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The Prince of Wales presents campaign medals to the Mercian Regiment for service in Afghanistan
30th November 2011
The Prince of Wales has presented campaign medals to soldiers who have returned from the front line in Afghanistan.
Friends and family looked on as 84 soldiers from 3rd Battalion the Mercian Regiment received their medals at Sandringham House, Norfolk, today from The Prince, who is Colonel-in-Chief of the regiment.
This is the third year in a row that The Prince has presented medals to a battalion of the Mercian Regiment - known as the Staffords - at Sandringham House.
Watch the video below:
Warrant Officer Class One David Triandafilou, regimental sergeant major, was accompanied by his wife Heather and son Ben, and met The Duchess of Cornwall during the reception.
He said "It was lovely to meet The Duchess. She is very down to earth and relaxed. We are all so happy to be here today, it is a proud day for us all."
The soldiers chatted with The Prince, who has been the Mercian Regiment's Colonel- in-Chief since 2007, while he presented them with their medals on the forecourt of Sandringham House on a bright winter day.
A 27-piece band from The Queen's Division led the soldiers, who represented a cross section of the battalion, as they marched down the main drive to Sandringham House.
They were joined on parade by the regiment's mascot, a ram called Lance Corporal Derby.
Gunner Private Lee Stephens, 31, also met The Duchess.
In April Pte Stephens leapt unarmed from a moving vehicle to tackle a suspect he thought was a suicide bomber, but who actually turned out to be one of the highest ranking bomb-making experts in the Taliban.
Pte Stephens said: "The Prince said that he'd read about what I'd done and that he really appreciated blokes like me and the job we do."
Lieutenant Colonel Giles Woodhouse, Commanding Officer, said: "It is probably one of the proudest moments in my life - to have brought the battalion back from such a successful tour is such an honour.
"This is a day we will all remember when we are grandparents, telling our grandchildren the story of the day we received our medals from the future King of England."