The Duchess of Cornwall attends a medals parade for the 4th Battalion The Rifles

Today, The Duchess of Cornwall visited the New Normandy Barracks, Aldershot, to attend a medals parade for the 4th Battalion The Rifles, of which Her Royal Highness is Royal Colonel.

4th Battalion The Rifles (4 RIFLES) are a Specialised Infantry Battalion in the British Army, with responsibility for the Middle East and North Africa. 4 RIFLES trains, advises, assists, mentors and accompanies the soldiers of overseas partners, helping them to develop their own capability and prevent crisis. Since its formation, 4 RIFLES has deployed on five tours to Iraq and Afghanistan, together with numerous other operations and training missions worldwide.

The Duchess of Cornwall has been Royal Colonel of the Battalion since 2006 and last visited the barracks in July 2018.

Upon arrival, The Duchess joined a reception and met members of the Battalion and their families. Following this, Her Royal Highness attended the medals parade and presented medals.

Addressing the Battalion, The Duchess said:

Your teams have been sent to work all over the world making each new deployment a different challenge. Often in arduous terrain and unfamiliar climates, your ability to adapt quickly to cultural and physical demands are an enormous credit to this formidable Battalion.

 

Read The Duchess of Cornwall's speech in full here.