PM attends Sovereign's Parade to mark end of training for officer cadets

Video report by ITV News Meridian's Heather Edwards

The Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in Camberley this morning (6 August) to attend the Sovereign's Parade.

It is the first time in two years, due to the pandemic, that family and friends have been allowed to attend the ceremony too.

It marks the end of 44 weeks of training for 243 Officer Cadets.

Following a ceremony, the cadets have now been commissioned as Army Officers, including 42 international cadets from 22 countries including: Ukraine, Sierra Leone and the United States of America.

The PM attended to represent Her Majesty The Queen, inspecting the front rank of the parade, making a congratulatory speech and presenting the prize winners' awards including the coveted Sword of Honour to the Officer Cadet who in the opinion of the Commandant and staff is the 'best of their intake'.

As he inspected the newest Officer Cadets, the band played a range of well-known tunes, including The Imperial March from Star Wars.

The Prime Minister mentioned the army's role in establishing vaccine centres during the pandemic when praising the training provided at Sandhurst.

Boris Johnson said: "To those of you who will help to lead the British army, thank you for what you are going to do to uphold the values of this country: freedom, democracy, human rights, the rule of law, bravery.

"Persevering in some of the most difficult and dangerous places in the world, and in this country too when there are flood defences to be dug, when there are hospitals to be built and patients to be airlifted from remote Hebridean islands.

"When there are vaccine centres to be constructed with lightning speed, and thousands upon thousands of lives to be saved here in the UK, we know that we can rely on the men and women of the British army and the leadership that has been acquired here at Sandhurst."