The most prestigious Passing Out Parade is the Lord High Admiral’s Pa- rade which takes place every April. The Queen, as monarch, is the Lord High Admiral (although she bestowed the title to Prince Philip last year to mark his 90th birthday) and Bucking- ham Palace designates a representa- tive of the Lord High Admiral to attend the ceremony each year. The college is not officially told who will be taking the Lord High Admiral’s Parade until three or four months before the event. The Queen last took the Lord High Admiral’s Parade in 2008. The salute at the spring parades have also been taken by various members of her family including Prince Philip in 2009, Prince Charles, Prince An- drew, Prince Edward, Prince Michael of Kent and Princess Diana. WO1 Honeychurch hopes the newly married royal couple, Prince William and Kate Middleton, will one day take the salute at the Lord High Admiral’s Parade.
‘I think they will do it,’ he said. ‘Obviously, Prince William is second in line to the throne. He trained here briefly and one would like to think that at some point he and/or his wife will come down and take a parade.’ The parading cadets mark their suc- cessful passing out by slow marching off the parade ground, up the steps past The Bridge and into the college itself. It is at that point they are no longer referred to as officer cadets but as young officers and are ad- dressed by their rank. The college’s new commander, Jason Phillips OBE, remembers his own passing out parade at BRNC in 1990 and is looking forward to playing a key role in the college’s next passing out ceremony later this month.
One of Commander Phillips’ roles will be to present the parade for inspection. He said: ‘It’s a fantastic day. The cadets get quite nervous because they are doing it in front of their families and they don’t want to let themselves down. ‘Once they have passed out they are allowed to go through the college’s main doors for the
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first time. It’s a big moment and once they are through and the doors are slammed, you hear this fantastic roar inside. It’s an awesome moment.’ The passing out parades are also proud events for WO1 Honeychurch, who said: ‘To compare the original shabby, scruffy group you started off with to the cadets going out onto the parade ground to pass out at the end of their training is a proud moment. And it must be fantastic for them to see their families dotted all around the parade ground.’
Passing out parades also provide the chance to present prizes to top students, the most coveted of which is surely the Queen’s Sword. A college sword is presented to the top overall cadet at each parade, but the gold plated, engraved Queen’s Sword is reserved for the Lord High Admiral’s Parade.
Once the ceremony is over, the young officers enjoy a reception inside the hallowed college with their parents and whichever VIP took the salute. The reception also gives parents the chance to chat with staff who trained their offspring. Everyone is then treated to a hot buffet. Passing out parades are held on
Thursdays. The college lays on a ball for the new officers the following night, before they leave the col- lege for their first deployment on the Saturday.• Interviews by Ginny Ware
The slow march up the steps and into the college during the passing out parade at BRNC.
Above: Commander Jason Philiips, will play a key role in the college’s passing out parades.
Top left page:Officer cadets practise ceremonial naval sword work ahead of the passing out parade.
Below:The Queen inspects the officer cadets at BRNC at the Lord High Admiral’s Parade in 2008.
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