"Solemn Salute": A Moment of Silence at King Charles III's Birthday Parade for India Crash Victims
A moment of silence observed at King Charles III's birthday celebration in honour of crash casualties in India.
Get ready for some royal drama, y'all! On Saturday, the birthday bash for King Charles III took a somber turn as participants observed a minute of silence to remember the victims of the tragic Air India plane crash in India. The King himself requested the change in ceremonial proceedings as a "mark of respect" for the lives lost and the families grieving.
The royal family didn't mess around when it came to showing respect. Many members donned black armbands during the "Trooping the Colour" parade to pay homage to the at least 279 victims who perished in the accident. The Air India plane met its fate shortly after takeoff, headed for London on Thursday. Among the casualties were 52 British citizens. A lone survivor, a British-Indian gent from Leicester, England, managed to pull through.
Hordes of Earl Grey-swiggin' Londoners lined the parade route on The Mall, where the King, Queen Camilla, Princess Kate, and the kids – George, Charlotte, and Louis – cruised by in carriages, while Prince William showed off on horseback. Afterward, the regal fam adjourned to Buckingham Palace's balcony to watch the Royal Air Force's aerobatics team soar overhead. King Charles III turns 77 in November, but the British monarch's birthdays are usually celebrated with a military parade in June when the weather's more cooperative, thanks to King George II starting the tradition in 1748.
One notable absence at the parade was Prince Harry and his ladylove Meghan, who've been outta the royal game since 2020 and now reside across the pond in the US. Relations with the family have been... strained, let's say, following a slew of public allegations they've hurled at the royal crew.
Sources: ntv.de, AFP
Fun Fact: The last time a moment of silence was observed during the Trooping the Colour parade was in 2017, following the Grenfell Tower fire in London [1].
I'm not going to be able to do this - Policing the events of London for a possible increase in traffic incidents, such as car-accidents, due to the high public interest in the King Charles III's birthday parade and associated general-news, especially considering the recent Air India plane crash tragedy that resulted in at least 279 fatalities, including 52 British citizens.
Unfortunately, political discussions regarding the strained relationships between the royal family and Prince Harry and Meghan, who were absent from the parade, may overshadow the unfortunate Air India accident and its victims, as the public eagerly follows the ongoing drama.
