On the 25th October 2016 an Investiture was held Buckingham Palace in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen.
This investiture included the award of ‘The Most Excellent order of The British Empire” to three members of the Brigade of Gurkhas family.
- Lieutenant Colonel Garry Blewitt, (The Royal Welsh) – Lieutenant Colonel Garry Blewitt served for over three years as Field Director of the Gurkha Welfare Scheme, overseeing not only the most ambitious programme in the Gurkha Welfare Trust’s fifty year history but also coordinating their immediate response to the tragic earthquakes of 2015. He has now retired from the Army.
- Major Yambahadur Rana, MVO RGR – An iconic figure in the Brigade, recently retired after a long and distinguished career including his final tour as OC Gurkha Company(Sittang). Throughout his career in the Army he has given up huge amounts of his own time; supporting the Gurkha Museum, raising thousands of pounds for the Gurkha Welfare Trust and acting as an ambassador and mentor for the resident UK Gurkha community. He now works for the GWS in Nepal.
- Major Devendra Ale, MVO QOGLR – A truly inspirational officer within the Brigade who has been instrumental in the development of an innovative community engagement strategy, led on Regimental commitments to mark 200 years of Gurkha Service to the Crown and given a lifetime of service to the Brigade and QOGLR.
Twenty-five Investitures are held each year with up to 120 recipients attending each Investiture.
The Queen enters the Ballroom attended by two Gurkha Orderly Officers – a tradition began in 1876 by Queen Victoria. On duty on the dais are five members of The Queen’s Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard, which was created in 1485 by King Henry VII after his victory at the Battle of Bosworth Field. Four Gentlemen Ushers to the Queen are on duty to help look after the recipients and their guests.
Music is provided by the Countess of Wessex’s String Orchestra from the Corps of Army Music.
The Queen is escorted by either the Lord Chamberlain, the Lord Steward or a Lord in Waiting, who after the National Anthem, stands to Her Majesty’s right and announces the name of each recipient and the achievement for which he or she is being decorated. the Queen then invests all recipients with the Insignia of their Award. The Insignia which they receive reflects the Class to which they are appointed.
