Six members of the Cayman Islands Regiment are set to represent the island at the coronation procession for King Charles III this Saturday, and the excitement is growing for the reservists as the hours wind down towards to the historic event.
“Being one of the first Caymanians to ever participate in an event like this is a proud moment for me and I’m sure the other guys echo the same feeling,” Lieutenant Tyler Lawson told the Cayman Compass Wednesday night in a Zoom interview from the UK.
He said though they have been subjected to days of intense training sessions, most of which have run into the early morning hours, it has been an “eye-opener” for the team members, who are staying at the Brunswick Camp at the Army Training Centre Pirbright, in Surrey.
The Cayman team is part of the Overseas Territories and Commonwealth countries contingent that will be part of the procession accompanying the newly crowned King Charles III and Queen Camilla, who will be travelling in the ornate Gold State Coach, from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace.
The procession includes all services of the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom, alongside The Sovereign’s Bodyguard and Royal Watermen.
Governor Jane Owen, who left Cayman on Wednesday, 3 April, for the UK to attend to coronation together with Premier Wayne Panton, said it was very important to the Governor’s Office to be able to secure Cayman’s participation in the procession, alongside the other overseas territories.
“The British government has been working very hard to make sure we have good representation,” she said, adding that it is “really symbolic” to have members of the British military and all aspects of the British family together.
“It symbolises the closeness and the importance of this relationship, which I think is quite unique,” she added.
Hard work will be worth it
Lawson said since the regimental team’s arrival on 25 April, it has been “full on” with rehearsals starting straightaway on the drill square with members of the Army School of Ceremonial.
He said the team, which includes Regimental Sergeant Major Marc Jefferies, Lance Corporal Jerad Ebanks, Lance Corporal Brian Barnes, Lance Corporal Tiffany Ebanks and Trooper Jermaine Lue, went through various drill movements they had not encountered before.
Lawson said though he was “pretty tired”, he and the team were absolutely thrilled to be taking part in such a momentous event.
“It’s a big day for us, for the regiment especially, and for me, just to be part of an event like this… it means a lot,” Lawson added.
Jefferies, who was a member of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards for 22 years before joining the Cayman Islands Regiment last year, said it was a special moment for the island to have representation at the event.
He added it will be a personal privilege to see King Charles crowned, as he had led his battalion and would regularly attend the St. David’s Day ceremony to present medals to members.
“He’s been a massive part of my military career over the last 22 years, and now I get the chance to represent Cayman on his coronation becoming the King,” he said, adding it’s a proud moment as a Welsh man to see the former Prince of Wales become monarch.
Jefferies, through his connections with the Welsh Guards, also managed to arrange some last-minute tailoring alterations for the ceremonial uniforms of the Cayman Regiment team.
The Welsh Guards also made up a lot of the first two short-term training teams which helped train Cayman troops that formed the regiment back in August 2020 and February 2021.
Lawson encouraged young Caymanians to consider a career with the regiment.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for young Caymanians to join and learn new skills and get opportunities like this to go away and participate in events like this, and meet other people from the Overseas Territories and the Commonwealth,” he said.
Lawson said it is a “huge commitment,” but it pays dividends in the end.
Related Videos
