King speaks of ‘global uncertainty’ as he presents new standards to regiments
The Household Cavalry’s Life Guards and Blues and Royals are famed as fighting soldiers who also perform ceremonial duties.
The King has urged soldiers from the nation’s most prestigious regiments to maintain their “attributes of excellence and achievement” during a period of “global uncertainty”.
Charles also paid tribute to the “blood, toil, tears and sweat” of the military forebears of the Household Cavalry’s Life Guards and Blues and Royals as he presented six new squadron standards to the regiments.
The head of state’s comments came during a ceremony at Windsor Castle where the standards – the symbolic heart and soul of a regiment – were blessed before being presented in front of personnel from the regiments, their friends, families and old soldiers.
The King, wearing his field marshal’s uniform, told the troops: “At such a time of global uncertainty, it is of crucial importance to preserve the attributes of excellence and achievement for which you are famous, and which are symbolised by these standards.
“Emblazoned as they are with the battle honours earned by the blood, toil, tears and sweat of soldiers past, they are the embodied soul of the regiment.
“I know you will cherish them, and as your Colonel-in-Chief, I commend these standards to your safe-keeping as a source of honour and inspiration to all of you, whether on parade in London or overseas.
“Carry them with pride, that you may do your duty and serve your country well.”
The Life Guards and the Blues and Royals are famed as fighting soldiers who also perform ceremonial duties, wearing their distinctive plumed helmets and breastplates for national events like the state opening of Parliament or Trooping the Colour.
The King was joined by his sister the Princess Royal, Colonel of the Blues and Royals, and Lieutenant General Sir Edward Smyth-Osbourne, Colonel of the Life Guards.
The group inspected the men from the regiments on parade in Windsor Castle’s quadrangle, with Charles stopping frequently to share a few words with the soldiers.
Later he symbolically touched the six standards after they were consecrated by the Rev Canon Michael Parker, Chaplain General to the King’s Land Forces.
The new standards symbolise the individual cavalry squadrons’ history, achievements and identity and are made from silk damask with gold and silver embroidery and will be used routinely by the regiments wherever they are based.
Lieutenant Colonel Roly Spiller, commander officer of the Household Cavalry Regiment, said: “To receive a new standard from His Majesty the King is a powerful way for us to reinforce the regiment’s close and personal connection to the sovereign.
“The regimental history carried on the standards, surrounding the new sovereign’s cypher, bridges the gap between our heritage and our future.
“I feel incredibly proud to be entrusted with carrying this history forwards, playing my part in enabling a new generation of soldiers to write their own chapters of regimental history.”
