A soldier from the Coldstream Guards has become the first Sikh to wear a turban during Trooping the Colour parade on Saturday 9th June, that marks Queen's official birthday.
22 year old Guardsman Charanpreet Singh Lall from Leicester said, he hoped this was looked at as a welcoming 'change in history'. About 1,000 soldiers took part in the ceremony, with their traditional uniform, but Singh's turban remained visible among those, making the community proud.
Singh said that he expected it would encourage those from different religions and backgrounds to join the Army. As at October 2017, according to the Ministry of Defence, people from ethnic minorities made up 2.4% of officers in the UK regular armed forces. For ranks below officer, 8.6% of all armed forces personnel were from ethnic minorities, though the Army had the highest percentage of people from ethnic minorities working both as officers and in other ranks, compared to other armed forces.
Singh told the BBC, "I'm quite proud and I know that a lot of other people are proud of me as well.
"For myself, being the first turban-wearing Sikh to troop the colour and to be part of the escort it is a really high honour for myself, and hopefully for everyone else as well.
"My mum was crying on the day I passed out so I wonder what is going to happen to her when she sees me in this."
Trooping the Colour has commemorated the birthday of the Sovereign for more than 250 years and also functions as a display of army drills, music and horsemanship performed by British and Commonwealth Armies at Horse Guards Parade in St James's Park.
