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Queen Elizabeth II

The Queen to Celebrate 300 years of The Royal Artillery

On Thursday, 26 May, Her Majesty The Queen, Captain-General of The Royal Regiment of Artillery, will visit Knighton Down, Larkhill, to attend a Review of the Royal Regiment of Artillery. The Royal Artillery will be celebrating their Tercentenary as they mark a historic three centuries since their inception in 1716.

Background of the Royal Artillery

Commonly known as the ‘Gunners’, the Royal Artillery was formed on 26 May 1716 when two companies of artillery were founded at Woolwich in London by Royal Warrant of King George I. In 1832 the Regiment was given the motto ‘Ubique’ (‘Everywhere’) by King William IV in recognition for their service and participation in almost every major battle fought by UK forces. The Royal Artillery works in conjunction with the British Army to find enemy combatants and commands through the utilisation of high-tech equipment and to strike when required, employing a wide range of weaponry which includes explosive shells and advanced precision rockets.

Known as a family Regiment, the Royal Artillery advocates a tradition of ‘once a gunner, always a gunner’ and embraces members and their families, both past and present, as part of the Regiment.

Details of The Queen’s Visit

During her visit The Queen, Captain-General of The Royal Regiment of Artillery since 6 February 1952, will receive the Royal Salute and inspect the Armoured Parade in the State Review Range Rover, accompanied by the Master Gunner General, Sir Timothy Granville-Chapman.

The Queen will also view The Captain-General’s Baton and address the parade. The Captain-General’s Baton is part of the UBIQUE 300 project and began a journey around the globe on 1 May 2015 when it departed from the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich. It has since travelled through 30 countries via more than one thousand men and women from the Royal Artillery as part of a relay of 60 expeditions ranging from sports tours to adventure training to battlefield studies. Concealed within the Baton—which is modelled on a gun barrel—is a scroll which was specially commissioned with ‘The Message of Loyal Greeting’, signed by the Heads of Commonwealth Artilleries it has visited as well as the Master Gunner St James’s Park. The countries the Baton has travelled through on its unique journey include Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, India, Malta, South Africa, Malaysia, Gibraltar and Singapore. The Baton’s presentation to The Queen will mark the end of its circumnavigation journey.

The Queen will then make an address to the parade which will be followed by a ride and drive past led by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery and a display including live firing of weapons—a ‘Feu de Joie’.

From there Her Majesty will view displays which demonstrate the rich history of the Royal Artillery before sitting for a formal photograph. Following a luncheon, The Queen will unveil the Foundation Stone of the Chapel and Cloister at The Royal Garrison Church before departing.