The Grenadier Guards: Celebrating 370 years of pomp, ceremony – and fighting spirit
The Colours of the Grenadier Guards were trooped at the King's Birthday Parade in London on Saturday, this being the most senior infantry regiment in the British Army.
The Grenadier Guards' history goes all the way back to 1656 when King Charles II was in exile in Bruges and formed the regiment where it acted as his bodyguard.
That special bond between monarch and regiment has endured to this day, with this year marking its 370th anniversary.
Not just ceremonial soldiers
Let's start by dispelling the myth that the Grenadier Guards carries out ceremonial duties only.
Except for the Falklands War, the Grenadier Guards have fought in all major wars our nation's been involved in.
Their campaign pedigree stretches from Waterloo through Crimea, the First and Second World Wars, Malaya, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan.
It's quite the achievement.
In Cyprus, back in April this year, guardsmen from King's Company and No 2 Company were taking part in Exercise Kronos Warrior at the Paramali Training Area.
And there were no red tunics or bearskin caps to be seen.
"So we very much have our ceremonial role, which people may be familiar with, wearing the tunics and the bearskins outside the Royal Palaces," explained Major Ben Tracey, Captain of King's Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards.
"But then we're also very much a regular light-role infantry battalion. So [we carry out] training exercises like this, operational deployments and everything else you'd expect of a regular infantry battalion."
The guardsmen will soon be supporting Nato operations in the Baltic and were preparing for operational readiness, testing their low-level tactical skills.
A visit from the King
It's a real contrast back at Lille Barracks in Aldershot, the home of the Grenadier Guards.
His Majesty the King visited them the day before they appeared in the King's Birthday Parade, which is also known as Trooping the Colour.
It was a really informal occasion. The King is the Colonel-in-Chief of the Grenadier Guards and the guardsmen were delighted to see and talk to him.
Guardsman Patrick Banda told BFBS Forces News: "We're the King's company, but since I joined I've never met him in person like that. It's always on ceremonial duties that you just see him in front.
"But today we had the privilege to have a chat with him one-to-one. It was really good."
The King, in a highly unusual move, promoted three of them to lance corporal.
"An amazing day. I'm hugely proud," said LCpl Ben Brown. "It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and it hasn't been done for many years, so I'm very privileged to have had that chance."
"It was brilliant," added LCpl Miles Turley. I've been in the Army 10 years... I've never ever seen or heard of anything like that happening.
"The King coming down to personally promote someone, especially at junior rank, it's a privilege to be a part of and a very special moment."
The King's Birthday Parade
This military spectacular shows off the pomp and ceremony that many feel defines Britain.
It was the first time the Grenadier Guards had trooped their colour before a king since 1936, Edward VIII, shortly before his abdication, being the king in question.
Of course, the late Queen Elizabeth II witnessed the Grenadier Guards troop their Colour many times, but Saturday did feel like it had the weight of history about it, as His Majesty King Charles III took the salute.
The Grenadier Guards had a double honour this time. Not only was their Colour the one being trooped, they received new Colours from His Majesty the King just a few days before the big event.
"One of the great things about being the Foot Guards, the Household Division, is that we are still so close to the royal family, both in the day-to-day guarding of the Royal Palaces, but also then our links to them as our colonels," said Lieutenant Alexander Philips of 1st Battalion.
"And as the King is our Colonel-in-Chief, and to have that sort of shown writ large, both today and then later on the Trooping of the Colour, later in the week, is pretty special," he said ahead of the event.
The importance of the Colours
"All our battle honours are represented on our Colours," said the Adjutant, Captain Charles Craven. "And every opportunity that we are on parades, we represent those Colours and we present them with the utmost respect.
"So to see each commitment of each battle on parade each time, it reminds us every day of the sacrifices that have gone before us."
Now 370 years young, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards have shown how they combine true operational readiness with the best of ceremonial in a unique way, which befits the most senior infantry regiment in the British Army.
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