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Ocean's colour scene: Queen's Colour |
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ceremony took place on board HMS Ocean anchored in Plymouth
Sound |
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Plymouth
Hoe provided a spectacular backdrop when Her Majesty The Queen presented
a new Colour to the Royal Navy at a Fleet Assembly.
While in Plymouth The Queen also named the city's new
lifeboat. |
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Her Majesty
the Queen presented the Royal Navy with a new Colour during a ceremony
on board HMS Ocean in Plymouth Sound.
Thousands of people packed Plymouth Hoe to watch the proceedings from
two giant screens.
The Queen - with the Duke of Edinburgh at her side - presented a brand
new Colour to the Royal Navy Fleet for only the third time in its
history.
The Colour presentation ceremony
took place on the flight deck of HMS Ocean anchored in Plymouth Sound.
The 21,000-tonne Devonport-based helicopter carrier has only recently
returned to her home port after playing a crucial role in the Iraq
war.
Following
the ceremony there was a sail past by Royal Navy frigates and destroyers
and a fly past featuring a variety of historic and modern military
aircraft.
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| Thousands
gathered on Plymouth Hoe to catch a glimpse of The Queen |
In total,
around 20 ships and submarines of the Royal Navy, Royal Fleet Auxiliary
and commercial ships, took part in the spectacle.
It was the biggest ceremonial gathering of Navy ships in Plymouth
Sound since June 1905 when 35 warships gathered to commemorate the
official birthday of King Edward VII.
Members
of the public enjoyed the whole event in close-up via two giant big
screens which were erected on The Hoe.
Over the centuries, Colours
have become the symbol of the spirit of a service, corps or regiment.
There have only been two previous Fleet Colour presentations. The
first, was presented by King George V in 1926 and the second, by Queen
Elizabeth in 1969.
Colours are only presented when the previous flag is old and worn
or when the monarch changes.
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| The
Queen dedicating the Royal Navy's new Colour |
This year’s
event was planned on behalf of the Commander-in-Chief Fleet by Flag
Officer Sea Training at Devonport.
The
last time a Colour presentation was held in Plymouth was in 2001 when
Prince Philip officiated at a ceremony for the Royal Marines.
The celebrations attracted thousands of people and numbers are expected
to be high for this year's event.
The old Queen's Colour will be laid up in a ceremony to be held the
next day, on Thursday July 24. The ceremony will take place at St
Nicholas's Church in Devonport Naval Base.
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Broadcasting House
Seymour Road
Plymouth
PL3 5BD
(+44) 01752 229201
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