King Charles Honours Indian Air Crash Victims At Birthday Parade : The Click Spot

A minute’s silence for victims of the Air India plane disaster was held on Saturday at a London birthday parade for King Charles III, in which some members of the royal family also wore black arm bands.

The king, 76, requested amendments to the parade, known as Trooping the Colour, “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 spokesperson said.

A total 279 people, including passengers, crew and people on the ground, died on Thursday when a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London’s Gatwick Airport crashed on take-off from Ahmedabad in eastern India.

The victims included 52 Britons. A sole survivor has been named as British man Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, from the central English city of Leicester.

This screengrab of video footage taken and released by the Narendra Modi Youtube Channel on June 13, 2025 shows India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) meeting with Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, sole survivor of the Air India flight 171 crash, at a hospital in Ahmedabad. (Photo by NARENDRA MODI YOUTUBE CHANNEL / AFP)

This handout taken and posted on the X (formerly Twitter) account of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) On June 12, 2025 shows the back of an Air India plane after it crashed in a residential area near the airport in Ahmedabad. (Photo by Handout / CENTRAL INDUSTRIAL SECURITY FORCE (CISF) / AFP)

In a written message after the disaster, Charles said he was “desperately shocked by the terrible events” and expressed his “deepest possible sympathy”.

Trooping the Colour, a minutely choreographed military tradition dating back more than two centuries, marks the British sovereign’s official birthday.

It starts at Buckingham Palace and moves down The Mall to Horse Guards Parade, where Charles receives a royal salute before inspecting soldiers.

Britain’s Princess Anne, Princess Royal, rides a horse on Horse Guards Parade during the King’s Birthday Parade, “Trooping the Colour”, in London on June 14, 2025. The ceremony of Trooping the Colour is believed to have first been performed during the reign of King Charles II. Since 1748, the Trooping of the Colour has marked the official birthday of the British Sovereign. Over 1500 parading soldiers and almost 300 horses take part in the event. (Photo by BENJAMIN CREMEL / AFP)

(L to R) Britain’s King Charles III, Britain’s Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain’s Prince Louis of Wales, Britain’s Prince George of Wales, Britain’s Catherine, Princess of Wales and Britain’s Princess Charlotte of Wales, smile whilst standing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after attending the King’s Birthday Parade “Trooping the Colour” in London on June 14, 2025. The ceremony of Trooping the Colour is believed to have first been performed during the reign of King Charles II. Since 1748, the Trooping of the Colour has marked the official birthday of the British Sovereign. Over 1500 parading soldiers and almost 300 horses take part in the event. (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP)

(L-R) Britain’s Prince Louis of Wales, Britain’s Prince George of Wales and Britain’s Catherine, Princess of Wales, make their way back to Buckingham Palace from Horse Guards Parade during the King’s Birthday Parade, “Trooping the Colour”, in London on June 14, 2025. The ceremony of Trooping the Colour is believed to have first been performed during the reign of King Charles II. Since 1748, the Trooping of the Colour has marked the official birthday of the British Sovereign. Over 1500 parading soldiers and almost 300 horses take part in the event. (Photo by BENJAMIN CREMEL / AFP)

Britain’s Prince William, Prince of Wales, wearing a black armband for the victims of the London-bound Air India crash rides a horse on Horse Guards Parade during the King’s Birthday Parade, “Trooping the Colour”, in London on June 14, 2025. The ceremony of Trooping the Colour is believed to have first been performed during the reign of King Charles II. Since 1748, the Trooping of the Colour has marked the official birthday of the British Sovereign. Over 1500 parading soldiers and almost 300 horses take part in the event. (Photo by BENJAMIN CREMEL / AFP)

Hundreds of people gathered outside the palace and along The Mall to watch the spectacle.

They included a small group of anti-monarchist protesters with yellow placards reading “not my king” and “down with the crown”.

Charles, who is still undergoing weekly treatment for an unspecified cancer, was accompanied by Queen Camilla for the parade.

Also present were heir Prince William, 42, his wife Catherine, also known as Kate, and their three children: George, 11, Charlotte, 10 and Louis, seven.

Britain’s Catherine, Princess of Wales (C), Britain’s Princess Charlotte of Wales (L), Britain’s Prince George of Wales (2ndR) and Britain’s Prince Louis of Wales (R) make their way back to Buckingham Palace from Horse Guards Parade in London during the King’s Birthday Parade, “Trooping the Colour”, on June 14, 2025. The ceremony of Trooping the Colour is believed to have first been performed during the reign of King Charles II. Since 1748, the Trooping of the Colour has marked the official birthday of the British Sovereign. Over 1500 parading soldiers and almost 300 horses take part in the event. (Photo by BENJAMIN CREMEL / AFP)

Britain’s Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, and Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence arrive to Horse Guards Parade for the King’s Birthday Parade, “Trooping the Colour”, in London on June 14, 2025. The ceremony of Trooping the Colour is believed to have first been performed during the reign of King Charles II. Since 1748, the Trooping of the Colour has marked the official birthday of the British Sovereign. Over 1500 parading soldiers and almost 300 horses take part in the event. (Photo by BENJAMIN CREMEL / AFP)

A police officer stands guard as protesters from anti-monarchy group Republic hold “Not My King” placards during the King’s Birthday Parade “Trooping the Colour” in London on June 14, 2025. The ceremony of Trooping the Colour is believed to have first been performed during the reign of King Charles II. Since 1748, the Trooping of the Colour has marked the official birthday of the British Sovereign. Over 1500 parading soldiers and almost 300 horses take part in the event. (Photo by BENJAMIN CREMEL / AFP)

No Harry

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 own 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.

British Royal Air Force’s (RAF) aerobatic team, the “Red Arrows” perform a flypast over Buckingham Palace during the King’s Birthday Parade “Trooping the Colour” in London on June 14, 2025. The ceremony of Trooping the Colour is believed to have first been performed during the reign of King Charles II. Since 1748, the Trooping of the Colour has marked the official birthday of the British Sovereign. Over 1500 parading soldiers and almost 300 horses take part in the event. (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP)

Britain’s King Charles III inspects the Royal guards during the King’s Birthday Parade “Trooping the Colour” in London on June 14, 2025. The ceremony of Trooping the Colour is believed to have first been performed during the reign of King Charles II. Since 1748, the Trooping of the Colour has marked the official birthday of the British Sovereign. Over 1500 parading soldiers and almost 300 horses take part in the event. (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP)

Britain’s Catherine, Princess of Wales, attends the King’s Birthday Parade, “Trooping the Colour”, on Horse Guards Parade in London on June 14, 2025. The ceremony of Trooping the Colour is believed to have first been performed during the reign of King Charles II. Since 1748, the Trooping of the Colour has marked the official birthday of the British Sovereign. Over 1500 parading soldiers and almost 300 horses take part in the event. (Photo by BENJAMIN CREMEL / AFP)

Britain’s Prince William, Prince of Wales (2L) parades down the Mall after attending the King’s Birthday Parade “Trooping the Colour” in London on June 14, 2025. The ceremony of Trooping the Colour is believed to have first been performed during the reign of King Charles II. Since 1748, the Trooping of the Colour has marked the official birthday of the British Sovereign. Over 1500 parading soldiers and almost 300 horses take part in the event. (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP)

Britain’s King Charles III salutes members of the royal guard during the King’s Birthday Parade “Trooping the Colour” in London on June 14, 2025. The ceremony of Trooping the Colour is believed to have first been performed during the reign of King Charles II. Since 1748, the Trooping of the Colour has marked the official birthday of the British Sovereign. Over 1500 parading soldiers and almost 300 horses take part in the event. (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP)

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

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

The second birthday tradition dates back to 1748, when King George II wanted to have a celebration in better weather than at his own birthday, which was in October.