Princess Anne steps in for Royal Scots farewell march

Published on Tuesday 18 April 2006 11:56

THE Princess Royal is to take the salute from hundreds of soldiers past and present at an emotional "farewell march" to the Royal Scots.

More than 500 serving soldiers and veterans are expected to bring the city centre to a standstill for the parade, marking the end of the Edinburgh regiment's proud 373-year history. Princess Anne, the Colonel in Chief of the regiment, will watch the spectacle from the steps of the Royal Scottish Academy on Friday, May 26.

The poignant parade will pass close to the Royal Scots Memorial in Princes Street Gardens which celebrates the regiment's history, from Tangier in 1680 to modern conflicts such as Iraq.

The Royal Scots has been merged with the King's Own Scottish Borderers to become a batallion of the new Royal Regiment of Scotland.

Serving Royal Scots will join the parade after returning from Iraq just days before.

The soldiers and veterans will march, many in traditional Glengarry caps, from Market Street along Princes Street to King's Stables Road, starting at 9.50am. Former Royal Scots Lieutenant Colonel Bob Paterson said: "It will be a memorable day. I think it is an appropriate thing to do and we would have done something earlier if the battalion had not been in Iraq. I think people will feel quite sad.

"The fact that Princess Anne wants to come as the Colonel in Chief and take the salute gives you an indication of how strongly people feel about it."

To mark the occasion, the history of the regiment will be celebrated with a display in the windows of Jenners.

Uniforms from the 1830s, sets of drums, maps and medals charting the regiment's history from its foundation by Sir John Hepburn in 1633 will form the centre of the commemorative display.

Representatives from the Royal Scots will afterwards attend a reception at the Royal Scots Club on Abercromby Place to meet the Princess Royal - while other soldiers will be offered food and drink at the TA Centre at Hepburn House on East Claremont Street.

George Simmonds, 79, chairman of veterans group the 8th Battalion Association, said: "I feel we should go out with a real bang. The regiment has so much history and a lot of people did not want this amalgamation. It is the end of an era."

Mr Simmonds, who joined the 8th Battalion of the Royal Scots in 1943 at the age of 17 and served in Belgium, Holland and Germany during the Second World War, said he was delighted that Jenners had agreed to support the event.

He added: "They were very enthusiastic about the idea. We haven't yet sorted out the details of what exactly will be included, but I am sure we will come up with something fabulous."

He added: "I want to display the whole history of the Royal Scots right up to the present day when some of the men are still serving in Iraq."