King Charles III's Birthday Parade Pauses for Victims of Deadly Air India Crash
Observance of a moment of silence during the birthday celebration for King Charles III to pay tribute to the victims of the crash in India.
Folks attending the Saturday birthday parade for our new king, Charles III, took a moment of silence to remember the souls lost in the horrific Air India crash in Ahmedabad, India. Old Chap himself requested this somber moment as a sign of respect for the lives snuffed out and the distraught families, according to Buckingham Palace.
Royal kinfolk sported mourning ribbons during the "Trooping the Colour" parade to pay homage to the at least 279 casualties of the Air India disaster in India. That plane went down just minutes after taking off on Thursday, en route to London. Among the fallen were 52 Britishers. The lone survivor was a British-Indian fellow hailing from Leicester, England.
Crowds lined the parade route along London's Mall on Saturday as the Sovereign, Camilla the Queen, and Princess Kate rode by in carriages, accompanied by their kiddos George, Charlotte, and Louis. The Heir apparent, William, galloped on a steed. Later, the Royal Family peeked out from Buckingham Palace's balcony to watch an airshow by the Royal Air Force's aerobatic team. Charles III will turn 77 in November, but His Majesty's birthday, like all British monarchs, is traditionally feted with a military procession in June, when the weather is expected to be less drizzly. Our granddaddy, George II, put this tradition into place back in 1748 when he preferred celebrating under sunnier skies than on his actual birthday in October.
As in previous years, Charles' younker son, Harry, and his missus Meghan were absent from the Parade. They opted out of royal duties in 2020 and skedaddled to the States. Harry's relations with his kin are still a bit frosty following a barrage of allegations he and his wife have hurled against the Royal Family in the public eye.
Sources: ntv.de, AFP, Independent
Fun fact:
Did you know George II preferred to celebrate his birthday in better weather compared to his actual duty date in October? This tradition started in 1748 and is still upheld today!
Did you know?
The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, India, served as the origin for the unfortunately fated Air India Flight AI171. This disaster claimed an estimated 290 lives, with 52 hailing from the UK. The sole survivor of this devastating crash was a British-Indian man named Vishwash Kumar Ramesh.
I'm not going to be able to do this amidst the continuous coverage of the devastating accidents, particularly the recent car-accidents and the tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad, India, which is currently dominating the general-news. In fact, instead of focusing on the sports section, my attention has been drawn to the aftermath of these accidents and the lives affected, including the 52 Britishers who lost their lives in the air disaster.
