A TEIFI family has been beaming with pride after their son played an important role in the King’s Coronation earlier this month.
2Lt Rupert Elmhirst, who grew up in Betws Ifan where his parents still live, is a member of the King’s Company, Grenadier Guards.
On Saturday, May 6, he had the honour and privilege of carrying the Royal Standard of The Regiment, King’s Company Colour during King Charles III’s coronation at Westminster Abbey.
It was a great honour for Rupert, who comes from a military family that settled in the area when he was young, and continued to serve Queen and country with international deployments.
He said: “It was a huge honour to have such a central role in the King’s Coronation.
"There was a lot of pressure to get it right, but with all the rehearsals that The Colour Party did, we were confident that it would be a success.
"Afterwards, the overwhelming feeling of pride for a job well done will stay with me my whole life.”
It is the second important role of Rupert’s career in the Grenadier Guards, after standing vigil at the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II just months after receiving his commission from Sandhurst.
Mum Jessamy Elmhirst said: “He commissioned from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in August 2022, after a year of officer training. He then spent a gruelling three months in Brecon learning the finer part of infantry battle tactics.
“During this time, he was pulled from an exercise on Bannau Brycheiniog to take his part in standing vigil at the coffin of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
"Within 12 hours of his ceremonial role in bearskin and tunic, he was back in the depths of Wales up to his ankles in mud – such is the life of a modern-day Guards Officer.”
Rupert then joined the regiment of the Grenadier Guards in Aldershot and was deployed abroad for a short stint. He then returned to begin training for the coronation.
Ms Elmhirst said: “The soldiers who serve in The King’s Company must demonstrate the highest values and standards, aspire to excellence in all things and are chosen from among the fittest and most able Guardsmen in the regiment.
“As the youngest officer in The King’s Company, it was his role, as Ensign to carry the Colour.”
The King’s Company Grenadier Guards have been on duty in Westminster Abbey for every coronation since King Charles II was crowned in 1661.
Ms Elmhirst said: “The Colour is only carried on ceremonial duties in the presence of the monarch.
"It was then, with huge pride, that Rupert fulfilled his duties last Saturday and stood, with the Royal Standard, for a full three hours with the other four members of The Colour Party in the Quire of Westminster Abbey.
“He then presented it twice in a ‘flourish’ as the King passed in front of him.”
The Colour is an important part of ceremonial duties and is presented to the regiment by the monarch once in their lifetime. It is then laid to rest at their feet at its end.
The Colour is embroidered with gold and tasselled silk. The fabric is more than six square feet and has remained unchanged from the regimental Colours of yesteryear. The pole is topped with a large silver gilt lion and crown that weighs 1.5kg.
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