A speech by The King on the Presentation of New Colours to the Royal Marines, Windsor Castle

It is now twenty-five years since my father, His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, presented new Colours to the Royal Marines, and so it gives me immense pride and pleasure to be able to do so once again today.

I would also wish to take this opportunity to acknowledge with the greatest sadness the crash of a Royal Navy helicopter on Wednesday. As a former Junglie pilot with 845 Naval Air Squadron, I was profoundly shocked to hear this most tragic news. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the families, friends and colleagues of those involved. Their service is held in the highest regard, and they remain very much in our prayers.

I know that this devastating incident will have affected every one of us here today. However, it is most heartening to see the representatives of some of our oldest and closest international allies and partners present on this very special occasion. I can only pray that these bonds of friendship, forged through shared ordeals and based on shared ideals, continue in the years ahead.

In the quarter-century that has passed since you were last presented with new colours, the Royal Marines have continued to answer the call of duty with characteristic courage and selfless distinction. From the battlefields in Afghanistan, where so many of you served with such gallantry and conspicuous courage, to operations in Iraq and beyond; from maritime security patrols in distant waters, to rapid humanitarian responses in the wake of disasters, you have time and again demonstrated that extraordinary blend of professionalism, resilience and quiet determination which has long defined the Corps. 

Your successes have been many and notable, yet they have often come at high cost - with the sacrifices of the fallen and the enduring burdens borne by the wounded and their families never far from our thoughts...

For generations, the Royal Marines have been ready to deploy wherever duty requires, often at short notice, in unfamiliar places and in some of the most challenging and inhospitable environments on the planet. Whether in the heat, the cold – or something persistently wet in between – you have consistently demonstrated that there are no environments in which a Royal Marine cannot operate, and win.

In this regard, I am particularly pleased to be able to announce today, as we mark the closure of one chapter and the opening of another with the presentation of your new Colours, that 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines will henceforth be known as the United Kingdom Commando Force.

With the Royal Marines’ constant and vital contribution to safeguarding this country and its values, it is particularly encouraging to see so many of the Corps gathered here today. Although I confess it does prompt a moment’s reflection as to who, at present, is left on duty overseas! Fortunately, my Equerry reassures me that “Smudger” is on sentry and valiantly – if single handedly – guarding the whole of N.A.T.O.’s Northern Flank, and eagerly awaits the return of the rest of his unit.

On an occasion such as this, it is also right to recognise the indispensable role played by your families and loved ones. They endure long absences, sudden changes and, I suspect, a good deal of uncertainty. Their constancy and support make your service possible, and they too have my deepest admiration and gratitude.

These Colours carry with them the memory of those who have gone before you, of those seventy-four gallant Royal Marines who have given their lives on active service since the last presentation of Colours in 2001, and the responsibility you bear to those who will follow. They are not only symbols of honour and service, but also a reminder of the extraordinary legacy of which you are a part.

That reputation, I might add, has at times been made rather vividly clear. During our recent State Visit to the United States, and to the White House, I felt I could not avoid offering apologies to my host for the damage once caused to their facilities by the Royal Marines during the War of 1812.

As you march off today with these new Colours held high, I can only offer you my heartfelt good wishes for the years that lie ahead. 

Under their charge, may you continue to sustain the highest traditions of the Royal Marines; serving with courage, determination, guided always by integrity, united in excellence and self-discipline, and sustained by humility.

In so doing, may you prove yourselves worthy of the proud inheritance you carry, and of the generations who will look to you in the years to come.

Per Mare, Per Terram.