London’s Gatwick Airport when it crashed on take-off.

Among the dead were 52 British nationals. The only known survivor is a British citizen, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, from Leicester.

Buckingham Palace said the changes were made “as a mark of respect for the lives lost, the families in mourning and all the communities affected by this awful tragedy." In a statement issued earlier, the king said he was “desperately shocked by the terrible events" and offered his “deepest possible sympathy".

The annual Trooping the Colour parade, which marks the British monarch’s official birthday, began at Buckingham Palace and proceeded down The Mall to Horse Guards Parade. Charles, who is undergoing weekly treatment for an unspecified cancer, was joined by Queen Camilla.

Also present were Prince William, Princess Catherine and their three children: George, Charlotte and Louis. Catherine, who has been battling cancer herself, has only recently resumed limited public engagements.

Hundreds gathered along the route to watch the ceremony. A small group of anti-monarchy protesters also showed up, holding placards reading “Not My King" and “Down With The Crown".

Catherine, 43, whose formal title is Princess of Wales, has also faced her own cancer battle.

She announced that she had also been diagnosed with an unspecified cancer in March 2024 just weeks after Charles revealed his cancer.

The princess said in January 2025 that she was “in remission" and she has since made a partial return to public life.

Not present at Saturday’s parade, were Charles’s estranged younger son Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, who both stepped down from royal family duties in 2020, and moved to the United States.

Harry’s fraught ties with his family have worsened since he and Meghan made various public allegations against the royals.

Harry and his brother William are said to barely be on speaking terms, according to UK media.

After the parade, the royal family made their traditional appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

A fly-past included a team from the Royal Air Force’s aerobatic team, the Red Arrows, whose aircraft trailing red, white and blue vapour were powered by a blend of sustainable aviation fuel and vegetable oil.

Charles was an early champion of sustainability and climate action.

Although Trooping the Colour takes place in June, the king was actually born in November.

(with inputs from AFP)

London, United Kingdom (UK)

News world Silence, Black Armbands At King Charles’s Birthday Parade Honour Ahmedabad Crash Victims