One’s Thin Red Lines!
No massed ranks of Guards. No balcony full of Royals. But Queen is picture of happiness at socially distanced Trooping the Colour
IF ANYONE can be relied upon to stick to a strict formation, it’s the Queen’s Foot Guards.
But rather than marching shoulder- to- shoulder as they usually would, a select few members of the 1st Battalion of the Welsh Guards paraded in front of the Queen to mark her official birthday yesterday – while maintaining their crucial two-metre distance.
The pared-down pageantry was not a patch on the usual pomp of Trooping the Colour – with no carriages, Red Arrows or Prince George pulling faces on the Buckingham Palace balcony – but Her Majesty was nonetheless visibly t hrilled with t he display. She beamed with delight as around 30 soldiers – including Rhian Morgan, the first-ever female guardsman to parade for the Queen’s birthday – were put through their paces in the glorious sunshine that bathed Windsor Castle’s Quadrangle.
This was the Queen’s first live TV appearance since attending the Commonwealth Day Service in early March – a Zoom meeting to carers notwithstanding.
She had already celebrated her actual 94th birthday in April under lockdown at Windsor Castle, but aides felt that, despite the cancellation of the official Trooping the Colour, a smaller-scale military celebration could still go on. No other members of the Royal Family could be present, but Princes Charles and William are understood to have watched the live BBC broadcast.
In a white silk dress and ‘muted jade’ coat by Stewart Parvin and a hat by Rachel Trevor-Morgan, accessorised with a diamond brooch in the shape of the leek of the Welsh Guards, the Queen beamed as she took a seat on a dais alongside ViceAdmiral Tony Johnstone-Burt, Master of the Household, Lieutenant Colonel Michael Vernon, Comptroller, and Major Nana TwumasiAnkrah, her equerry. After the Royal salute, the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, who are currently serving at Windsor and so did not need to travel, performed their drills. They have played a key role in the Covid-19 response and were due to have their Colour ‘trooped’ at this year’s official parade.
A reduced Massed Band of the Household Division of about 50 musicians played a series of Welsh tunes during the 20-minute ceremony, including Men Of Harlech. The Queen watched the Guards’ Colour being paraded and stood for a second salute as the National Anthem was played before returning inside. A full Trooping the Colour was last held at Windsor in 1895 for Queen Victoria, while this Queen has been at Horse Guards Parade for the event every year of her reign, except for 1955 when it was cancelled due to a rail strike.
Garrison Sergeant Major Andrew Stokes, who oversaw the soldiers’ training, said: ‘With fewer people on parade there is no hiding place… no room for errors.’
Lance Corporal Chusa Siwale, 29, from Zambia, was the Lone Drummer for the ceremony. He said: ‘It is a huge privilege for me. Only four weeks ago I was involved with testing key workers for Covid-19, now I am on parade in front of Her Majesty. This is a very proud day.’