In guarding the Queen of England, Surrey’s Matthew Kvist is following in his grandfather’s footsteps.
This week, Private Kvist is performing public duties at famed Windsor Castle, in the county of Berkshire.
“It is a great honour for Pte. Kvist, from 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment, to represent Canada on this special occasion,” said a release from the Department of National Defence on Friday.
Kvist, who lives in the Fraser Heights area, travelled to the United Kingdom for the first time this week – but it’s not the first time his family has acted as The Queen’s guard, according to the release.
“His grandfather (Bob Mullock) was on the security detail of Her Majesty The Queen with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1959, when she was visiting Canada,” the release notes. “The prestigious opportunity to guard Her Majesty is certainly a great memory that the family will keep for years to come. You might recognize this Pte. Kvist from the years that he played for the Cloverdale minor hockey association.”
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From Oct. 21 to Nov. 12, the Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR) and The Royal Canadian Artillery (RCA) Band Public Duties 2018 contingent “are contributing to The Queen’s Guard comprising units charged with guarding the Sovereign and the official residences within the London District,” including Buckingham Palace, St. James Palace, Windsor Castle and Tower of London.
“The RCR and The RCA Band are pleased to be continuing the tradition of Commonwealth soldiers working closely with United Kingdom partners and demonstrating the professional capabilities of the Canadian Armed Forces in a prestigious international setting,” the release notes. “The contingent consists of more than 120 members from units based in the provinces of Ontario, New Brunswick and Alberta.”
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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