King Charles III gives Yorkshire Regiment new Royal name to honour service

The announcement was made after Charles spent Wednesday and Thursday on a series of engagements in North Yorkshire, including his first Royal Maundy Service in York.

Colonel of The Regiment, Major General Zac Stenning OBE, said: “Today is an historic day. The Royal Yorkshire Regiment is deeply humbled by His Majesty’s bestowal of a ‘Royal’ title, especially so close to the Coronation.

“We are acutely aware that the award of this title is a singular honour.

"It will cement our soldiers’ pride and identity in belonging to a unique, county-named Infantry regiment, committed to service and duty to our nation.

“Operational challenges we face in the future, will be embraced by our soldiers and officers with the same level of professionalism, commitment and determination but with enhanced pride in belonging to The Royal Yorkshire Regiment.”

The Yorkshire Regiment was formed in 2006 by the merger of The Prince of Wales’s Own Regiment of Yorkshire, The Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales’s Own Yorkshire Regiment) and The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment (West Riding) and can trace its history back 338 years to 1685.

Dan Jarvis MP, who served in the military, congratulated the Regiment. He said: “It’s a fitting tribute to the outstanding service and character of our county regiment and a proud moment for all those who serve, and have served in the Regiment and their families"

Since 2006 The Yorkshire Regiment has been deployed on 20 operations overseas including three tours in Iraq and 12 tours in Afghanistan including, most recently, Operation Pitting (the evacuation of Afghan nationals from Kabul) in August 2021.

Eighteen soldiers have been killed and more than 70 members of the Regiment have been wounded in action since formation. A similar number have received operational gallantry awards.The Royal Yorkshire Regiment is the only county-named regiment in the British Army. Its home is the county of Yorkshire, including the area up to the historic boundary of the River Tees.

York Minster was adopted as the Regimental chapel on formation