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Princess Kate drives armoured vehicle and dons camo gear for her first visit to regiment as colonel-in-chief
Kate was all smiles as she visited the Norfolk site
PRINCESS Kate drove an armoured vehicle and donned full camouflage gear today as she visited the cavalry she's in charge of for the first time.
The Princess of Wales, 41, was appointed the Colonel-in-Chief of the 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards by King Charles in August.
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It was one of the prestigious new royal titles she and Prince William were given - as he took over Prince Harry's old army unit.
And today Kate was all smiles as she visited Robertson Barracks in Swanton Morley, Norfolk.
She drove a seven-tonne armoured vehicle equipped with a machine gun and was described as "a natural".
Kate exclaimed "it's really great" after bringing the Jackal 2 vehicle to a stop, adding: "It's very responsive actually, given the size of the thing."
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The beaming royal was also shown weapons in a troop hide and tried her hand at flying a drone.
Corporal Darreyl Tukana, a driving instructor, sat beside Kate in the Jackal 2 on Wednesday.
He drove her to a troop hide, then let her take the controls to drive them back to where they started.
He said afterwards: "She was a natural. She drives a Land Rover back at home - I told her it's exactly the same, just take it slowly and go back to where we started off from.
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"She was enjoying every bit of the journey itself. It's different from what she's driving, it's a bigger vehicle."
Asked if he had to teach her much, he said: "Not really, I just needed to switch on a few toggle switches before start-up, because it's different from a car.
"But I switched it on, put it into gear and I told her it's just like a normal car."
He said the vehicles weigh about seven tonnes and can reach 70mph.
During her visit, Kate, who wore a poppy on her dark jacket, spoke with senior officers, soldiers and families.
Kate was presented with the Queen's Dragoon Guards brooch, which was made in 1959 for the Queen Mother, who also served as Colonel-in-Chief of the regiment, during her visit.
She awarded long service and good conduct medals and took a moment to remember those lost in active service ahead of Remembrance Sunday.
Before she left by helicopter, Kate promoted the regimental mascot, a Bay Welsh Mountain pony called Trooper 'Longface' Emrys Jones, from Lance Corporal to Corporal.
Lieutenant Colonel Chris Kierstead, the commanding officer of the regiment, said: "I think she enjoyed herself and all the soldiers and officers have enjoyed meeting her."
The Queen's Dragoon Guards specialise in reconnaissance and were recently deployed to Mali, in 2021 and 2022, as part of a peacekeeping operation.
The Queen's Dragoon Guards have been active for more than 300 years.
The regiment was formed in 1959 from the amalgamation of the two senior Cavalry regiments, 1st King's Dragoon Guards and The Queen's Bays.
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She was flying solo as Wills is currently in Singapore on a four-day trip for his Earthshot project.
The prince, 41, today told media he plans to go a "step further" than his family has in the past and "actually bring change" by being a "social leader";.
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