The Princess of Wales's regiment, the Irish Guards, has been branded “unarmed Teletubbies” by a former SAS commander in an attack on army standards following their recent appearance at Downing Street.
The regiment, which has the Princess of Wales as its Colonel, placed an 11-strong honour guard outside Number 10 to welcome Ukraine's President Zelensky for talks with Andy Burnham.
Ex-commander hits out at 'playground uniforms'
Former SAS commander Richard Williams took aim at the “ill-fitting playground uniforms” the soldiers wore, calling them “pseudo soldiers used as decorations”. Sharing a picture online, Mr Williams said they were the “very opposite of martial excellence, and so far from the hard steel and war-won standards of the past”.
Sources told The Sun said Mr Williams' attack had enraged the head of the Army, General Sir Roly Walker, who was commissioned into the Irish Guards before joining the SAS and rising to the rank of Chief of the General Staff.
Regiment commander responds
Commanding officer of the Irish Guards, Lt Col Ben Irwin-Clark, quickly responded to the criticism, saying: “Those of you writing negative comments about the regiment need to give your heads a wobble.”
The Princess of Wales's role as Colonel of the regiment is symbolic, and she is not involved in the regiment's day-to-day operations.
Role and history of the Irish Guards
The Irish Guards can be identified by the blue hackle worn in their bearskins. There are five divisions of the Foot Guards – the Grenadier Guards, the Welsh Guards, the Irish Guards, the Scots Guards and the Coldstream Guards. The five regiments are also joined by the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals to make up the complete seven-strand Household Division.
The Princess was appointed Colonel of the Irish Guards in 2022, succeeding Prince William, who had held the position since 2011. He stepped into the role of Colonel of the Welsh Guards, succeeding his father, King Charles.
Additionally, Queen Camilla was chosen to take over Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's former role as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, as it is traditionally a military position held by the monarch's consort. Andrew was stripped of all his military associations by Queen Elizabeth II, leaving his position as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards "in abeyance" until a decision was reached.
Queen Camilla and Catherine do not wear military uniform when they visit their regiments or when they ride in the annual Trooping the Colour parade, as the late Queen did until 1986.
The Irish Guards serve a dual role as world-class infantry soldiers, specialising in frontline combat roles requiring excellence in the use of machine guns, anti-tank missiles, mortars, reconnaissance, and sniper capabilities, and, as the ceremonial personal bodyguard to the Monarch, are frequently seen guarding Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle. After a sustained period of providing vital support to the training of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the Irish Guards are now committed to modernisation and to remaining at the forefront of emerging operational capabilities. They are a “leading force” in building the UK’s drone warfare capability.
