King Charles represented at Buckingham Palace as royals honour 9/11 victims

Buckingham Palace has paid tribute to the victims of 9/11 with Changing of the Guard ceremony, as Britain joined the United States in remembering the lives lost 25 years ago.

The commemorative ceremony took place on Friday on the Palace’s red gravel forecourt, where the Band of the Coldstream Guards performed both the British and American national anthems.

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester represented King Charles at the ceremony, taking the Royal Salute beneath the Palace’s centre arch as the Guards carried out the historic duty with added significance.

US Ambassador Warren Stephens and his wife, Harriet, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, Security Minister Dan Jarvis and around 40 invited guests, including British and American nationals also joined.

The ceremony began with the Guards making their way from St James’s Palace, marching along The Mall towards Buckingham Palace in their unmistakable scarlet tunics and distinctive bearskin caps.

Alongside the traditional ceremonial display, the band performed The Thunderer and The Stars and Stripes Forever, two well-known marches by American composer John Philip Sousa.