Celebrating Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee
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In 2022, Her Majesty the Queen becomes the first Monarch to reign over Britain for 70 years. As our way of commemorating this historic occasion, we wanted to highlight the special bond between the Queen and the Gurkhas through the years.
The Royal Family has a long association with the Gurkhas, dating back to Queen Victoria, who established a group of Gurkha Orderly Officers to attend to the Sovereign in 1876. In 1954, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II reintroduced this practice by commanding that two Gurkha Officers should be nominated annually as ‘The Queen’s Gurkha Orderly Officers’ (QGOOs). The Queen insists that QGOOs are by her side at public events. To this day, two soldiers (rotated annually) attend official functions by Her Majesty’s side.
The Queen and the Brigade of Gurkhas, through the years
Photo courtesy of The British Army
October 1960: The Queen, accompanied by King Mahendra of Nepal, reviews the Brigade of Gurkhas at Buckingham Palace.
Photo courtesy of 6th Gurkha Rifles Regimental Association.
June 1962: Her Majesty presenting the Royal Pipe Banners for both Battalions at Buckingham Palace.
December 1972: Queen Elizabeth II attends the premiere of Alice in Wonderland in London, held in aid of The Gurkha Welfare Trust.
Photo courtesy of 6th Gurkha Rifles Regimental Association.
1978: The Queen visits the Battalion in Church Crookham.
Photo courtesy of The British Army.
October 1986: Her Majesty escorted by Major Gopalbahadur Gurung MBE, Commander of the Guard of Honour, at the Queen’s Pier Hong Kong Island.
Photo courtesy of 6th Gurkha Rifles Regimental Association.
1993: Her Majesty the Queen presents the Queen’s Medal to Lt (QGO) Dharmendra Gurung in Bisley.
The Queen attends our G200 Pageant
In 2015, we held our G200 celebration, marking 200 years of the Gurkhas’ courageous and loyal service in the British Army. To celebrate this momentous milestone, amongst other members of the Royal Family, The Queen attended the G200 pageant in London in recognition of all that the Gurkhas have done for Britain.
The Queen attended the G200 pageant in London in recognition of all that the Gurkhas have done for Britain.
The Queen’s Truncheon Presentation
Photo courtesy of The Gurkha Brigade Association
In 2019, to mark the 25th Anniversary of the formation of The Royal Gurkha Rifles, the RGR formally presented The Queen’s Truncheon to Her Majesty the Queen in a private ceremony inside Buckingham Palace.
The Queen then presented two of her Queen’s Gurkha Orderly Officers with their Royal Victorian Order medals (MVO), in recognition of their services to the Royal family during their tenure over the last 12 months.
Her Majesty had said that it was a pleasure to see The Queen’s Truncheon again, which resides in the safe custody of The Royal Gurkha Rifles.
