King Charles Takes on New Military Role Previously Held by Queen Elizabeth — Why It’s ‘Especially Dear’

King Charles takes over the sentimental royal role previously held by Queen Elizabeth.

On Friday, the British Army’s Royal Welsh Regiment announced that the King, 75, was its new colonel.

“The King is delighted to take on the role of Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Welsh Regiment, succeeding the late Queen, who held the post with great love for 16 years,” the statement said.

“His Majesty the King is particularly pleased as his first military appointment as the Prince of Wales was as Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Regiment of Wales, a post he held for 37 years before their amalgamation in 2006,” the announcement added.

The timing of the news release was thoughtful as March 1 is St. David’s Day, the feast day celebrating the patron saint of Wales. As described by the regiment, Charles’ first military appointment at the age of 20 was as honorary colonel of the Royal Regiment of Wales until it merged with the Royal Welsh Regiment to become the Royal Welsh Regiment in 2006.

Prince Charles in uniform as Colonel-in-Chief of the newly formed Royal Regiment of Wales at an endowment ceremony at Cardiff Castle in June 1969.

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King Charles waves to well-wishers as he is seen for the first time since missing a church service for his co-king

King Charles has long had a special relationship with the nation of the United Kingdom, having been the Prince of Wales (a title traditionally given to the male heir to the British throne) for most of his life until he ascended the throne after his mother’s death in September 2022. King Charles used his first speech as sovereign to declare his son Prince William Prince of Wales, and William, 41, traveled alone to Wrexham on Friday for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. David.

Queen Elizabeth recently visited the Royal Welsh to mark St David’s Day in March 2017, where she met one of the regiment’s goat mascots at Lucknow Barracks in Tidworth, England. Queen Elizabeth inspected the regiment in the role of colonel-in-chief, and leeks were presented to the soldiers for St. David. It is tradition to wear a leek, St David’s personal symbol, or a daffodil on the feast day, as both are closely associated with the nation, and Prince William wore a daffodil in Wrexham on Friday.

Queen Elizabeth as Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Welsh in March 2017.

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When Queen Elizabeth died in September 2022, King Charles became Commander-in-Chief of the British Army and linked up with representatives of the Royal Welsh Regiment just a week later.

That September 16, he and Queen Camilla were greeted by Sheinkin IV, the goat mascot of the Third Royal Welsh Battalion, at Cardiff Castle during their first visit to Wales under the new royal reign.

King Charles and Queen Camilla meet Sheinkin IV of the Royal Welsh Third Battalion at Cardiff Castle in Wales in September 2022.

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While Prince William was in Wales for several St David’s Day engagements, the King did not step out for the holiday. On February 5, Buckingham Palace announced that the monarch had been diagnosed with cancer following a hospital procedure for a benign prostate enlargement. The diagnosis was not released, but a spokesperson confirmed that it was not prostate cancer.

A palace statement said the king had begun treatment and would postpone his public duties while he would continue to carry out state affairs and official paperwork behind the scenes. Two-and-a-half weeks later, he had his first face-to-face audience since breaking the health news via a meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Buckingham Palace.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and King Charles talk at Buckingham Palace on February 21.

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Sunak said it was “wonderful” to see King Charles looking so good, to which the monarch quipped: “It’s all done with mirrors.”

The Prime Minister then said: “Well, we are all behind you. The country is behind you.”

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The king said: “I received so many beautiful messages and congratulations. It brought me to tears most of the time.”

Soon after, the palace released a video of the king reading some of the well-wishers’ cards, which appeared to bring a smile to his face.

According to the clip, “The correspondence team at Buckingham Palace received more than 7,000 letters and cards from around the world. The selection was sent to the king in his daily red box of paperwork. Many share their own experiences with cancer. Others offer good wishes and advice for a speedy recovery. To everyone who took the time to write, THANK YOU. As His Majesty said, ‘Such good thoughts are the greatest consolation and encouragement.’ ”

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Source: HIS Education