THE eyes of the country were on an Army officer from Clacton as he took part in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Birthday Parade.

Major David Hammond performed with the Band of the Household Cavalry on Horse Guards Parade on Thursday He was one of 250 musicians from the six bands in volved in the parade, which also included more than 1,400 infantry soldiers and 250 horses from the Household Division.

A former regular Army Officer and now Army reservist, David is the director of music of the Band of The Royal Yeomanry.

David, who is a freelance conductor and French horn player in his civilian life, is also an associate lecturer in strategic management, music and history at The Open University.

This was the third time he has performed on the Queen’s Birthday Parade having lead the Household Cavalry Band out on parade as the director of the band in 2014.

On Thursday, he was playing the tenor horn in the band.

He said: “To be part of the Queen’s Birthday Parade for the Platinum Jubilee is a great honour and something to be proud of and never forgotten.”

The annual parade, full of pomp and pageantry, has marked the official birthday of the monarch for more than 260 years.

The music being played included Slattery’s Mounted Fut, a favourite tune of the late Queen Mother and Long Live Elizabeth in tribute to the Queen.

Immediately following the parade on Horse Guards, gun salutes were fired across the United Kingdom and a spectacular flypast by dozens of aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force soared over Buckingham Palace.

The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team – the Red Arrows –followed dozens of aircraft used by the Armed Forces on operations around the world.

Members of the Royal Family, who returned in the grand military ceremonial procession down The Mall, watched from the balcony of Buckingham Palace as a breath-taking array of military aircraft takes to the skies over Central London.