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22 July 2013, 09:11 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50
160 soldiers are marching through Winchester, exercising their Freedom of the City.
The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment – known as ‘The Tigers’ - will conduct the ‘freedom parade’ through Winchester on Monday 22 July.
The parade takes place under the right of Freedom of Entry, an ancient privilege that allows certain regiments to parade through the city with ‘bayonets fixed, drums beating and colours flying’.
The event has been arranged jointly by Winchester City Council and the Regiment in celebration of their Freedom prerogative, following their return from active duty in Afghanistan.
The parade starts from the Peninsula Barracks at 12pm and marches through the main pedestrian precinct to the Broadway. In front of the Guildhall the parade will halt and form up for inspection and speeches at 12.10pm. There will be around 160 in the parade including troops and the Band of the Corps of Royal Engineers.
After the presentation the parade will march around the King Alfred statue and back along the lower High Street before a reception at the Guildhall.
The presentation and reception will involve the Mayor of Winchester, the Right Worshipful, Cllr Ernest Jeffs, the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire and High Steward of Winchester, Dame Mary Fagan DCVO JP, together with other civic and military VIPs, councillors, soldiers, families of the Regiment and invited guests.
The Broadway will be closed to traffic until 3pm and roads joining the High Street area will be closed for a short time during the parade.