KING ORDERS CHANGES TO TROOPING THE COLOUR FOLLOWING AIR INDIA DISASTER
On Wednesday, 241 people were killed after a Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed in Ahmedabad in Western India, including 52 Britons, one Canadian, 169 Indian nationals, and seven Portuguese.
Miraculously, one British man from Leicester survived the crash and is receiving treatment in hospital.
A few hours after the fatal plane crash, the King extended his "special prayers and deepest possible sympathy" to all those affected.
The King's Birthday Parade is usually a time of celebration for the nation, but following the Air India disaster, His Majesty has requested some special changes to the day.
I understand that members of the Royal Family taking part in the parade will be wearing black armbands, alongside postilions, coachmen from the Royal Mews, and senior military officers.
This will not include members of the Royal Family wearing civilian clothing, such as the Princess of Wales and her three children.
A minute's silence will be observed following the King's inspection of the Coldstream Guards at Horse Guards, marked by a Last Post and Reveille.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson tells me that His Majesty wanted the change "as a mark of respect for the lives lost, the families in mourning and all the communities affected by this awful tragedy."
In 2017, following the Grenfell Tower fire where 72 people perished, the late Queen Elizabeth II ordered a similar national moment of silence ahead of her official Birthday Parade.
PRINCESS OF WALES TAKES PERSONAL RISK AFTER SAFETY WARNING
On Tuesday, I was with the Princess of Wales, covering her visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum's East Storehouse - a brand new cultural facility, giving the public access to hundreds of thousands of artifacts.
She stunned unsuspecting members of the public as she toured the venue, which was not locked down for her visit.
The Princess was wearing a pair of high-heeled shoes, going against official V&A guidelines, which warn visitors about the hazardous "metal grid flooring".
Luckily, Catherine's heel didn't fall through any gaps, and she was as graceful as she always is.
The museum recently launched its "order an object" system, where items not on display in their flagship Kensington site can be viewed by members of the public.
The Princess of Wales, as the V&A's Royal Patron, couldn't resist trying the service for herself.
Tim Reeve, Deputy Director of the Victoria & Albert Museum, told us: "I did have a look at what was laid out, and some amazing things as always, an amazing musical instrument, there’s lots of stuff that’s related to nature."
One of the things I saw that she'll be super interested in is this big William Morris fabric sample book, it’s an enormous thing, and you can sort of flick through.
KING RECOGNIZES HIS PERSONAL MEDICS AS CANCER TREATMENT CONTINUES
Senior medical staff from the Royal Household have been recognized by the King in His Majesty's Birthday Honours list.
Ranan Dasgupta, sergeant-surgeon to the royal medical household, has been made a Lieutenant of the Royal Victoria Order (RVO).
Dasgupta is a urology expert at King Edward VII's Hospital in London, specializing in the treatment of prostate diseases, kidney stones, and similar conditions.
King Edward VII Hospital has treated members of the Royal Family for decades.
In January 2024, the King underwent treatment for an enlarged prostate at the London Clinic, where a separate form of cancer was discovered.
Since then, the King has undergone a weekly cycle of cancer treatment, pausing briefly to travel to Australia and Samoa on royal tours last October.
Meanwhile, King Charles has also recognized Queen Camilla's GP, Dr. Nicholas Hugh, who has the title Apothecary to the Queen.
Dr. Hugh has also been appointed as an RVO - a gift bestowed personally by the monarch, independently from Downing Street, to people who have served the Royal Family in an intimate or personal way.
The King's Birthday Honours list is released ahead of Trooping The Colour later today - formally known as the King's Birthday Parade.
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