His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales has presented medals to members of 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment.
On his last official engagement with the battalion before it is amalgamated with the 1st Battalion, the Mercian Regiment’s Colonel in Chief also promoted its mascot Private Derby, a Swaledale ram, to Lance Corporal.
“Today has been a happy and special occasion, welcoming the Colonel in Chief on his visit to the 2nd Battalion of the Mercian Regiment." Lieutenant Colonel GROVER MBE, 2ND BATTALION THE MERCIAN REGIMENT
Prince Charles visited Weeton Barracks in Lancashire to bestow Platinum Jubilee medals to four selected soldiers before meeting around 80 members of the battalion and families.
His Royal Highness also presented Lieutenant Colonel Grover with a photograph, marking the end of his tenure as 2 Mercian’s Commanding Officer.
Lieutenant Colonel Grover MBE said: “Today has been a happy and special occasion, welcoming the Colonel in Chief on his visit to the 2nd Battalion of the Mercian Regiment."
“This will be his final visit and is a great way to acknowledge the hard work and sacrifice the soldiers have put in over the 15 years since the battalion was formed."
Private Williams said: “It was good to receive my medal from Prince Charles. I've met him before, but this was a nice way to see out my time at 2 MERCIAN.
“It was good to receive my medal from Prince Charles. I've met him before, but this was a nice way to see out my time at 2 MERCIAN." PRIVATE WILLIAMS, 2ND BATTALION THE MERCIAN REGIMENT
HRH, who was also shown a piece of art, commissioned by the Battalion, to mark their amalgamation with 1st Battalion, told the assembled crowd: “I know we can all rely on you, whatever particular jobs come up around the world.
“The world is becoming a more unstable place every day. There is even greater risk of conflict over scarce resources and with the effects of climate change and everything else, so I am afraid you’re probably going to be needed even more in the future."
“So, thank you ladies and gentlemen for everything you do.”
The Mercian Regiment is a line infantry regiment formed in 2007 from the antecedent regiments of The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment, The Cheshire Regiment and The Staffordshire Regiment.
Known as “the heart of England’s infantry” due to predominantly recruiting from the Midlands and the ancient county of Mercia, the regiment has the distinction of having HRH, The Prince of Wales, as its Colonel in Chief.