Sikh Guardsman Changes Trooping the Colour History
Today not only marks Coldstream Guardsman Charanpreet Singh Lall’s first Trooping the Colour, but also the very first time a member of the guards has marched in a turban at the event that marks the Queen’s official birthday.
"I hope that more people like me, not just Sikhs but from other religions and different backgrounds, will be encouraged to join the Army," Lall told The Telegraph, saying that he hopes that people will see this as a "new change in history.”
As one of more than 1,000 soldiers who took part in the ceremony, Lall wore a black turban with a ceremonial cap star to match the ones on the traditional bearskin hats.
"I have never been made to feel different or left out," Lall told The Telegraph. "My family say I should be proud for them and the whole Sikh community."
Lall joined the British Army in January 2016 and is a signaler in his Company headquarters. Born in Punjab, India, he moved to England as a baby.
"I'm quite proud and I know that a lot of other people are proud of me as well," he told The Telegraph. "There's going to be a lot of eyes and I am going to have an influence on other people."
While the Trooping the Colour has its origins in traditional battle preparations when flags were trooped down the ranks so they could be recognized by soldiers, in 1748, the parade became a way of officially marking the monarch’s birthday.
Even though the Queen was born on April 21, the annual parade takes place on a Saturday in June to accomodate for better weather for the outdoor event.
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