The Prince and Princess of Wales attend the Welsh Guards St David's Day Parade
Published
This parade was the first time The Prince of Wales has visited the Welsh Guards since becoming Colonel of the Regiment.
During the parade, The Prince of Wales presented leeks to the Officers and Guardsmen who in turn issued it along the ranks, a traditional part of the St David’s Day Parade.
The parade concluded with a march-past where His Royal Highness took the Royal Salute and gave a speech:
I am both honoured and delighted to be standing here in front of you today as your new Colonel. At the same time, I’m sorry that my father couldn’t be here with us here today to say farewell, but I know he would talk of his fierce pride and admiration for you all, and of his own sadness to be moving on from an appointment he held so dear since 1975.
Following the parade, Their Royal Highnesses sat for an official photo with The Prince of Wales’s company.
The Prince and Princess then met families from the Regiment as well as a group of troops from the 5th Royal Australian Regiment (5RAR) who are currently in the UK helping to train the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The Welsh Guards was raised on 26 February 1915 by order of King George V, in order to complete the national complement of regiments of Foot Guards identified with the countries of the United Kingdom.
On inception the Regiment took its place alongside the English Grenadier Guards and Coldstream Guards, the Scots Guards and the Irish Guards. Two days later, the Battalion mounted its first King's Guard at Buckingham Palace on 1 March 1915 - St David's Day.
The King was Colonel of the Regiment from 1975-2022. His Majesty is now Colonel-in-Chief of the Regiments of Household Division.
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