The Princess of Wales made her public debut as Colonel-in-Chief of the 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards on 8 November. Kate Middleton arrived by helicopter on Wednesday morning, visiting the Guards’ barracks in Dereham, Norfolk. There she met with troop members and their families. The princess looked stylish, opting for an all-black outfit: a blazer, trousers, and a turtleneck. She also wore a poppy ahead of Remembrance Sunday to honor the troops who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
The Princess of Wales awarded medals to a number of servicemen and women. However, Kate did not go home empty-handed. Brigadier Alan Richmond gifted the Princess a brooch that belonged to Her Majesty the Queen Mother. The wife of King George VI had served as colonel-in-chief of the regiment from 1959 until her death in 2002. As the Princess of Wales met some of the troops outside, she changed out of her black outfit into fully army camouflage gear (with her favorite skinny jeans and hiking boots, naturally). She even put her vehicular skills to the test as she drove an armored car.
Kate Middleton also promoted one of the most important troops to serve with the Guards. Trooper “Longface” Emrys Jones is a bay Welsh mountain pony that has served as the regiment’s mascot since 2016. The Princess promoted the pony from lance corporal to corporal before departing the barracks by helicopter.
The 1st Queen’s Dragoon Guards, a Royal Armored Corps regiment, has had its roots in the British army since 1685. Originally made up of the two cavalry regiments 1st King’s Dragoon Guards and The Queen’s Bays, they were amalgamated to form the 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards in 1959. They have taken part in some of the most notable modern conflicts including the Gulf War and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Princess was made colonel-in-chief back in August of this year. Her father-in-law, King Charles III, had previously held the title from 2003 to 2023. That same August, Charles granted Kate a whole selection of new military titles including Royal Honorary Air Commodore, RAF Coningsby; and Commodore-in-Chief, Fleet Air Arm. The princess had previously been appointed Colonel of the Irish Guards in 2022. Her husband the Prince of Wales was also granted new titles as Colonel-in-Chief of the Mercian Regiment and Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps.
This article first appeared on Tatler.
