.Charles and Camilla tour Indian Military Academy The royal couple toured the training centre and met future officers, before watching an exhibition of horsemanship which certainly put a smile on Camilla’s face.The 66-year- old marvelled at the display of precision riding which was reminiscent of a bygone age. Racing across a field at a gallop, riders used lances, swords and bayonets to spear targets on the ground, the show was put on by by trainee officers – known as gentlemen cadets – who are training at the prestigious Academy in Dehradun. Founded in 1932, the Indian Military Academy is the equivalent of the UK’s Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, with around 1,700 cadets being trained at any one time at the base, set in acres of manicured grounds. The duchess was particularly impressed with Anant Rajpurohid, 21, who showed off his ridingskills in an activity called tent pegging. He used a lance to spear a foam target, then dropped it to grab a sword stuck in the ground which he used to stab another peg before picking up a bayonet to hit a final target. At the end of the display Camilla, who was wearing a pretty cream and blue dress, asked him: “How long did it take you to learn that? You’re a natural.” But while Camilla toured the academy’s equestrian centre, watching displays of jumping, polo and carriages, her husband watched a close quarter battle range demonstration, viewed some of the latest equipment and watched other military exercises. The couple’s nine day tour is their third official visit to India together, which began yesterday with a visit to the Parmarth Niketan Temple. Later today Charles is set to visit the Forest Research Institute which was established in 1906 and whose history is virtually synonymous with the evolution and development of scientificforestry, not only in India, but over the entire Indian sub-continent. Camilla will also carry out a solo engagement, visiting Doon School a prestigious institution for boys. Towards the end of the day the heir to the throne will tour the Navdanya Bija Vidyapeeth farm where he will view a medicinal garden and later meet students, teachers and other over a cup of tea
Posted on: Thu, 07 Nov 2013 14:43:30 +0000
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