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Annual Trooping the Colour parade marked by Queen's solemn reflection

The yearly festivities celebrating the Queen's birthday took a more serious tone, after the recent tragedies in London and Manchester.
/ Source: TODAY

It's usually a weekend of great pageantry, in which all members of the royal family come out, along with much of London, to celebrate the queen's birthday. Queen Elizabeth turned 91 this year, legally on April 21, but the centuries-old British tradition publicly celebrates the birthdays of monarchs in the summer months to ensure good weather.

Trooping The Colour 2017
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Beatrice of York, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Harry, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge look out from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour parade on June 17, 2017 in London, England.Getty Images

However this year's was marked with subdued words shared by the queen on Friday night, via the Royal Family Twitter account.

"Today is traditionally a day of celebration. This year, however, it is difficult to escape a very sombre national mood," she wrote.

Noting the country had "witnessed a succession of terrible tragedies," she called for the nation "to reflect and pray for all those who have been directly affected by these events."

Her comments came three days after a Kensington apartment building caught fire, leading to at least 30 deaths, with many more missing. The Queen honored the victims and their families with a moment of silence at Trooping the Colour Saturday morning.

"During recent visits in Manchester and London, I have been profoundly struck by the immediate inclination of people throughout the country to offer comfort and support to those in desperate need," she said, referring to a Friday visit she made to the Manchester and London attack sites with the Duke of Cambridge, grandson William.

"Put to the test, the United Kingdom has been resolute in the face of adversity," she wrote.

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Troops advance down the Mall during the annual Trooping The Colour parade on June 17, 2017 in London, England.Getty Images

Despite the tenor set by the past month's tragedies, the parade still featured a grand display of army drills, music and horsemanship.

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The Trooping The Colour parade takes place in Horse Guards Parade on June 17, 2017 in London, England. The annual ceremony is Queen Elizabeth II's birthday parade and dates back to the 17th Century when the Colours of a regiment were used as a rallying point in battle.Getty Images

The Queen wore a powder blue Stewart Parvin outfit and a matching Philip Somerville-designed hat.

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Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh look out from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour parade on June 17, 2017 in London, England.Chris Jackso / Getty Images

She also wore her Brigade of Guards Badge, which she wears every year. The Duke of Edinburgh wore morning dress instead of full uniform, and sports a Household Division tie, Garter Star and Medals.

Image: Trooping The Colour 2017
The Trooping The Colour parade takes place in Horse Guards Parade on June 17, 2017 in London, England. The annual ceremony is Queen Elizabeth II's birthday parade and dates back to the 17th Century when the Colours of a regiment were used as a rallying point in battle.Getty Images

This year's Trooping the Colour parade included 1,400 soldiers and 200 horses, who all parade in front of the queen with a royal salute.

Additionally, more than 400 musicians from 10 bands and drum corps all march together and play as one group along the parade route, which extends from Buckingham Palace at the start, to a march down the Mall with the queen riding in a carriage from the palace and waving to the cheers of thousands of bystanders.

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Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip travel in a horse-drawn carriage past Buckingham Palace on their way to Horse Guards Parade for the Trooping the Colour parade.CHRIS J RATCLIFFE / AFP - Getty Images

It was Prince George's third appearance at the annual Trooping the Colour parade and Princess Charlotte's second, and they appeared with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge during the Royal Airforce flyover.

Trooping The Colour 2017
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, Prince George of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge look out from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour parade on June 17, 2017 in London, England.Getty Images

The Royal Airforce flyover marks the largest public event of the queen's birthday weekend.

Despite all the festivities, more grim activity marked Saturday's event, as five guards collapsed in the summer heat, according the local reports.

Trooping The Colour 2017
A Guardsman is carried off on a stretcher after fainting during the annual Trooping The Colour parade in Horse Guards Parade on June 17, 2017 in London, England. The annual ceremony is Queen Elizabeth II's birthday parade, traditionally held in the warmer months for better weather.Getty Images

Last year a well-circulated image showed one guardsman in full regalia lying face-down on the pavement while other guards lined up on either side, keeping perfect formation at the event. This year, photos from the event showed several guards, their bearskin helmets removed, being carted off by emergency workers, as the Queen looked on. According to reports, police quickly rushed to help them.