Colonel-in-Chief Queen Camilla joins Royal Lancers to plant oak trees at Sandringham
Queen Camilla has joined soldiers from the Royal Lancers (Queen Elizabeths' Own) to plant trees on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.
The regiment's Colonel-in-Chief helped to shovel the first soil onto the oak saplings at the Royal residence.
Earlier this year, the Queen fulfilled the ambition of her late "papa", becoming Colonel-in-Chief of his former regiment.
Queen Camilla marked her new honorary role with the Royal Lancers (Queen Elizabeths' Own) by inviting 99-year-old Michael de Burgh to Clarence House in June, two days ahead of his 100th birthday.
Mr de Burgh is a Second World War veteran and stalwart of the regiment.
The Queen shared some of her father's wartime stories and presented him with the Buchan Medal in recognition of his support for the Royal Lancers over the decades.
The Royal Lancers, an armoured reconnaissance regiment, was formed in 2015 when the 9th/12th Royal Lancers and The Queen's Royal Lancers were amalgamated, and the words "Queen Elizabeths' Own" were later added to recognise the link between them, Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Mother.
The Queen's father, Major Bruce Shand, was awarded the Military Cross in 1940 during the retreat to Dunkirk and again in 1942 for his efforts in North Africa, where he was wounded and taken prisoner.
He died in June 2006 aged 89.
Queen Camilla, who is also Colonel-in-Chief of The Rifles, was guest of honour at the regiment's biennial awards dinner at Guildhall in the City of London along with the unit's Royal Colonels, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
Her Majesty praised The Rifles, the British Army's largest infantry regiment, for showcasing its skills "magnificently" in recent years – including at the King's coronation.
Speaking about the intervening period since she attended the event in 2021, the Queen told the assembled officers and Riflemen: "The last two years have showcased The Rifles magnificently".
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