Latest news with #ceremonial
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
King Charles says he 'misses Canada' in meeting with Canadian mounted troop at Windsor Castle
Members of the Canadian military's only ceremonial mounted troop got to meet and chat with the King Monday at Windsor Castle. The 26 soldiers from Lord Strathcona's Horse, a Canadian Forces tank regiment based in Edmonton, are in England to fill the role of the King's Life Guard at Buckingham Palace until July 21. King Charles III hosted them Monday at Windsor Castle. 'His (Majesty) invited the mounted troop over for a brief meeting,' Capt. Tom Lauterbacher, the Strathcona Mounted Troop leader, said Monday. 'He made sure that the soldiers were enjoying their accommodations' at Hyde Park Barracks and King's Guard Barracks, and asked 'how we were liking the horses,' Lauterbacher said. The Canadians are riding horses that belong to the U.K.'s Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment. 'He knows that it's a big change between the horses that the Household Cavalry have and our quarter horses that we have in Canada,' Lauterbacher said. 'They're a lot larger than the horses that we have.' King Charles was interested in how the soldiers came to be in the mounted troop and whether or not they wanted to stay in the army, said the captain. 'He was very personable. He asked a lot of very in-depth questions to get to know the soldiers on more of a personal level.' Lauterbacher escorted the King while he chatted with the Canadians. 'He talked about how much he missed Canada; how beautiful he thinks it is,' Lauterbacher said. 'He wishes he could be able to get out more, but the trip is fairly long — he made the joke.' They sipped sparkling water and orange juice at the reception. 'The soldiers had a little bit of time to talk and share a laugh with His (Majesty) and then we had to be back on our way to get back to the (guard) duties,' Lauterbacher said. They are guarding Horse Guards in St. James Park, the original entrance to Buckingham Palace. The invitation to take on the ceremonial role is a rarity; this is only the third time the job has been done by soldiers from outside the United Kingdom. The invite, which marks the regiment's 125th anniversary, came from the King himself, who is the Strathcona's colonel-in-chief. From 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. each day, two Canadians at a time, wearing dragoon helmets and their regimental colours of scarlet red and myrtle green, do one-hour shifts in guard boxes flanking the palace entrance. At 4 p.m., there's 'an inspection which dates all the way back to Queen Victoria when she found some of her soldiers who were intoxicated on the job, so she gave them a hundred years of defaulters,' Lauterbacher said. The hundred years is long past, but the ceremonial inspection still draws large crowds. The Canadians carry lances while on parade and sabers in the guard boxes. 'Our soldiers do engage if they have to tell a person to, 'Please don't touch the tack of the animal,' or 'Please don't enter the box,'' Lauterbacher said. 'It's a safety thing that they're allowed to engage.' People who have come to snag photos of the Canadians 'have been absolutely fantastic and super respectful,' he said. One horse 'stumbled a little' during the ceremonies, but its 'fantastic rider' was able to hold the animal steady so it wouldn't cause issues with the crowds, Lauterbacher said. 'It's been a great time so far. The mounted troop has been practicing and getting ready for this for the last few months,' he said. 'And now we're finally getting the opportunity to do it, the soldiers are ecstatic.' The crowds are immense. 'The soldiers perform in front of thousands of people, but it's nothing compared to the amount of people that come by (Horse) Guards. The photos, the people that want to come up and talk to everybody. How proud we are to be in front of the world and have everybody here cheering us on. It's a dream come true for a lot of the soldiers … to be here and to do the job. It's very busy, but it's very rewarding.' In addition to guarding the palace, the Canadian troop goes on morning rides, called Watering Order, through Hyde Park. 'When they're doing that they can say hello to people and a lot of people are really interested to come up and talk to the Canadians,' Lauterbacher said. 'So, it's been a great time.' Lord Strathcona's Horse stood up its mounted troop in 1974 after the original mounted troop stood down in 1939 to man tanks during the Second World War. 'We're the only mounted regiment in Canada when it comes to the Canadian Armed Forces,' Lauterbacher said. The soldiers also have to maintain their operational skills should they be deployed in tanks. 'They have to train just like any other soldier, while also on the side learning how to ride horses,' Lauterbacher said. The King donned a Canadian naval uniform earlier this year, which some interpreted as his subtle support for this country as U.S. President Donald Trump mused about making Canada the 51st state. 'I can't speculate on what the King's intent is, but I know that he was very happy to have us and host us here and ask the mounted troop to come see him at Windsor Castle,' Lauterbacher said. King Charles's throne speech, deconstructed: 'Not a single word was accidental' Did King Charles subtly show support for Canada amid Trump's 51st state threats? Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.
CBC
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
'Tremendously proud': Canadian regiment serving as King's Life Guard
Members of Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians), an Edmonton-based regiment, are in London to perform mounted ceremonial duties as the King's Life Guard, a rare assignment for a foreign country. (Aired: July 12, 2025)
National Post
14-07-2025
- General
- National Post
King Charles says he 'misses Canada' in meeting with Canadian mounted troop at Windsor Castle
Article content At 4 p.m., there's 'an inspection which dates all the way back to Queen Victoria when she found some of her soldiers who were intoxicated on the job, so she gave them a hundred years of defaulters,' Lauterbacher said. Article content The hundred years is long past, but the ceremonial inspection still draws large crowds. Article content The Canadians carry lances while on parade and sabers in the guard boxes. Article content 'Our soldiers do engage if they have to tell a person to, 'Please don't touch the tack of the animal,' or 'Please don't enter the box,'' Lauterbacher said. 'It's a safety thing that they're allowed to engage.' Article content People who have come to snag photos of the Canadians 'have been absolutely fantastic and super respectful,' he said. Article content Article content One horse 'stumbled a little' during the ceremonies, but its 'fantastic rider' was able to hold the animal steady so it wouldn't cause issues with the crowds, Lauterbacher said. Article content 'It's been a great time so far. The mounted troop has been practicing and getting ready for this for the last few months,' he said. 'And now we're finally getting the opportunity to do it, the soldiers are ecstatic.' Article content Article content The crowds are immense. Article content 'The soldiers perform in front of thousands of people, but it's nothing compared to the amount of people that come by (Horse) Guards. The photos, the people that want to come up and talk to everybody. How proud we are to be in front of the world and have everybody here cheering us on. It's a dream come true for a lot of the soldiers … to be here and to do the job. It's very busy, but it's very rewarding.' Article content In addition to guarding the palace, the Canadian troop goes on morning rides, called Watering Order, through Hyde Park. Article content 'When they're doing that they can say hello to people and a lot of people are really interested to come up and talk to the Canadians,' Lauterbacher said. 'So, it's been a great time.' Article content Lord Strathcona's Horse stood up its mounted troop in 1974 after the original mounted troop stood down in 1939 to man tanks during the Second World War. Article content 'We're the only mounted regiment in Canada when it comes to the Canadian Armed Forces,' Lauterbacher said. Article content The soldiers also have to maintain their operational skills should they be deployed in tanks. 'They have to train just like any other soldier, while also on the side learning how to ride horses,' Lauterbacher said. Article content The King donned a Canadian naval uniform earlier this year, which some interpreted as his subtle support for this country as U.S. President Donald Trump mused about making Canada the 51st state. Article content 'I can't speculate on what the King's intent is, but I know that he was very happy to have us and host us here and ask the mounted troop to come see him at Windsor Castle,' Lauterbacher said. Article content
Telegraph
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Trump should be able to address our Parliament
The arrangements for Donald Trump's second state visit to the UK are currently being finalised and raise questions over how seriously the invitation is being taken. The US president will make the trip on September 17-19, joining the King and Queen at Windsor Castle. The traditional carriage ride to Buckingham Palace has been dropped because the building is undergoing renovation. President Macron of France was also hosted at Windsor. Nonetheless, the timing of the visit seems designed to confine Mr Trump to largely ceremonial activities and away from anything remotely political. It is taking place during parliament's conference recess. Although the Commons returns for a fortnight on September 1, MPs rise again the day before Mr Trump arrives in the UK. This means that neither House will be sitting and therefore the president can be denied the opportunity to address Parliament, something afforded to most visitors. Doubtless there are security reasons for keeping Mr Trump away from possible protests, not least by Labour backbenchers. But it seems somewhat convenient to organise the visit so that he cannot speak to MPs and peers directly. He is, after all, the world's most consequential politician, whose every move can cause ructions across the globe. His latest U-turn on sending offensive weapons to Ukraine is indicative of his influence. Parliament, supposedly the cockpit of free speech, should hear from him. Mr Trump did not address parliament on his first visit in 2019 which was seen as a snub by John Bercow, then Speaker. Perhaps he has no desire to do so. But it is churlish to deny him the opportunity.
BBC News
14-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Trump will be hosted by King at Windsor during second state visit
US President Donald Trump has formally accepted an invitation from King Charles to come to the UK for a state visit for a second time. Mr Trump's first state visit was back in 2019, hosted by Queen Elizabeth during his first term in time the president and his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, will come to the UK from 17 to 19 September for the event, which will be held at Windsor Palace, which is where the Royal Family normally hosts guests, is currently undergoing renovations. To be invited for a state visit twice is something that hasn't happened to a US president before. This kind of visit is a big deal and includes a full ceremonial welcome and a state presidents are normally invited for tea or lunch with the monarch, which is a less formal senior members of the Royal Family are expected to be there, including the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children George, Charlotte and Louis, who live on the grounds of the castle. French President Emmanuel Macron was hosted by the King at Windsor last week. This was the first time a state visit had been held in the family's home in Berkshire for more than ten in April, President Trump said: "I'm a friend of Charles, I have great respect for King Charles and the family, William. We have really just a great respect for the family."Prime Minister Sir Keir formally presented the invitation from the King to Mr Trump for the second state visit during a meeting in the Oval Office in have said part of the reason President Trump has been invited again is because the UK government are hoping it will help build a stronger relationship with the could mean he would be more likely to listen to the UK's concerns about the war in Ukraine and lessen the tariffs placed on British exports to the US.
