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he Queen has fulfilled her late “papa’s” long-held ambition and become colonel-in-chief of his former regiment.
Camilla marked her new honorary role with the Royal Lancers (Queen Elizabeths’ Own) by inviting a Second World War veteran and stalwart of the regiment to Clarence House.
She shared some of her father’s wartime stories with Michael de Burgh, who celebrates his 100th birthday on June 11, and presented him with the Buchan Medal in recognition of his support for the Royal Lancers over the decades.
Mr De Burgh, 99, served with the 9th Lancers. They were later amalgamated with the 12th Lancers – the regiment of her late father, Major Bruce Shand.
Camilla told him: “My father just longed for me to be associated with this regiment and here I am.”
She presented a copy of Previous Engagements, Major Shand’s wartime memoirs, to the military veteran who was surrounded by his children and grandchildren.
“Here’s a copy of my papa’s book which I believe you haven’t read – now you’ve got it,” she said before she helped them cut a chocolate birthday cake.
The Royal Lancers, an armoured reconnaissance regiment, was formed in 2015 when the 9th/12th Royal Lancers and The Queen’s Royal Lancers were amalgamated, and the words (Queen Elizabeths’ Own) were later added in recognition of the association with them shared by Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Mother.
Major Shand was awarded the Military Cross in 1940, during the retreat to Dunkirk, and again in 1942 for his efforts in North Africa and was later wounded and taken prisoner while fighting in North Africa. He died in June 2006 aged 89.
Mr De Burgh, from Sussex, who worked in finance and later ran a trout farm, got to know Camilla’s father socially after the war and said about the major: “He was a lovely man, nice to everybody.”
Veteran Mr De Burgh was wounded just 14 days before the Allies’ victory in Europe was declared. His gunner was the last member of the 9th Lancers to die during the war.
He joked about his injuries saying a sergeant said to him at the time: “What a mass of blood you are, sir.”
Lieutenant Colonel Will Richmond, Commanding Officer of the Royal Lancers, said about the Queen’s appointment: “We really are delighted.”
He added: “To quote someone more famous than me, ‘it’s been a long time coming’ and we have longed hoped for it and I understand Her Majesty has been keen to achieve it for a long time.”
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