It was a historic moment over which the King would ordinarily have presided. But as he continues his recovery from cancer, His Majesty called upon his youngest brother the Duke of Edinburgh and his wife the Duchess to attend in his place.
The royal couple witnessed a display of military pomp and pageantry in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace to mark 120 years of the Entente Cordiale – the alliance between the UK and France – at the behest of the King, who spent the weekend at Sandringham.
French soldiers joined their British counterparts for the Changing of the Guard as part of the celebrations – the first time that soldiers from outside the Commonwealth have participated in the ceremony.
After the band of the Grenadier Guards played both countries’ national anthems, Prince Edward, 60, and Sophie, 59, inspected 32 members of the 1st and 2nd Infantry regiments of the Garde Républicaine and, lined up opposite them, 40 guardsmen from F Company Scots Guards.
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Joining them at the ceremony were General Sir Patrick Sanders, Chief of the General Staff, General Pierre Schill, French Chief of the Army Staff, and France’s ambassador to the UK, Hélène Duchêne.
Large crowds gathered outside the palace gates and applauded after the renditions of God Save the King and La Marseillaise.
Edward and Sophie have long been hailed the unsung heroes of the royal family
Major Jamie Drummond-Moray, officer commanding F Company, said: “It is an enormous privilege for us to host the French here in London and play such a significant part in a ceremony that has never happened before with a non Commonwealth country.
“It really is a monumental occasion. It’s a great honour for all our soldiers and a fantastic day for everyone in France and the UK.”
