On 18 June, a Canadian unit, the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, took over the Queen’s Guard at Buckingham Palace. A total of 85 soldiers from the battalion will join musicians from the Royal Canadian Artillery band in providing performing ceremonial duties at the palace for the first time in history.
At the same time Sir Michael Fallon, the British Defence Secretary, welcomed the new Canadian defence policy, commenting that, “its commitments to remain engaged in the world and maintain Canadian contributions to peace and stabilisation mirror our own.”
He stated further that he was encouraged by the commitment to an uplift in the Canadian defence budget and new capabilities, adding, “the commitment to invest $108 billion in purchasing and upgrading Canadian Forces’ equipment, including a full complement of 15 new warships and 88 advanced fighter jets, is a welcome development. This is representative of the way that NATO members across the alliance are stepping up to ensure that our collective defence will have the modern capabilities needed in a changing world.”
Tim Mahon
An unusual and distinctly Canadian uniform was seen at the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace in London on Sunday. (Photo: Crown copyright)
