Charles meets Zulus to mark Rorke’s Drift anniversary
THE Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall joined the King and Queen of the Zulus at the UK’s biggest agricultural show to mark the 140th anniversary of the Anglo Zulu War.
The royal meeting took place at the 100th Royal Welsh Show in Llanelwedd, Powys, which Prince Charles was also visiting to mark his 50th anniversary as The Prince of Wales.
Charles, Camilla, King Goodwill Zwelithini and Queen Pumi were treated to a military display by members of a Zulu “impi” regiment dressed in traditional leopard skin uniform.
The prince remarked to the Zulu King: “You haven’t aged a bit” having last met during Charles’ tour in South Africa in November 2011.
The Zulu royals were in Wales to mark 140th anniversary of the Battle of Rorke’s Drift, where just over 150 Welsh soldiers held off 4,000 Zulu warriors from breaking British lines for 10 straight hours in South Africa.
Members of Rhayader & Dictrict Male Voice Choir sang a rendition of Men Of Harlech for the royals, which echoed the famous scenes in the 1964 film Zulu featuring a young Sir Michael Caine – which portrayed the Anglo Zulu War.
Gugu Ngcobo, who helped organise the Zulu visit, said she hoped the marking of the anniversary would lead to co-operation between the UK and her country, which she said was in “dire need” of help.
She said: “In the spirit of peace and development we are here because the King desired it most that we have to create cordial relations between these two kingdoms, and we must look beyond what happened 140 years ago and see what positive energies can come out of the experiences of the past.
“The King is here to say to the world ‘this is my kingdom, and my kingdom is in dire need of any kind of support and any kind of investors’.”
Prince Charles was later taken around the festival site where they a spoke with farmers, agricultural leaders, breeders, and representatives from the Prince’s Countryside Fund.
The Duchess was joined by Queen Pumi to meet representatives from the local Women’s Institute, Merched y Wawr, and Wales Young Farmers.
Meanwhile, war medals given to survivors of a famous battle during the Anglo-Zulu War have been put on public display together for the first time.
The eight Victoria Cross medals were unlocked from a secure vault to coincide with King GoodwillZwelithini’s visit.
Eleven British soldiers were given the honour out of 150 who held off around 4,000 Zulu warriors for 10 days during the clash in 1879.
The battle was depicted in the 1964 film Zulu starring a young Michael Caine.
The medals on display at the Regimental Museum of The Royal Welsh, in Brecon, Mid Wales, were awarded for “gallantry of the highest order”.
The Victoria Cross is the highest award for gallantry that a British or Commonwealth service member can achieve. They belonged to Lieutenants Teignmouth Melvill, Nevill Coghill and Gonville Bromhead, Corporal William Allen and Privates Frederick Hitch, Henry Hook, Robert Jones and John Williams.
Some of the medals have been displayed before, but not all eight at once.
King Goodwill Zwelithini was met at the museum by Major General James Swift, who is Regimental Colonel of The Royal Welsh.
Retired olonel Tim Van-Rees said: “This is a unique opportunity to see these iconic medals.
“This will also be the first time we’ve had the king visit the museum and it’s an absolute privilege to welcome him here.”
The medals will be on display until October.