The Duchess of Cornwall took significant step towards carving out a role for herself in royal circles when she presented medals to British servicemen for the first time. Camilla joined Prince Charles as he gave out Iraq tour medals to soldiers of the Royal Regiment of Wales.
Charles, the regiment's Colonel in Chief, met men who'd recently returned from their second tour of duty in the Middle Eastern country. At Lucknow barracks in Wiltshire the royal pair also got a chance to have a chat with the soldiers' families.
One little boy was clearly full of excitement at being presented to the royal visitors. Six-year-old Iestyn Rees gave Camilla a proud bow after his father received his medal in the ceremony. Army chiefs also felt the parade wouldn't be complete without another of the battalion's supporters - mascot Taffy the goat, who was led out wearing a smart green covering.
As he chatted to the men Charles revealed that the soldier in his family, Prince Harry, is relishing his time at top military academy Sandhurst. "He's taken to it like a duck to water", he confided. "He likes rolling around in muddy ditches."
Later the royals inspected a newly built accommodation block. Private Joe Durham had to make a few adjustments to his living quarters before welcoming the heir to the throne and his wife. "I was only told they would be inspecting my room yesterday," he said. "I had to take down all my Pamela Anderson posters."
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
