The Royal Anglian Regiment

CONFERMENT OF
THE FREEDOM OF ENTRY
TO THE CITY OF LEICESTER

UPON

The Royal Anglian Regiment

by

The Right Worshipful
The Lord Mayor of Leicester
Councillor Culdipp Batty

15th June 1996


On 27th June 1944, the City Council conferred upon the Leicestershire Regiment - which became the Royal Leicestershire Regiment in 1946 - the Freedom of Entry to the City of Leicester.

This honour - which recognised the very long and close association existing between the City and the Regiment - allowed the Regiment to march through the streets of the City with bayonets fixed, colours flying and band playing on all ceremonial occasions.

As a result of re-organisation within the Army, and the formation of the Royal Anglian Regiment, the honour, was devolved in June 1966 to the then 4th (Leicestershire) Battalion of the Royal Anglian Regiment and the 4/5th Battalion of the Royal Leicestershire Regiment (T.A.).

A Freedom March by Tiger Company (4th Battalion) took place to mark the honour on 25th July 1974. Further restructuring of the Royal Anglian Regiment has taken place since that time. Of particular note is the 25th anniversary this year (1996) of the formation of the 7th Battalion, with which the City has a particularly close working relationship. That anniversary makes 1996 a perticularly appropriate time to renew and reaffirm relationships with the Regiment as a whole.

The City Council agreed in January 1996 to confer the Freedom of Entry to the City of Leicester on the Royal Anglian Regiment to acknowledge the outstanding achievements and distinguished service of the Regiment and to reaffirm the special relationship that exists between the City and the Regiment.