Pomp, pageantry and a time for reflection...

THE King yesterday led the nation in mourning those killed in the Air India plane crash as he was joined by senior royals for Trooping the Colour.

- By Emily Ferguson ROYAL EDITOR

Charles, 76, marked his official birthday with a stirring display of pomp and pageantry in Central London.

But His Majesty requested several changes to acknowledge Thursday’s disaster that killed 270 people — including 52 Britons - in Ahmedabad.

This included asking members of the Royal Family in military uniform to wear black armbands and incorporating a minute’s silence into the ceremony.

The King and Queen kicked off the carriage procession yesterday morning, waving to the thousands of well-wishers gathered along the Mall as they left Buckingham Palace and headed to Horse Guards Parade in the sunshine.

The Princess of Wales and her three children followed in another open-top carriage, eliciting the loudest cheers from the crowd.

Kate, wearing a turquoise dress coat by Catherine Walker, matching hat by Juliette Botterill and the Irish Guards Regimental Brooch, sat beside her daughter, Princess Charlotte, 10, who wore a dress in a matching hue.

Prince George, 11, and Prince Louis, seven, sat opposite them and appeared to be enjoying each other’s company as they made enthusiastic gestures and giggled on the short journey.

Other coaches carried the Duchess of Edinburgh, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.

Riding behind the King were the royal colonels wearing black armbands: the Prince of Wales, Colonel of the Welsh Guards; the Princess Royal, Colonel of the Blues and Royals; and the Duke of Edinburgh, Colonel of the Scots Guards.

The Royal Procession was accompanied by the Sovereign’s Escort of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment and the sounds of the Band of the Household Cavalry, led by two shire drum horses bearing solid silver kettle drums.