PROVING HERSELF TO BE A NATURAL
IS IN THE DRIVING SEAT ON HER FIRST ACTIVE DAY IN HER NEW JOB
T he Princess of Wales was dubbed “a natural” as she got behind the wheel of an armoured vehicle at a military engagement last Wednesday.
Kate visited 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards in Norfolk for the first time as the regiment’s Colonel-in-Chief, a role given to her in August by her father- in-law the King. The regiment has been active for more than 300 years, specialising in reconnaissance: seeking out an enemy and understanding how it operates.
The Princess received a brief on the regiment from senior officers and had the opportunity to experience elements of operational life.
GETTING INTO GEAR
Arriving in a Holland Cooper blazer over a roll-neck and trousers, the Princess swapped her outfit for a combat jacket and helmet.
Corporal Darreyl Tukana, a driving instructor, sat besidee Kate in a Jackal 2 high-mobility weapons platform as she visited Robertson Barracks in Swantonn Morley, Norfolk. He drove her to a troop hide, then let her take the controls to drive the pair back to where they started.
ADVANCED DRIVER
Bringing the six-ton vehicle to a stop, Kate exclaimed: “It’s really great.” She added: “It’s very responsive, actually, given the size of the thing.”
Darreyl said of the Princess afterwards: “She was a natural. She drives a Land Rover back at home. I told her it’s exactly the same – just take it slowly and go back to where we started off.
“She was enjoying every bit of the journey. It’s different from what she’s driving; it’s a bigger vehicle.”
Asked if he had to teach her much, he said: “Not really – I just needed to switch on a few toggle switches before start-up, because it’s different from a car. But I switched it on, put it into gear and told her it’s just like a normal car.”
The mum of three also met families of personnel to hear about their experiences and the welfare support that is offered by the regiment.
