Prince Harry joins cavalry old comrades for Hyde Park parade

[Bill Smy]

DefenceNews ArticleHistory and Honour

Prince Harry joins cavalry old comrades for Hyde Park parade
16 May 06

Former Chief of the Defence Staff General the Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank, GCB LVO OBE, Colonel The Life Guards, took the Salute at the Annual Parade and Service of the Combined Cavalry “Old Comrades” Association at the Cavalry Memorial in London's Hyde Park on Sunday 14 May 2006.

Prince Harry also attended the parade, swapping his soldier's uniform for a dark grey suit, bowler hat and navy blue and claret regimental tie of the Household Division. Harry joined members of his regiment, the Household Cavalry's Blues and Royals, along with between two and three thousand former and serving officers and soldiers who had all gathered in the park to take part in the annual event.

General the Lord Guthrie laid a Combined Cavalry wreath at the Cavalry Memorial. He then attended the open-air church service in front of the bandstand which followed the March Past by both former and serving soldiers of all Regiments of Regular Cavalry, Yeomanry Regiments as well as representatives of Cavalry Regiments from the Commonwealth. General the Lord Guthrie also met former members of the Indian Cavalry Officers Association before departing.

The tradition of officers wearing black bowler hats and carrying umbrellas goes back to the First World War. Before the parade, Harry, or 'Cornet Wales' as he is formally known within the Regiment, chatted to regimental colleagues as those taking part in the parade gathered on the Broad Walk East side of the park.

 

[Trooper Hale]

I reckon its fantastic, with all the criticism the Royal's have copped, having both HRH Harry & William doing their bit is just brilliant. It makes me proud to know that, especially with Harry's outspoken beliefs as to his deployment, we've got two exceptional young men, following their grandmothers example, serving the people and making it clear that they are with all the young blokes over there. I know a lot of people have said that Harry is just glory hunting and that any deployment would mean a security detachment to boot but i completely disagree. Its fantastic what theyr doing and as members of the Commonwealth we should be dead proud of them.
I'm pretty biased though, being a Raving monarchist!