Today, HRH Prince Edward, Duke of Kent has handed over as Regimental Colonel of the Scots Guards to HRH Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh. His record-breaking tenure has seen dramatic changes in the makeup of the regiment with LGBT, beards and women now allowed where once they were banned. However, the best tribute to his achievement is that before he took over, it was unusual for the monarch’s close family to hold the Guards’ colonelcies, now all but one are in the hands of HRH The King’s immediate family.
Sir Allan Adair was Colonel of the Grenadier Guards until 1974 – now it is HRH Queen Camilla; the 3rd Baron Methuen was Scots Guards Regimental Colonel until he handed over to the Duke of York in 1932 – now it is the King’s youngest brother; the Earl of Gowrie was Regimental Colonel of the Welsh Guards until handing over to the late Duke of Edinburgh in 1953 – now it is the HRH Prince of Wales; the Irish Guards did not have a royal Regimental Colonel until 2011 – now it is the the Princess of Wales. The only Guards regiment without a royal regimental colonel is the Coldstream Guards, but perhaps this is understandable because their original loyalty was to Oliver Cromwell.
For my part, I am sad to see the Duke of Kent retire. He held enormous respect in the British Army because he was a professional soldier in his own right, so he could empathise with those serving in the armed forces. In 1998, I had the honour of teaching him how to ride a traditional toboggan in Switzerland. As you can see from the photograph, we were both quite nervous when I launched him into the Cresta Run, but fortunately, he survived unscathed and enjoyed telling me about it later, when he presented me with the Scots Guards Cup.
HRH The Duke of Kent on the Cresta Run
Rupert Wieloch 