Huge turnout in Sunderland as veterans swear allegiance to King Charles III in public ceremony

The city centre saw an impressive turnout as forces veterans swore a public oath of allegiance to the new King and paid their respects to the late Queen.
By Mark Payne
Published 18th Sep 2022, 15:45 BST
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Veterans of all ages gathered at Sunderland War Memorial on Sunday, September 18 for the ceremony which also included a wreath laying, bugler and piper playing.

Organisers were delighted and surprised at the huge turnout which attracted a lot more people than expected.

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It was organised by Veterans In Crisis Sunderland and Alex Bonallie of The Gunners Club with the support of veterans themselves.

City veterans swearing their allegiance to King Charles III at the Cenotaph, Burdon Road, Sunderland.City veterans swearing their allegiance to King Charles III at the Cenotaph, Burdon Road, Sunderland.
City veterans swearing their allegiance to King Charles III at the Cenotaph, Burdon Road, Sunderland.

Although it is not compulsory to swear an allegiance to a new monarch, many veterans were proud to do so, and paraded with their regiment standards.

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Ger Fowler, CEO of Veterans In Crisis Sunderland, said: “We wanted to show our allegiance to the new King but also mourn the Queen.

"Not everyone could get to London and the funeral events, and people wanted to get together and show their loyalty to the realm.

Sunderland Mayor Councillor Alison Smith, centre, supported the event at the Cenotaph on Burdon Road.Sunderland Mayor Councillor Alison Smith, centre, supported the event at the Cenotaph on Burdon Road.
Sunderland Mayor Councillor Alison Smith, centre, supported the event at the Cenotaph on Burdon Road.
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"An officer read the oath out and all the veterans repeated it with their name.”

In the oath, service personnel and veterans swear to be faithful and bear true allegiance to his Majesty King Charles III, his heirs and successors.

They promise to faithfully defend the King, his heirs and successors against all enemies, and to observe and obey all orders of the monarch, his heirs and successors and generals and officers.

The ages of the veterans swearing the oath ranged from their twenties up to their nineties.

There was a great turnout for the event at the Cenotaph in Sunderland.There was a great turnout for the event at the Cenotaph in Sunderland.
There was a great turnout for the event at the Cenotaph in Sunderland.
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Ger added of the turnout: “Much more than we expected attended. It was a real surprise as we had only advertised through social media but a lot of people heard about it and came from far and wide.”

The Mayor of Sunderland Councillor Alison Smith supported the event and placed a wreath at the war memorial on Burdon Road.

Poppy tributes were also laid on behalf of the veterans of Sunderland and the North East Branch of the Royal Green Jackets.

Veterans in Crisis Sunderland are a non-profit organisation that helps local veterans and their families with a range of issues from housing, mental health, drug and alcohol misuse and social activities.

To learn more visit www.veteransincrisis.co.uk or follow them on social media.

Related topics:Charles IIISunderlandQueenVeterans