Ahead of the Coronation, The King has been appointed Commissioner-in-Chief of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, a role previously held by the late Queen.
The King took part in a ceremony in the Quadrangle at Windsor Castle, where he was greeted with a Royal Salute from officers on horseback.
As the Prince of Wales, Charles was appointed Honorary Commissioner of the RCMP in 2012, the same year Elizabeth II was made Commissioner in Chief, marking her Diamond Jubilee.
The King has become the new Commissioner-in-Chief of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.(Royal Family)
The appointment also ties in with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s 150th anniversary.
His Majesty was presented with a seven-year-old black mare called Noble to mark the appointment, continuing a longstanding tradition of horses being gifted from the north American realm.
Noble will take part in the Coronation procession, and will be joined by four other horses from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The soldiers will be mounted on horses from the Royal Mews, who were all gifts of the RCMP.
His Majesty met Noble, a horse gifted from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. (Royal Family)
The King has been a lifelong horseman, not only as part of his military roles, but also playing polo.
Elizabeth II was gifted one of her favourite horses, Burmese, by the RCMP in ___. She rode the horse for XX years during Trooping the Colour, including in 1981, when she was shot at with blanks during the parade. Burmese spooked a little but was swiftly brought under control by the Monarch.
Charles was also given a ceremonial sword, which carries The King’s Cypher and Coat of Arms. The number on its spine, MP 150-2023, signifies the RCMP’s 150th anniversary and the year of the Coronation. The sword also features the four force crests, maple leaves representing each one of the Provinces and Territories, and the RCMP battle honours.
RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme said: ‘We are honoured His Majesty has consented to become our Commissioner-in-Chief and pleased to present a ceremonial sword in honour of this historic day.
‘His Majesty The King is continuing the proud, decades-long tradition of accepting RCMP horses as gifts, which began with his late mother. This speaks to our breeding programme’s international reputation for producing some of the finest Hanoverian horses in Canada.
Charles was given a ceremonial sword to mark the appointment. (Royal Family)
‘It also speaks to the strength and quality of our training program. The RCMP and the Royal Family have enjoyed a longstanding, personal relationship for many decades, and I look forward to it continuing for many more.’
The Royal Family has a longstanding relationship with the RCMP, which dates back to 1897, when a contingent of the North-West Mounted Police paraded in Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee procession in London. They received the ‘Royal’ title from King Edward VII in 1904 and have taken part in every Coronation since.
