Special Relationships and Regiments
Like all members of the Royal Family, The Prince of Wales has close personal links to the Armed Services. In addition to his own career in the services, he holds a number of appointments as Colonel-in-Chief and Royal Colonel.
The Prince of Wales takes part in the annual Trooping the Colour ceremony at Horse Guards, London, wearing his uniform of Colonel of the Welsh Guards. He has held that appointment since 1975, the year in which he first rode in the centuries-old ceremony which marks The Queen's official birthday.
His Royal Highness's first Colonelcy-in-Chief was of the Royal Regiment of Wales, to which he was appointed on 1st July 1969 - the day of his investiture as Prince of Wales at Caernarfon Castle.
The Duchess of Cornwall also has a number of military appointments.
The Prince of Wales's appointments in the order they were awarded:
Welsh Guards
(Colonel, since 1st March 1975)
Air Reserve of Canada
(Colonel-in-Chief, since 11th June 1977)
The 22nd Cheshire Regiment
(Colonel-in-Chief, since 11th June, 1977)
Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)
(Royal Canadians; Colonel-in-Chief, since 11th June 1977)
The Parachute Regiment
(Colonel-in-Chief, since 11th June 1977)
Royal Australian Armoured Corps
(Colonel-in-Chief, since 11th June 1977)
The Royal Gurkha Rifles
(Colonel-in-Chief, since 11th June 1977)
Royal New Zealand Air Force
(Air Commodore-in-Chief, since 11th June 1977)
The Royal Regiment of Canada
(Colonel-in-Chief, since 11th June 1977)
The Royal Winnipeg Rifles
(Colonel-in-Chief, since 11th June 1977)
The Royal Pacific Islands Regiment
(Colonel-in-Chief, since 8th August 1984)
The Royal Canadian Dragoons
(Colonel-in-Chief, since 17th September 1985)
Army Air Corps
(Colonel-in-Chief, since 1st March 1992)
The Royal Dragoon Guards
(Colonel-in-Chief, since 1st July 1992)
Royal Air Force Valley
(Honorary Air Commodore, since 1st April 1993)
The Queen's Own Yeomanry
(Royal Honorary Colonel, since 2000)
The Queen's Dragoon Guards
(Colonel-in-Chief, since 1st July 2003)
The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada
(Colonel-in-Chief, since 1st April 2004)
The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's Own)
(Colonel-in-Chief, since 11th January 2005)
The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
(Royal Colonel, since 28th March 2006)
51st Highland, 7th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
(Royal Colonel, 28th March 2006)
Plymouth, Royal Naval Command
(Commodore-in-Chief, 8th August 2006)
The Mercian Regiment
(Colonel-in-Chief, with effect 1st September 2007)