Princess Anne offers praise as Canada's oldest military regiment marks anniversary
CTV
Canada's oldest continually serving cavalry regiment heard words of praise from a royal visitor today as part of festivities marking the southern New Brunswick unit's 175th anniversary.
A visiting member of the Royal Family heaped praise on Canada's oldest continually serving cavalry regiment on Saturday, saying its storied military accomplishments date back to before it formally had a country to call its own.
Princess Anne said the 8th Canadian Hussars, often referred to as the Princess Louise's, had amassed an impressive history of service during its 175-year history.
Her remarks, made in her capacity as the regiment's colonel-in-chief, came in Moncton, N.B., amid a series of weekend festivities intended to mark a milestone anniversary for the southern New Brunswick unit.
"The regiment and its soldiers have provided continuous service to the province of New Brunswick and Canada for the last 175 years," she said in a morning speech. "And by anybody's standards, that's no mean achievement."
The princess -- who donned the Hussars's red and blue colours and delivered her remarks outside Moncton's City Hall -- noted the regiment's origins predate Canada's Confederation.
She said its historical roots date back to the American Revolution, during which soldiers earned a "reputation for military excellence."
Many troops later relocated to New Brunswick, and Anne said the modern regiment's official formation in 1848 was spurred in part by a desire to establish protection from its neighbour to the southwest.
