On handing over the colonelcy, the duke said: “Serving as Colonel of the Scots Guards since 1974, the longest anyone has spent in this role, has been a true honour and one which will forever fill me with great joy.
“Through those years, I have seen the work of the Scots Guards during peacetime and war and witnessed their bravery, selfless courage and devotion to duty.
“To my fellow Scots Guardsmen, I am immensely proud to have served you all. I am delighted that His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh will continue to champion all that you do and work towards preserving your great legacy.”
As the duke departed, his route was lined with serving Guardsmen from various companies, the regiment’s band and association veterans who cheered loudly and applauded to a performance of the Scots Guards’ regimental march Highland Laddie.
Regimental Lieutenant Colonel James Leask praised the duke’s long tenure, saying he was able to offer “wisdom and perspective” as well as being a “constant in a rapidly changing world”.
The duke’s second-in-command said of his conversations with the former colonel: “He could offer a little bit of wisdom to tell me how we have tackled [a given] problem in the past.”
He added that the duke was an “important part” of the “regimental mental system” which was based in a “long history of tradition, ethos [and] culture”.
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