NEED TO KNOW
- King Charles, 76, will wear a black armband on his military uniform in honor of the 241 victims of the Air India plane crash at the Trooping the Colour Parade on Saturday, June 14
- Prince William and the Royal Mews staff will also wear black bands
- Following the inspection of the troops on Horse Guards Parade, there will be a moment of silence preceded by the sounding of the Last Post
King Charles has made somber changes to the Trooping the Colour Parade to be held on Saturday, June 14, in honor of the victims of the deadly Air India plane crash.
King Charles, 76, will wear a black armband on his military uniform, as will his son Prince William. Royal Mews staff who wear livery for the procession will also wear black armbands, along with mounted officers taking part in the procession.
When the King takes his place on the dais after the inspection of the troops on Horse Guards Parade, there will be a moment of silence preceded by the sounding of the Last Post.
The changes are being made 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 tells PEOPLE.
This is not the first time that a royal procession has made changes to honor victims of a tragedy in the U.K. In 2017, three days after the Grenfell Fire disaster in London, a minute of silence was incorporated into the Birthday Parade ceremonies.
The somber changes to the procession will pay tribute to the 241 passengers and crew killed in the tragic Air India Plane Crash on Thursday, June 12. The plane, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, had just departed Ahmedabad for London’s Gatwick airport when it crashed. Only one survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, has been identified.
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Ramesh sustained “impact injuries” to his chest, eyes and feet, according to The Hindustan Times,
“Thirty seconds after takeoff, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed,” he told the Times from his hospital bed. “It all happened so quickly.”
“When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran,” Ramesh said. “There were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital.”
Trooping the Colour is a celebration of the King’s birthday. The ceremony will take place in London on Saturday, June 14.
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