King wears black armband in memory of Indian air disaster at Trooping the Colour
The King has worn a black armband in tribute to those killed in the Air India plane crash as the Trooping the Colour ceremony staged in his honour began.
Trooping the Colour marks the King's official birthday, and more than 1,350 soldiers from the Household Division, 200 horses and 400 musicians were involved in the parade this year.
King Charles and Queen Camilla left Buckingham Palace in a horse-drawn carriage at the head of a procession travelling along The Mall and into Horse Guards Parade, where hundreds of guardsmen were on parade.
Senior officers taking part in Trooping the Colour also wore black armbands as a mark of respect for the victims of the Air India plane crash, as did the coachmen and women from the Royal Mews.
Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte joined other members of the Royal Family in the former office of the Duke of Wellington, overlooking Horse Guards Parade, to watch the Trooping the Colour spectacle.
The stands around Horse Guards Parade were filled with around 8,000 friends, family and loved ones of the guardsmen and officers on parade.
The King's first duty was to inspect the troops, and he was followed by the royal colonels, Prince William, Princess Anne and Prince Edward, as he travelled in a carriage with the Queen, Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, past the servicemen.
During the pageantry, the colour was first trooped through the ranks of soldiers before the guardsmen marched past the King, first in slow time, then in quick time, with Charles acknowledging the command of "eyes right".
The Princess of Wales and the Queen stood either side of the King and bowed their heads, while Charles saluted as the servicemen marched past.
The brand-new silk flags were covered in 44 of the Guards' 133 battle honours and, for the first time in 70 years, the King's crown.
The design reflects the long history of the Coldstream Guards and symbolises the sacrifices of all those who died fighting in their name.
The Coldstream Guards are the Army's oldest continuously serving regiment, having been formed in 1650.
Trooping the Colour Parade
The King's Birthday Parade is the Household Division's opportunity to wish His Majesty a happy official birthday, and illustrates all that is important about soldiering: discipline, detail, teamwork, commitment and endurance.
During the parade, the soldiers wore red tunics and the famous bearskin, while their boots were polished to a mirror shine.
It is known as Trooping the Colour, when the Sovereign's colour (regimental flag) is trooped in front of the King along with the regiment's colonels, watched on by members of the Royal Family and tens of thousands of members of the public, with millions more watching on TV.
At the end of the parade, the military personnel marched past the King at Buckingham Palace.
Then, the King's Horse Artillery fired a 41-gun salute in Green Park to honour his birthday.
The Royal Family returned to Buckingham Palace and came out onto the balcony to watch the RAF flypast, culminating with the Red Arrows.
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