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King Charles III

King Charles praises Armed Forces for their ”selfless service and sacrifice”

King Charles III has praised military past and present on his first Armed Forces Day as Commander-in-Chief.

In a message sent on behalf of himself and Queen Camilla, His Majesty spoke of the ”immense and dedicated contribution of our military both at home and overseas.”

King Charles also highlighted the lifelong service of many, saying ”we remember, with gratitude, the countless veterans who continue to support the ethos of the Armed Forces, long after they leave the Service.”

Armed Forces Day takes place in June every year to mark the service of military personnel with special events taking place around the UK. It is marked on June 24th in 2023.

The King’s full message reads:

”The Queen and I join many around the United Kingdom in celebrating Armed Forces Day, recognising the immense and dedicated contribution of our military both at home and overseas.

Today provides a particularly valuable opportunity to acknowledge publicly the selfless service and sacrifice made each day by our Armed Forces personnel to keep this nation safe.  We also remember, with gratitude, the countless veterans who continue to support the ethos of the Armed Forces long after they leave the Service.

Having trained, and served, in both the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, and having had such close affiliations over the course of the last forty-seven years as Colonel or Colonel-in-Chief of multiple regiments within the British Army, I know only too well of the deep pride our service personnel take in their duty, so superbly shown during our recent Coronation.

As your Commander-in-Chief, I send my warmest good wishes to you all, your families, and the entire Armed Forces community on this special day.

CHARLES R

About author

Lydia Starbuck is Jubilee and Associate Editor at Royal Central and the main producer and presenter of the Royal Central Podcast and Royal Central Extra. Lydia is also a pen name of June Woolerton who is a journalist and writer with over twenty years experience in TV, radio, print and online. Her latest book, A History of British Royal Jubilees, is out now. Her new book, The Mysterious Death of Katherine Parr, will be published in March 2024. June is an award winning reporter, producer and editor. She's appeared on outlets including BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Local Radio and has also helped set up a commercial radio station. June is also an accomplished writer with a wide range of material published online and in print. She is the author of two novels, published as e-books. She is also a marriage registrar and ceremony celebrant.