On Tuesday 25th August at the invitation of the Colonel of The Royal Gurkha Rifles, Brigadier David Pack, I accompanied him to Balmoral Castle for the presentation of the Queen’s Truncheon to His Majesty the King for his inspection on the first occasion since his Coronation.
The representative party included the Truncheon Jemadar and Escort provided by the First Battalion and the Commanding Officers and Gurkha Majors of both Battalions. Among the Escort was Corporal Nischal Thapa the three times consecutive winner of the King’s Medal at Bisley and the finest shot in the British Army. His medals had been presented to him by The King when he had won them in 2023, 2024 and 2025. He did not shoot in 2026.
The evening before our audience we were generously entertained to dinner in the King’s Guard’s Officer’s Mess and afterwards toured the Castle grounds and ramparts.
We had a memorable day at the remarkable Balmoral Castle and a generous audience with His Majesty. It is nearly fifty years since as Prince of Wales, the King was appointed Colonel in Chief of the 2nd Goorkhas and then of The Royal Gurkha Rifles following amalgamation. We reminisced among many matters, about Hong Kong – where the King first saw the Queen’s Truncheon on parade and met his Regiment, about Nepal and the interim pause when the Truncheon was laid up in the Indian Army Room at Sandhurst until three years later at his robust encouragement it was brought back into service with The Royal Gurkha Rifles.
His Majesty spoke most movingly to us all about his association with His Regiments now approaching fifty years – which he hoped could be marked in some way – and his genuine admiration and affection for the Gurkha soldier.
I thought His Majesty looked fit and well and when I asked him how he was he was very positive. He was in good heart, laughing and joking with us and at the end of the audience ‘a wee dram’ arrived from nowhere for everyone and The King gave the toast ‘Jai Goorkha’ to which we all responded lustily before proceeding to the Equerry’s office for lunch.
In its way it was an historic occasion and we all recognised how fortunate the Regiment is to have His Majesty as Colonel in Chief and for him to express such avid support for the Gurkha soldier and what he represented. It was a memorable visit, everyone looked very smart and the Queen’s Truncheon Escort drill was immaculate.
PRD
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