With one eye squeezed tightly shut, her brow furrowed with concentration, Princess Anne was a picture of military professionalism as she fired an SA80 rifle on a visit to the King’s Royal Hussars this week. The Princess Royal, dressed in uniform for the occasion, was visiting a Salisbury Plain training exercise in her capacity as Colonel-in-Chief of the regiment.
She was coached in the rifle’s use by Major Alister Ross and, donning a stylish pair of wrap-around sunglasses, also took over command of a Challenger tank.
The King’s Royal Hussars, which was formed in 1992 by the amalgamation of the Royal Hussars and the 14th/20th King’s Hussars, are an armoured tank regiment equipped with Challenger Main Battle Tanks. Its troops frequently operate as foot soldiers on the streets of Belfast as well as in Bosnia and Kosovo.
Colonel-in-Chief of the Hussars is just one of the Princess Royal’s numerous military titles, which also include Colonel-in-Chief of the Household Cavalry and Regimental Colonel of the Blues and Royals.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
