The King has paid tribute to the “courage, resilience and enduring spirit” of the Grenadier Guards, British Army’s most senior infantry regiment, which is celebrating its 370th anniversary.
Charles delivered his words of praise in his role as the Grenadier Guards’ Colonel-in-Chief as he presented new colours to the regiment’s 1st Battalion during a ceremony attended by the regiment’s Colonel Queen Camilla.
In a speech during the event, in the gardens of Buckingham Palace, the King told the guardsmen and officers on parade and their nearby families: “These new Colours, therefore, bearing 45 battle honours from Tangier to the Gulf, stand as a vivid testament to the courage, resilience and enduring spirit that have defined the Grenadier Guards across the generations.
“Those of you present on parade today are the proud custodians of that legacy.”
He added: “Since the presentation of your previous colours some 16 years ago, you have continued to serve with distinction, whether on operations overseas, including Iraq and Afghanistan, or more recently in responding to the challenges of the pandemic and in supporting Ukraine through the training of its forces.”
Charles went on to say: “The contemporary world presents new and evolving challenges, complex in nature and often unpredictable in form – yet I have every confidence that the adaptability, professionalism and steadfast resolve for which the Grenadier Guards are renowned will ensure that you remain as effective and indispensable in meeting these demands as you have been in every age before.”
The King’s Colour symbolically presented to the 1st Battalion will be trooped on Saturday during the King’s Birthday Parade, better known as Trooping the Colour.
The Grenadier Guards were raised in 1656 in Bruges, Belgium by the exiled King Charles II to protect him during the period Oliver Cromwell ruled England.
Since their formation Guardsmen, known for their scarlet tunics and bearskin hats, have fought in every major conflict in British military history from the 17th century Battle of Tangier, to Blenheim, Waterloo, the Crimean War, through both World Wars, to recent operations in Afghanistan.
Today, the regiment is formed of fighting soldiers who carry out a specialist light infantry role during operations and when in the UK take part in high-profile ceremonial duties.
During the ceremony spectators saw the unusual sight of the King and Queen inspecting the troops at the same time with Charles, Company Commander, the King’s Company, casting an eye over his company while Camilla walked past Inkerman and Nijmegen Companies.
Charles ended with the words: “So I entrust these new colours to your care with complete confidence that you will continue to uphold the finest traditions of the Grenadier Guards – with steadfast resolve, with distinction and with that indomitable spirit which has carried you through 370 years and will, I know, carry you for many more to come.”