The pride was visible on the Queen’s face as she watched a military parade in Lisburn celebrating soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, The Rifles completing junior leadership selection yesterday.
Queen Camilla is Colonel-in-Chief of The Rifles and was on hand, during a whirlwind day of engagements in Northern Ireland, to take the salute and watch a pass-off parade of junior non-commissioned officers who have passed six weeks of a leadership course.
In a post on the Forces Network new site, Lieutenant Colonel Dan Brown, Commanding Officer of 2nd Battalion, The Rifles said: “We were delighted to have Her Majesty The Queen at the parade, which recognised the achievements of our Riflemen.
“After six weeks of demanding training that developed and tested their potential to lead fellow soldiers, the opportunity to mark their achievements in front of our Colonel-in-Chief made the occasion even more special.”
The 2nd Battalion posted on their X account: “Following a gruelling six week leadership course, 43 Riflemen ‘doubled off’ the parade square in front of Her Majesty The Queen as future Junior Non-Commissioned Officer’s of @RiflesRegiment.
“Swift & Bold.”
After the parade, Queen Camilla attended a reception and met some of the officers and their families.
The 2nd Battalion, The Rifles is a Light Infantry Battalion, which means, according to the British Army website, that they operate on foot in complex terrains that vehicles cannot go “like inner cities, jungles, artic, and bushland terrains.”
Queen Camilla has been Colonel-in-Chief of The Rifles since 2020, when her late father-in-law, the Duke of Edinburgh, handed over the colonelcy in one of his final public appearances before his death.
In a unique handover ceremony during the pandemic, Prince Philip attended a ceremony at Windsor Castle while the then-Duchess of Cornwall attended a ceremony at Highgrove in Gloucestershire to formally take over as Colonel-in-Chief.
