Crowds cheered as King Charles and Queen Camilla attended the Trooping the Colour parade to mark the monarch's official birthday. The royal couple rode in a carriage in the military procession along the Mall and into Horse Guards Parade where the King reviewed guardsmen on parade. They were joined by members of the Royal Family, including the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children. The occasion was full of the traditional pageantry but, at the King's request, there were marks of respect to remember the victims of the Air India crash, with the Royal Family in the parade wearing black armbands.

The disaster killed 241 passengers and crew, including more than 50 Britons, as well as at least eight people who were on the ground when the aircraft came down. This year's relaxed ceremony had a very different feel compared to last year - and not just because it was sunshine rather than lashing rain. At Trooping the Colour in 2024 there had been feverish interest in Catherine's return to public life, in what was her first public appearance since her cancer diagnosis. This year she could be seen smiling alongside her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and seven-year-old Prince Louis - who gave a gap-toothed grin in a carriage alongside his brother. The King, who is still undergoing his own treatment for cancer, rode in the carriage for the second year running rather than riding on horseback. This was a ceremony celebrating the King's birthday. Although King Charles's actual birthday is 14 November, monarchs historically have had an "official" birthday for public events such as this, held in the summer in the hope of better weather.

Members of the Royal Family, including the Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Royal, were wearing black armbands in honor of the Air India crash victims. The Red Arrows led the RAF flypast over central London, creating a celebratory atmosphere in the crowd as they watched the parade go by.