'Thank you': Delighted Duchess of Gloucester honours Royal Military Police during centenary visit - pictures

A beaming Duchess of Gloucester thanked military police personnel for allowing her to visit them during their centenary.

Her Royal Highness was invited to Southwick Park yesterday morning (June 11) to mark a historic occasion for the Royal Military Police (RMP). Personnel conducted a parade and then gave the Duchess a tour of the facilities and the RMP’s Regimental Headquarters, reaffirming her knowledge of the history of the Corps of Military Police.

June 11 was the centenary of the formation of the Corps of Military Police, while also being the 80th anniversary of the force being assigned the Royal Prefix. Her Royal Highness arrived and walked through the historic time tunnel - speaking to service personnel and veterans.

She then proceeded to Southwick House, where the preparations were made ahead of the Normandy Landings in 1944. After a short address to the personnel, she unveiled a portrait of her likeness commissioned to honour the occasion.

The Duchess of Gloucester said: “Thank you all for welcoming me here and kindly asking me to play my small part in the celebrations. I hope you and your families have a very enjoyable day. I much enjoyed looking around the exhibits and seeing quite a lot of the history behind these 100 years.”

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Ahead of the royal visit, a parade with military music was organised for distinguished guests, personnel, and veterans. Soldiers lined up in front of Southwick House. Ceremonial coins were handed Lance Corporal Trigo, the most junior of the RMP, and Pete Vorburg of the Royal Military Police Association (RMPA).

The RMP are tasked with policing the Army wherever its deployed, in the UK or across the globe. Speaking to the crowd, Lieutenant General Matthew Jones OBE said King George VI granted the Royal Prefix in 1946, which was earned through “professionalism, courage, discipline, and service under the most demanding circumstances imaginable”.

He added: “Anniversaries are not about dates, they’re about the people who give those dates meaning. We honour those who deploy quietly, professionally, and often without recognition, whose contribution is essential to operational success. It’s our responsibility to uphold standards, act with integrity, maintain trust, and ensure that professionalism continues to define us today.

“The Royal Military Police are often at their best when nobody notices. When a convoy arrives safely, when a difficult investigation is conducted professionally, when a commander has confidence in the information before them, when standards are maintained, and when trust is preserved. These moments rarely attract attention, but they matter enormously. They’re one of the reasons why the Army is stronger.”

Here are a selection of pictures from the Royal visit and centenary.