COLCHESTER proudly sent a birthday greeting to the King with a 21-gun salute in Castle Park.
Gunners and musicians joined forces in Colchester today (June 15) to mark His Majesty the King’s official birthday.
A crowd of hundreds watched in Castle Park as the guns of G Parachute Battery (Mercer’s Troop), 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery fired a Royal Salute to send birthday greetings to the King in a perfectly timed break in the rain.
The 21-gun salute was fired by a battery of four 105mm light guns.
The troops, based at the city’s Merville Barracks, were then inspected by Lord-Lieutenant of Essex Jennifer Tolhurst as the King’s representative in the county.
Gunner Sam Hayes only joined 7 Para RHA in February and it was his first ceremonial duty.
“We don’t get to fire our guns in public very often, and to do this for the King’s birthday makes it particularly special,” the 26-year-old said.
“My job in the gun crew is to load the cartridge and we did lots of rehearsals through the week to make sure everything went as well as it did today.”
Before and after the salute, a brass ensemble from British Army Band Colchester played at the bandstand to entertain the public, alongside a gun set up to demonstrate the troops’ operational role with 16 Air Assault Brigade, the British Army’s global response force.
Colchester was nominated in 2006 by Queen Elizabeth II as a Royal Saluting Station - one of only 12 in the United Kingdom.
The honour allows artillery based in the city to mark official royal occasions such as the monarch’s official birthday, royal deaths and celebrations such as the platinum jubilee in 2022 and the King’s coronation on May 6, 2023.
Colchester’s airborne soldiers will next be on display to the public at the free 16 Air Assault Brigade and Colchester Garrison Show, on Abbey Field on Saturday, June 29.
Meanwhile, in London, the Princess of Wales made a triumphant return to public life, capped by a Buckingham Palace balcony appearance with the Royal Family in honour of the King's official birthday.
Kate looked relaxed during her first day in the spotlight following her cancer diagnosis for the traditional Trooping the Colour ceremony, where her youngest child Prince Louis stole the show again.
Louis was pictured yawning, trying to open a window and dancing to the military music as the princess and her young family watched the pomp and pageantry in Horse Guards Parade in honour of the King.
After months of chemotherapy, which is still ongoing, the princess joined the family occasion on the national stage, but kept a watchful eye on her children.
Her appearance was in doubt after she missed the final Trooping rehearsal last weekend, but with the King also suffering from cancer the spectacle of military pomp and pageantry became a symbolic statement by the monarchy after a period of uncertainty.
During the day, she was surrounded by other members of the family, with her husband the Prince of Wales, Colonel of the Welsh Guards, on horseback, as were the Princess Royal, Colonel Blues and Royals, and the Duke of Edinburgh, Colonel Scots Guards.
The King also rode in a carriage with the Queen, a departure from last year because of his illness, and inspected the officers and guardsmen on Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall from the coach rather than from a horse.
Kate and members of the Royal Family were cheered when they were first spotted in The Mall on their way to Trooping.
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