Sikh soldier becomes first to wear turban at royal ceremony

Miss Alone

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A 22-year-old Sikh soldier has become the first member of the Coldstream Guards to wear a turban at the Trooping the Colour ceremony.

Guardsman Charanpreet Singh Lall said he hoped he wouldn’t be the last.

“I hope that people watching, that they will acknowledge it and that they will look at it as a new change in history,” he told the Press Association.

“I hope that more guards like me – not just Sikhs but from other religions and different backgrounds – will be encouraged to join the army.”

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Prince Harry and his new wife, former actress Meghan Markle, joined the pageantry of the annual Trooping the Colour ceremony in London to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s official birthday.

The duke and duchess, who married three weeks ago, made the short trip from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade in a horse-drawn carriage as royal fans lining the Mall cheered and waved on Saturday.

The couple later joined other members of the royal family on the palace’s front balcony to watch the royal fly-past.

The 92-year-old Queen, whose real birthday is April 21, seemed vigorous as she keenly observed the event.

The monarch, who recently had a successful cataract operation, watched the ceremony from a dais and inspected the guardsmen in bearskin hats and scarlet tunics.

Trooping the Colour is a ceremony deeply rooted in the history of the United Kingdom. It originated from traditional preparations for battle when flags, or colours, were “trooped” so soldiers in the ranks would be able to recognise them.

Thousands of spectators flocked to London for the annual spectacle, hoping to catch a glimpse of the glittering house of Windsor, jamming the royal parks near the parade grounds.

The Duchess of Sussex, as Markle is now known, wore a Carolina Herrera dress and a hat by Philip Treacy. The Duchess of Cambridge, the former Kate Middleton who is married to Harry’s older brother Prince William, wore a dress by Alexander McQueen and a hat by Juliette Botterill.

The Queen, who wore a sky blue coat and dress by Stuart Parvin and a hat by Angela Kelly, travelled alone in an Ascot Landau. The Queen’s husband, 96-year-old Prince Philip, has retired from royal duties.

About 7500 guests joined the monarch at Horse Guards, with prime seats accorded to US Defence Secretary James Mattis and Britain’s Defence Secretary, Gavin Williamson.

The military precision of the parade unravelled slightly at the end of the day when the former chief of the defence staff, Charles Guthrie, 79, was thrown from his horse. He received medical attention.
 
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