Princess Anne unveils statue of Second World War Canadian Royal Regina Rifleman

The Princess Royal has hailed the "loyalty, bravery and duty" of a Canadian regiment which fought to liberate Western Europe with Allied forces 80 years ago.

Princess Anne's words of tribute came as she unveiled a statue in Normandy of a rifleman from the Royal Regina Rifles carrying a Bren gun as he stormed Juno Beach on D-Day.

As Colonel-in-Chief of the regiment Princess Anne unveiled the monument in Place des Canadiens in the picturesque town of Bretteville l'Orgueilleuse where, in the days following the famous 6 June landings, the Canadian regiment resisted enemy counterattacks head-on, without giving up any ground.

• Sidney Bates: Hero who charged enemy head-on with a machine gun, earning him Victoria Cross
• Royal Marine praises the 'mind-blowing' achievements of D-Day veterans on Sword Beach
• Hundreds of paratroopers jump into historic D-Day landing zone

Before unveiling the statue, the Colonel-in-Chief inspected her troops. 

In the tiny town square, the Princess Royal told the gathered guests: "How fitting it is on this 80th anniversary of the landing and the commencement of the Battle for Normandy, that this statue has been unveiled in honour of the Regina Rifles who sacrificed so much for the cause of liberty and freedom."

Princess Anne was joined by her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.

She added: "The statue unveiled today will forever tell the story of loyalty, of bravery and of duty.

"I also hope it will remind future generations to never forget the sacrifice and determination of the Regina Rifles. Up the Johns."

During the Second World War, the regiment got nicknamed the Johns because of the high proportion of 'Farmer Johns' in its ranks.

The Royal Regina Rifles is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. 

Prior to Princess Anne becoming its Colonel-in-Chief in 1982, the regiment was known as the Regina Rifle Regiment.

On D-Day, the Regina Rifle Regiment landed on Juno Beach in Normandy as part of the 7th Infantry Brigade, 3rd Canadian Infantry Division.

The Regina Rifle Regiment was the first Canadian unit to successfully secure a beachhead, later facing the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend.

The regiment continued to fight in North West Europe until the end of the war, suffering 458 fatalities by VE Day. 

Anne is in France for a series of D-Day events commemorating the sacrifices of the Allied forces on the eve of the invasion of Europe on 6 June 1944.