The King swapped regal finery for a crew guard helmet as he took a ride in a battle tank today, with the Royal Family determined to ‘shut out the noise’ surrounding Prince Harry’s UK visit.
Donning goggles, a white shirt, and a striped tie, Charles, 77, sat in the commander’s seat as he was driven twice around a dirt track in a Challenger 2 in front of dozens of spectators at the Tank Museum in Bovington this afternoon.
The King was heard remarking on the ‘wonderful’ demonstration by soldiers from the Royal Tank Regiment (RTR), recently back from deployment in Greece to be reunited with their loved ones at the annual Families’ Day event.
Just hours after a war of words broke out between Buckingham Palace and the Duke of Sussex over denying him accommodation at a royal residence for his visit to the UK this week, the King arrived at the museum in Dorset on the back of a 1920 Pattern Rolls-Royce Armoured Car.
Soldiers from the RTR worked with museum curators to ready the oldest vehicle in the museum’s working fleet, which carried Queen Elizabeth II during a visit to the regiment in 1997, to deliver the King in front of dozens of servicemen and women on display for the event.
Inside the museum, which houses nine exhibitions, including 300 armoured vehicles, personal objects, stories, and medals from war heroes, Charles, 77, met four of the RTR’s former Colonels-Commandant, who served as the ceremonial head of the regiment.
The King was asked how he found the 1920 Rolls Royce to which he replied ‘slow, resulting in rounds of laughter from his hosts.
Inside the museum’s Tank Story Hall, The King spoke to museum staff about their work curating and preserving the history and significance of tanks from the First World War until the modern day.
The King swapped regal finery for a crew guard helmet as he got to ride in a Challenger 2 tank today
Donning goggles, a white shirt, and a striped tie, Charles, 77, sat in the commander’s seat as he was shown around the Tank Museum at the Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) this afternoon.
Outside, Charles then presented medals to soldiers on parade before meeting their family and friends gathered.
Stopping to speak to one family, the King said he hoped they “haven’t been waiting in this heat too long” and remarked how “delighted” they must be to have their loved ones back from deployment.
Following a short walk to the Vehicle Conservation Centre, the King viewed displays of drones being used on the front lines as well as standing beside the Regiment’s next generation Challenger 3 Main Battle Tank.
Charles’s visit to Dorset comes as the Daily Mail reported that the Royal Family intends to ‘shut out the noise’ about the Duke of Sussex’s planned visit to the UK which has seen more twists and turns.
Senior working royals have more than 29 official duties already scheduled in their diaries starting today, when the Duke of Sussex arrives in Britain, and Saturday, when his final public appearances conclude.
Most of the engagements have been long planned and will see almost all of the senior working royals out on public duty.
In addition, the King will undertake several private audiences and meetings which are not highlighted in the diary in advance.
There has been concern in royal circles of late that the constant ‘psychodrama’ surrounding the Sussexes’ ‘will they, won’t they’ family trip – the first time they would have all come together to Harry’s country of birth for four years – would overshadow the valuable work being undertaken by senior royals.
King Charles during his first visit to the RTR since becoming Colonel-in-Chief
His Majesty was driven twice around a dirt track in a Challenger 2
The King arrived at the museum in Dorset on the back of a 1920 Pattern Rolls-Royce Armoured Car
King Charles III attended the Royal Tank Regiment’s Families’ Day at the Tank Museum
King Charles was all smiles as he met former RTR and museum stuff in the exhibition hall at the Tank Museum
There have been accounts of Harry being ‘close to tears’ after apparently finding out ‘at the 11th hour’ that the Home Office’s Royal and VIP Executive Committee, which decides on police protection, has kicked his request to have his security reviewed into the long grass.
This prompted surprise among those in the know here, who point out that the prince’s situation hasn’t changed since he lost his court battle to have his taxpayer–funded police protection re–instated.
They have questioned why he would organise a high–profile, and presumably costly, trip to the UK for his family knowing there was no guarantee this would change.
At the weekend a spokesman for Harry finally announced, after days of flip–flopping, that he would no longer bring his wife, Meghan, and children, Archie and Lilibet with him to London today, as he felt the provisions being offered to him were not enough to secure their safety.
The prince will undertake several days of engagements in the capital solo while the California–based family are on holiday at an undisclosed location in mainland Europe.
However he has not ruled out them coming over later to join him outside London.
The prince has engagements in the Midlands on Friday and Saturday, and plans to stay on to visit family and friends, including a trip to his late mother’s family estate of Althorp in Northamptonshire to visit her grave.
It is still not known whether Harry will accept the King’s invitation to stay at a royal residence this week or next.
And there is still no indication of whether the couple’s children will get to meet their paternal grandfather, whom they have not seen since 2022, when they were aged just three and one.
Buckingham Palace has declined to comment, believing that despite, once again, much perceived provocation by the Sussexes ‘discretion remains the better part of valour’.
There has, however, been intense frustration that what should have been a drama–free trip, allowing the King to reconnect with his son and grandchildren, has been turned into another soap opera of Harry and Meghan’s own making.
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