The Princess of Wales is set to visit soldiers at a Norfolk barracks on Wednesday... and promote a pony mascot in rank.
She will be introduced to 1st the Queen’s Dragoon Guards for the first time, after being appointed Colonel-in-Chief of the regiment by King Charles III in August.
Kensington Palace said the visit to Robertson Barracks at Swanton Morley, near Dereham, will allow the Princess to find out about the regiment and the operations they carry out, as well as meet families of personnel.
She will also promote the regimental mascot Trooper ‘Longface’ Emrys Jones, a Welsh Mountain Pony, from Lance Corporal to Corporal.
The 1st the Queen’s Dragoon Guards - known as QDG - have been active for more than 300 years, having been formed in 1959 from the amalgamation of the two senior cavalry regiments, 1st King’s Dragoon Guards and the Queen’s Bays.
The modern-day QDG specialise in reconnaissance, seeking out the enemy and understanding how they operate.
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Since their formation, the QDG have moved all over the world and most recently, from June 2021 – June 2022, were deployed to Mali as part of a United Nations peacekeeping mission.
During the visit, the Princess will receive a briefing on the regiment from senior officers and will have the opportunity to experience elements of what operational life is like for servicemen and women.
This will include learning about the Jackal 2 high mobility weapons platform, seeing how the team communicate via radios when deployed, and how they utilise reconnaissance drones.
The Princess will then meet families of QDG personnel to hear about their experiences and the welfare support that is offered by the regiment.
