Rifles bid Duke a fond farewell
Ceremonies take place 100 miles apart as regiment wishes 99-year-old ‘fair winds and following seas’
After 67 years of service, the Duke of Edinburgh beamed as he handed over his role as Colonel-in-chief of The Rifles to the Duchess of Cornwall in a low-key but fitting ceremony at Windsor Castle. The 99-year-old shared a laugh with buglers from the regiment he adores, as he accepted their thanks and good wishes of ‘fair winds and following seas’.
THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH is not known as a man who likes to sit idly by. Even in a well-deserved retirement, the lure of duty proved as strong as ever yesterday as he left strict isolation at Windsor Castle to be honoured by one of his oldest military ties.
After 67 years of service, the Duke handed over his role as Colonel-inchief of The Rifles in a low-key but fitting ceremony, as he accepted thanks and touching good wishes of “fair winds and following seas”.
At 99, the Duke made a rare public appearance for the short ceremony, stepping into the Windsor Castle quadrangle with a smile, a wave and wasting no time in joshing with his visitors.
Yesterday, as he spoke keenly to visiting Riflemen, he seemed happy to be back on duty, joking about fitness with one bugler who described the Duke admiringly as “all banter”.
The ceremony, which lasted just three minutes, saw the Duke hand over his Colonel-in-chief role to the Duchess of Cornwall, who took part in a similar, socially distanced engagement 100 miles away at Highgrove.
The Duke has been Colonel-in-chief of The Rifles since its 2007 formation but his connection stretches back through antecedent regiments to 1953.
Wearing a blazer, regimental tie and highly polished brogues, he appeared to be in good health as he walked out of the Equerries Entrance to stand tall in front of the cameras.
The Assistant Colonel Commandant, Maj Gen Tom Copinger-symes, gave the salute, telling him: “All Rifleman, whether serving or retired, would like to thank you for 67 years of continuous service, support and leadership to the Rifles and to our forming and antecedent regiments.
“And on this occasion, as you hand over your duties, as Colonel-in-chief, to her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Cornwall, we would like to wish you fair wind and following seas.”
He later explained that the “fair wind and following seas” was to honour the Duke’s distinguished naval service.
With four members of the Band and Bugles of The Rifles sounding the Rifles Assembly call and the No More Parades call, the ceremony ended.
But visibly energised, the Duke accepted an invitation to walk to speak to the buglers in person. Despite having had a hip replacement in 2018 and a health scare around Christmas, he navigated four stone steps, carefully walking sideways, crossing a short distance across the gravel to lean in to speak to them attentively.
Bugler L/cpl Colin Streetin, 33, said afterwards: “He asked me if 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.”
Maj Gen Copinger-symes said: “Clearly this is a mark of our respect for him and his fondness for soldiers and servicemen and women of all kinds.
“He is a military man through and through. One is always slightly worried one is going to do something wrong and he will spot it before I spot it.”
He added they would have a “wonderful” replacement in the Duchess, saying: “We couldn’t be more fortunate, she has exactly the same qualities as the Duke to make people feel like they are the only one in the room.”
The Duchess accepted her role at Highgrove House, Glos, where her arrival too was marked by four buglers. Wearing a bespoke bottle-green dress with a black trim, modelled on the Rifles uniform, along with a Rifles brooch and buttons with a bugle emblem, she was addressed by Colonel Commandant, Gen Sir Patrick Sanders.
The Duchess was already a Royal Colonel of 4th Battalion The Rifles, and supported them during the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts by writing to the injured and meeting families.
Gen Sanders said: “We feel it’s a bittersweet 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.
“She has been absolutely inspiring and the support that she’s given and the way that she sustained that through some quite difficult and bloody tours.”
The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh plan to leave Windsor in early August for their annual summer stay at Balmoral, Buckingham Palace confirmed yesterday. A Palace spokesman added: “All arrangements will be in line with the relevant guidelines and advice.”
‘One is always slightly worried one is going to do something wrong and he will spot it before I spot it’