Crown Prince of Denmark presents first Colours to 4th Battalion The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment
Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark has presented the first set of Colours to 4th Battalion The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment at the Royal Artillery Barracks in London.
Around 100 British soldiers received their ceremonial regimental flags at the ceremony on Saturday.
The prince presented the silk Colours on behalf of his mother Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, who is the Colonel-in-Chief of the regiment.
The royal Danish connection to the British military began in 1689 when Danish Prince Jørgen, who was married to Queen Anne, was appointed as an honorary Colonel-in-chief of the 3rd Regiment of Foot, later known as the Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment).
This relationship has been passed down through generations, with Danish monarchs serving as honorary Colonels-in-Chief of different regiments.
Upon her accession to the throne in 1972, Queen Margrethe II was appointed as Allied Colonel-in-Chief of The Queen's Regiment, later becoming the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment.
The Danish monarch became the Colonel-in-Chief or Commander-in-Chief of the regiment in 1997, taking over from Princess Diana.
This role in all other British regiments (apart from the Light Dragoons) is performed by members of the British Royal Family.
Crown Prince Frederik was seen saluting during the parade, accompanied by music performed by The Band of The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment.
After the Colours were declared sacred, the prince produced them to the soldiers.
Infantry units each have two Colours: the King's Colour, which is a Union flag, symbolising the regiment's loyalty to the crown; and a regimental Colour, which is yellow.
The Regiment's 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions received their new Colours in 2017, but the 4th Battalion had to wait due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The 4th Battalion of The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment is a reserve infantry unit that was formed in September 2017.
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