Page 6 - Bugle Issue 16 Autumn 2020

COLONELINCHIEF
TRANSFER OF THE RIFLES’
COLONEL-IN-CHIEF
Wednesday 22nd July 2020, Salamanca Day, saw the transfer of Colonel-in-Chief of The Rifles from His Royal Highness The Duke
of Edinburgh, to Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall. Two short ceremonies took place at Windsor Castle and Highgrove House to mark the historic occasion.
At Windsor Castle, four Buglers and the Bugle Major marched onto the Quadrangle before flanking the steps on either side of
the Equerries Entrance to await The Duke of Edinburgh’s arrival. As HRH appeared on the steps, Assistant Colonel Commandant The Rifles, Major General Tom Copinger-Symes, offered Prince Philip the salute and thanked him for his 67 years of support and service
to The Rifles and its forming and antecedent Regiments. The address was finished by wishing the Duke, “fair winds and following seas” – a reference to his distinguished naval service, which induced a wide smile. Major General Copinger-Symes then asked for HRH’s leave for the Bugle Major to sound ‘The Rifles Regimental Call,’ followed by ‘No More Parades,’ marking His Royal Highness’ final engagement as The Rifles’ Colonel-in-Chief.
His Royal Highness looked to the Buglers with interest as they played the calls and waved his hand in farewell as they finished. In an unexpected turn, Major General Copinger- Symes asked Prince Philip if he would like to speak to the buglers personally. Signalling that His Royal Highness has lost none of his quick wit and humour, he spoke to each bugler in turn and kept them laughing as he went!
Lance Corporal Colin Streetin, the Colonel Commandant’s Bugler, said: ‘He asked me if
6 RIFLES The Bugle
that was all I did, the bugling and I told him that we were assault pioneers as well. He said, ‘obviously keeping up your fitness then?’ and then kind of looked me up and down and I was thinking ‘Are you trying to say I am fat?!’ That’s what we were laughing about. He’s a very fit man himself for 99. Just incredible.
Someone of his character, his charisma, you can’t go wrong. That’s what we like, we are all banter, and that’s what he is.’
Meanwhile, 100 miles away at Highgrove House, the arrival of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall was marked by four Buglers sounding ‘The Rifles Assembly.’ Colonel Commandant The Rifles, General Sir Patrick Sanders, welcomed HRH as the new Colonel-in-Chief. To conclude the ceremony, the Buglers sounded ‘The Rifles Regimental Call’ and ‘The Advance Call,’ with Her Royal Highness meeting the Buglers and a small party from 4th Battalion The Rifles, before retiring for an audience with General Sir Patrick Sanders.
General Sanders said: ‘We feel it’s a bitter- sweet day because we’re enormously proud of our association with the Duke, who has been the most amazing Colonel-in-Chief and we’ve really flourished under his tenure. But it’s also really special to have the Duchess of Cornwall coming in because she has a long association with The Rifles.’ He went on to say that the Duchess ‘has been absolutely inspiring in
the support that she’s given and the way she sustained that through some quite difficult and bloody tours.’
In all, the ceremonies were a unique and very fitting way to bid a fond farewell to The Duke of Edinburgh and provide a warm welcome to The Duchess of Cornwall as our new Colonel-in-Chief, in what will be an exciting new chapter in the life of the Regiment.
Emilia Butler
RHQ RIFLES
LCpl Streetin shares
Someone of his character, his charisma, you can’t go wrong. That’s what we like, we are all banter, and that’s what he is
The new Colonel-in-chief,
HRH The Duchess of Cornwall
banter with the Duke