Queen Camilla visits Royal Lancers for first time as Colonel in Chief

Queen Camilla has visited the Royal Lancers for the first time since becoming Colonel in Chief.

In what was a special moment for Her Majesty, the Queen was in North Yorkshire to inspect the troops at Catterick. Her late father, Major Bruce Shand, served with the 12th Lancers during World War II.

She told the crowd during her remarks: “As I approached Catterick this morning for my first visit as your very proud Colonel-in-Chief, I couldn’t help but recall my father’s description of his initial impressions of the 12th Lancers when he joined the Regiment back in 1937.

‘Everyone was very welcoming and the atmosphere was relaxed…I was taken under the wing of the Adjutant, as nice a man as ever lived and a quietly efficient soldier.’

She then added: “Today, 87 years later, I am delighted to see that the atmosphere amongst the Lancers remains welcoming and relaxed and that you still have a very nice, quietly efficient Adjutant… although I shan’t ask about the NCOs capacity for beer!”

Camilla concluded by wishing them well: “I wish you all Godspeed over the coming months, the greatest of good fortune and a very safe return.”

Queen Camilla also met a group of children excited to see her. The children of the soldiers curtseyed to Camilla and presented her with a bouquet of flowers.

Five-year-old Edie Pritchard spent days practising her curtsey for when she met the Queen; although, when it came to her big moment, she became shy. She quickly curtseyed and then hid behind her mother who chatted with Queen Camilla about the weather.

Mrs Pritchard told the media about the Queen’s visit: “Because she is linked to the regiment through her family it doesn’t just feel like a day job when she’s here, it feels like she wants to be here. There’s a real sense of that when you chat to her. She’s interested and she cares and that is really really lovely.”

Colonel Richard Charrington also presented the Queen with a trophy to commemorate her first visit.

Queen Camilla was appointed Colonel in Chief last June.