Armed Forces' role in Royal Wedding announced
The details and range of the ceremonial military personnel who will play a key role in the formal elements of the wedding of His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales and Miss Catherine Middleton have been announced today.
Alongside his current Royal Air Force Search and Rescue role, Prince William is also Commodore-in-Chief of Submarines, Colonel of the Irish Guards, Honorary Air Commandant of RAF Coningsby and Patron of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
The wedding is to take place on Friday 29 April 2011.
General Sir David Richards, Chief of the Defence Staff, said:
I am delighted that so many members of Her Majesty’s Armed Forces have the opportunity to be part of the Royal Wedding. It is a huge honour for those servicemen and women taking part and one that they and their families will remember with great pride.
They reflect the sentiments of the whole of the Armed Forces who share their pride in supporting this national celebration.
For those in the path-lining party it will be a particular and poignant honour as many will have served alongside Prince William, and I am sure they will take great delight in being among the first to see His Royal Highness alongside his new bride.
The military elements involved are:
Queen’s Guard
The 1st Battalion Irish Guards will be providing the Queen’s Guard at Buckingham Palace, St James’s Palace and the Tower of London throughout the day. The Guard will turn out for the departure of the Royal Family from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey.
Guard of Honour
A Guard of Honour comprising three officers and 101 other ranks from the Welsh Guards will be positioned in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace for the return of the members of the Royal Family.
Street-liners
More than 1,000 military personnel and military musicians will line the route from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace. They will be made up of officers and other ranks from:
Royal Navy
HMS Astute, HMS Campbeltown, HMS Chatham, HMS Cumberland, HMS Daring, HMS Dauntless, Diamond, HMS Edinburgh, HMS Gloucester, HMS Illustrious, HMS Liverpool, HMS Monmouth, HMS Montrose, HMS Neptune, HMS Northumberland, HMS Vanguard, HMS York, Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose, Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, elements of Fleet Headquarters and Defence Equipment and Support, Bristol.
Army
Nijmegen Company Grenadier Guards, 7 Company Coldstream Guards, F Company Scots Guards, 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, 2nd Battalion The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment.
Royal Air Force
RAF Benson, RAF Boulmer, RAF Chicksands, RAF Coningsby, RAF Cosford, RAF Cottesmore, RAF Cranwell, RAF Digby, RAF Fylingdales, RAF Halton, RAF High Wycombe, RAF Honington, RAF Kinloss, RAF Leeming, RAF Lossiemouth, RAF Lyneham, RAF Marham, RAF Odiham, RAF personnel from Permanent Joint Headquarters Northwood, RAF Scampton, RAF Shawbury, RAF St Athan, RAF Swanwick, RAF Valley, RAF Waddington, RAF Wittering, Queen’s Colour Squadron, Defence School of Languages Beaconsfield, Joint Service Signal Unit Cheltenham, Ministry of Defence Hospital Unit Northallerton, Ministry of Defence Hospital Unit Peterborough, MOD Abbey Wood, RAF personnel from the Defence College of Policing and Guarding, Southwick Park.
Bands and Musicians
Royal Navy
Parliament Square - the Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines Collingwood.
Army
On the forecourt of Buckingham Palace - the Band of the Welsh Guards.
Along the route - the Band of the Grenadier Guards at Marlborough Road; the Band of the Coldstream Guards at Duke of York Steps; the Band of the Scots Guards and the Corps of Drums of the Band of the Welsh Guards at Horse Guards; and the Corps of Drums of the Band of The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment by the Cenotaph.
Inside Westminster Abbey - eight Household Cavalry state trumpeters, drawn equally from the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals.
Royal Air Force
Along the route - the Central Band of the RAF, located at Horse Guards Avenue/Whitehall.
Inside Westminster Abbey - eight RAF fanfare trumpeters.
Path-lining outside Westminster Abbey after service
Personnel from each of the three Services will form a path-lining party for when the couple leave Westminster Abbey. They are being chosen from a combination of those with a personal connection to Prince William, and those who have given an outstanding contribution to their Service.
Sovereign’s Escort and Captain’s Escort
The Life Guards and Blues and Royals of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment will form a Sovereign’s Escort for Her Majesty The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, and a Captain’s Escort for the bride and groom as the wedding party travels to Buckingham Palace from Westminster Abbey. This will involve some 160 horses.
Flypast
At 1330hrs a flypast will take place over Buckingham Palace. This will consist of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s Lancaster, a Spitfire and a Hurricane, followed 30 seconds later by two Typhoons and two Tornado GR4s in box formation.
Military involved on the day will wear their respective Service ceremonial clothing.
Other members of the Armed Forces have received invitations to attend the wedding service in a private capacity.