(AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Paul Daly)Several hundred people gathered to see Princess Anne present the new Battle Honours or Colours that are replaced about every 25 years due to wear and tear. The Princess Royal is colonel-in-chief of the regiment - the only unit from North America to fight at Gallipoli starting in 1915.
It traces its history back to 1795 and is marking its 215th anniversary this year. King George V added the extraordinary prefix Royal to the regiment's title in 1917, in part for its valour at Ypres and Cambrai.
The pageantry and parade Saturday were part of Anne's two-day trip to the province with a special focus on those who served in the Great War. She made special reference to the carnage of Beaumont Hamel on July 1, 1916 when much of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment was killed or wounded.
Families across the province are still profoundly marked by the staggering losses of that day. "The 801 men who went over the top that morning earned the glorious title of 'Better than the Best'," Princess Anne said. "Only 68 of them were able to answer the roll call the next morning. We all live in hope that that sacrifice will never happen again."
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