The Queen

Earlier today we attended the Presentation of New Colours to the Royal Military College (RMC) of Australia by Queen Elizabeth.  The Colours are a special national flag and RMC flag.  The Colours were first presented to RMC by the future King George VI in 1927.  Replacement Colours were presented by Queen Elizabeth in 1954, 1970, 1988 and again today.

The Anglophiles claim their seats an hour early.
Carol smiles after successfully scrounging a program from the VIP area.
The cadets march into position.
According to tradition “the drummers, a fidgety lot, were apt to tap their drums during the ceremony.” To prevent this they stack their drums into a makeshift altar.
The new Colours are unveiled and placed on the drum altar.
The Queen arrives. Both the front and back license plate show only her crown.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip are greeted by the Parade Commander.
The Queen inspects the Parade.
Not bad for an 85-year-old in heels.
Poor Philip stands by himself (on the platform…behind the post).
The priests bless the Colours upon the altar of drums.
The Queen addresses the Parade.
The new Colours are trooped.
The Queen presented new Colours to the Royal Military College of Australia in 1954, 1970, 1988 and now in 2011.
And the Queen departs.
Bye, bye Queen.
Chris was quite excited to learn the cannon next to our seats was a real cannon.
Near the parade grounds is a sceenic overlook. This view shows the Australian military headquarters complex in the foreground. Dave works in the closest building on the right.
Carrie finds a cannon of her own.
The sun is too bright!
That’s better for the grown-ups.
Parliament house “a rather arrestingly horrible structure, crowned with a ridiculous erection that looks like nothing so much as a very large Christmas-tree stand.” – Bill Bryson