Trooping the Colors Had No Black Faces, Upsetting Charles
When they trooped the colors for Queen Elizabeth’s official birthday Saturday, there were few if any black faces to be seen among the 2,000 parading guardsmen--and it apparently has upset Prince Charles.
News reports today said the heir to the English throne had expressed “serious concern” about discrimination against blacks in the Brigade of Guards and the Household Cavalry, the monarch’s military escorts.
The alleged “whites-only” policy has been one of Charles’ pet complaints for several years.
“There is about as much chance of a black or brown face featuring among the . . . soldiers on parade as a guardsman who is only 5 feet tall,” the weekly Observer newspaper said.
Buckingham Palace declined comment on reports of the prince’s anger over the issue.
“This is entirely a matter for the army,” a palace spokesman said.
The army, through a spokesman, said the service is “color blind.”
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