UK: Sikh soldier first to wear turban during annual parade
22-year-old Guardsman Charanpreet Singh Lall became the first to wear a turban instead of a bearskin hat during an annual parade that celebrates the British monarch. Lall marched among 1,000 soldiers taking part in Trooping the Color ceremony which also marks the Queen's official birthday. His turban was black to match his comrades' headgear and featured the Coldstream Guards' ceremonial cap star. Here's more.
Highly honored, says Lall
Lall, from Leicester, who came to the UK from India as a boy, said: "Being the first turban-wearing Sikh to troop the color and be part of the escort is a high honor."
Lall hopes people will look on this as historical change
Lall's proud parents and sister were among the crowds lining Horse Guards Parade for the ceremony. "I hope people will look on this as a change in history," Lall, who joined the Army in 2016, said. Lall hopes that more people like him, not just Sikhs, but people from other religions and backgrounds, will be encouraged to join the Army.
The Queen has two different birthdays
While Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her actual birthday on April 21, the Trooping of the Color ceremony, every year, takes place on any Saturday in the month of June. This year, the ceremony took place today.
