HIS MAJESTY THE KING WILL INSPECT THE 200TH SOVEREIGN’S PARADE AT THE ROYAL MILITARY ACADEMY SANDHURST
Friday 14th April 2023
His Majesty The King will inspect the 200th Sovereign’s Parade, presenting the new colours and Sovereign’s Banner to the receiving ensigns. The King will give an address and present awards, including the Sword of Honour.
During the 200th parade, 171 officer cadets will be commissioning as army officers. The parade marks completion of 44 weeks of intensive training for the officer cadets, all of whom will hold His Majesty’s commission as of midnight on the day of the parade.
Upon arrival His Majesty will be invited to inspect officer cadets of the senior division, those who will be graduating as commissioned officers and the front ranks of the junior and intermediate divisions.
Among those on parade will be 26 international cadets from 15 countries who will become commissioned officers in their new countries.
Taking centre stage, the new colours and Sovereign’s Banner will be marched out of Old College. Once blessed by the Chaplain General, the King will step forward and, escorted by Commandants of Old and New Colleges, will present the new colours and the Sovereign’s Banner to the receiving ensigns.
The old colours, belonging to Her Late Majesty, will be marched on to the parade with the cadets passing the statue of Queen Elizabeth II, at which point a salute will be given.
Following the presentation of colours, the King will give an address and present awards, including the Sword of Honour.
As the parade concludes His Majesty will move to the Indian Army Memorial Room, to meet the prizewinners and a selection of foreign officer cadets.
Upon departure, the Commandant will present the King with a gift at the base of Old College Steps.
As Prince of Wales, His Majesty last attended the Sovereign’s Parade in December 2015, representing Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Sandhurst
The original Royal Military Academy (RMA) was established at Woolwich for the training of artillery and engineer officers in 1741. Cavalry and infantry officers were trained at the Royal Military College (RMC), which was founded in 1802 and moved to Sandhurst in 1812. The RMA and RMC merged after the Second World War to form the present establishment, the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS).
The first commissioning parade of the new RMAS was held in 1948 in the presence of His Majesty King George VI, who decreed henceforth that the parade was to be known as The Sovereign’s Parade.
