King Charles has been photographed riding in a British Army tank during his first visit to the Royal Tank Regiment since becoming Colonel-in-Chief. The monarch visited the Tank Museum in Bovington, Dorset, where he also presented medals to soldiers on parade.
King Charles Takes Command of a Tank
After removing his suit jacket and donning a green helmet with a microphone for safety, the King stood in the tank's commander's seat as it drove around the museum’s arena. He had arrived for the visit on board a 1920 Pattern Rolls-Royce armoured car, joking that the vehicle was "very slow." The late Queen arrived in the same Rolls-Royce armoured car when she visited the museum in 1997 to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Cambrai.
Tour of the Museum and Medal Presentation
During his visit, King Charles was given a tour of the museum, including the Tank Story Hall, where staff explained the history and significance of tanks from World War I up to the modern day. Outside, the King presented medals to soldiers on parade, including wider service medals for Operation Cabrit in Estonia, long-service and good-conduct medals, and commendations.
Inspection of Newest Battle Tank and Technological Innovations
The King then inspected a Challenger 3 tank, the army’s newest battle tank, before he was shown the latest technological innovations being used by the regiment, including 3D-printed equipment and search and attack drones.
Visit Precedes Prince Harry's UK Arrival
The King's visit comes one day before Prince Harry's arrival in the UK. On Monday morning, it was reported that Prince Harry had been offered a stay at Buckingham Palace for the London leg of his visit. However, moments later, it became clear that this was not the case as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had missed the deadline to respond to the Palace's offer. In a statement shared to reporters, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's spokesperson hit back at the offer being "withdrawn." They said: "I am aware of multiple briefings from Buckingham Palace last week suggesting that the Duke had not accepted the offer of accommodation at a Royal Residence. Following RAVEC’s decision not to provide security for his family, the Duke spent last week making alternative security arrangements. Once those arrangements were in place, he was able to formally accept the offer of accommodation for himself over the weekend. It is therefore disappointing that the offer has now been withdrawn, with Tuesday’s judgment in the Associated Newspapers Limited case cited as the reason. Buckingham Palace has, however, been aware of that judgment since last Thursday. It is therefore unclear why, having formally accepted the accommodation offer, it has now been withdrawn at the last moment."
