Serving and former soldiers of the Royal Bermuda Regiment who went above and beyond were presented with operational service medals by Birgitte, the Duchess of Gloucester during a visit to Warwick Camp over the weekend.

Soldiers and officers were photographed with the Duchess, the RBR’s Colonel-in-Chief, before the medals were presented.

A number of eligible soldiers also received the medals at the Trooping of the Colours parade on Saturday.

Lieutenant-Colonel Duncan Simons, the RBR Commanding Officer, said it was a “privilege” and an “honour” to host the Duchess at Warwick Camp on Sunday.

He said: “I particularly appreciated the time Her Royal Highness took to speak with the soldiers who received medals as well as their families.

“Our soldiers' primary motivations for service are not acknowledgement or reward, but rather their sense of duty and pride in supporting our community.

“However, I know the medal recipients were extremely pleased to be recognised for their efforts, particularly as embodiments mean they are required to leave loved ones, often during challenging times.

“The visit of Her Royal Highness was not only a pleasure but also a testament to the hard work of our members.”

Corporal Chanara Smith-Rookes, 26, a soldier of almost nine years, was among recipients.

She recalled being involved in operations during the Covid-19 pandemic.

She said: “I was embodied during Covid, when I worked on checkpoints and was stationed in St George’s. It’s an honour to be recognised for the service and work that we put in.

“It was a challenging time as the world was different, there were constantly evolving policies, our personal lives were affected.

“To be recognised for our contribution just shows that people really took notice.”

Private Asiyah James, 30, a receptionist from Devonshire, was part of the team who served more than 300 members of the Regiment daily throughout the pandemic embodiment.

“I was in the cooks’ section during Covid,” she recalled and she added: “It was nice to be part of it but it was chaotic.

“It was rewarding to see how everyone came together and got things done to help the island.

“It feels good now to be recognised and appreciated. It was a really nice day.”

It was announced last year that King Charles III had approved the award of the first operational service medal in Bermuda and that anyone who served from September 15, 1965 and met qualifying criteria would be eligible.

Recognised operations generally required mobilisation of the RBR through an official embodiment order and were endorsed by the Governor and Commander-in-Chief.

A release from Warwick Camp said: “Serving or former RBR soldiers and officers became eligible if they had, on embodiment orders from the Governor, completed 30 days accumulative operational service for disaster relief, humanitarian assistance, security or other emergency operations that required risk or rigour.”

The operations may have been carried out in Bermuda or overseas.

The medals were presented first to serving soldiers and were later made available to former members of the Regiment who secured sufficient service.

At Warwick Camp, the Duchess also assisted in the burial of a time capsule in celebration of the battalion’s 60th anniversary.

At the spot, she unveiled a plaque that reads: “Buried here on 19 October, 2025, by HRH The Duchess of Gloucester to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Royal Bermuda Regiment.

“Within rest memorabilia and messages placed by past and present members and friends of the Regiment. To be opened on the 75th anniversary.”