After passing their gruelling ‘Fit for Role’ inspection which tested their discipline, drill and uniform, soldiers from the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery have taken over the honour of conducting Queen’s Guard at the Royal Palaces.
Soldiers from across the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery (RCA), in particular 1 Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (1RCHA) have flown in from Shilo, Manitoba in Canada to demonstrate their commitment to the crown by assuming the honour of Queen’s Guard at Buckingham Palace, St James Palace, Windsor Castle and the Tower of London.
In their blue uniforms headdress, soldiers from the RCA provided a stunning contrast to the scarlet tunics and bearskins of Coldstream Guards on the forecourt of Buckingham Palace and St James’ Palace where duties were formally handed over in a public demonstration of their skill and precision during the Changing of the Guard ceremony.
This is a historic moment for the RCA as they have not had the privilege of performing ceremonial duties before and can usually be found manning their M777 Howitzers on the Canadian plains.
The assumption of Queen’s Guard is also part of the RCA’s UBIQUE 150 celebration, a year-long commemoration and celebration of the founding of A and B Batteries of the 1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery in 1871.
The establishment of A and B Batteries on Canadian soil is especially significant as it allowed for the country to bear responsibility for its own defence and laid the groundwork for political autonomy and furthermore helped to lay the groundwork for the Canadian Army.
