Allegiance United Kingdom Type Line Infantry | Branch British Army Size Four battalions | |
 | ||
Active 9 September 1992 – present Role 1st Battalion — Armoured Infantry
2nd Battalion — Light Infantry
3rd Battalion — Army Reserve
4th Battalion — Army Reserve | ||
The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (or PWRR, also known as 'the Tigers') is the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division, and second only in line infantry order of precedence to the Royal Regiment of Scotland.
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History
The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment was formed on 9 September 1992 by the amalgamation of the Queen's Regiment and the Royal Hampshire Regiment and holds the earliest battle honour in the British Army (Tangier 1662–80). Through its ancestry via the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) (2nd Regiment of Foot), the PWRR is the most senior English line infantry regiment. The current regiment was named in honour of Diana, Princess of Wales.
The regiment was formed to act as the county regiment for the following areas:
Upon its creation, the Princess of Wales and the Queen of Denmark were Allied Colonels-in-Chief of the PWRR. When the Princess divorced the Prince of Wales, she resigned as Colonel-in-chief and the Queen of Denmark has remained its Colonel-in-Chief since.
The 1st Battalion served a seven-month tour of Iraq in 2004 with a second tour following in 2006, and finally a tour in 2009 where the battalion was split between Afghanistan and Iraq (last combat operation in Iraq). Many of the operations carried out by the battalion during the first tour were named after stations on the London Underground. Elements of 1 PWRR helped train the Iraqi National Army and oversaw the withdrawal of UK Forces from Basra. 1st Battalion was deployed to Afghanistan again in August 2011 to form the nucleus of the Police Mentoring Advisory Group (PMAG) with individual companies detached to other Battlegroups around Helmand province. The 1st Battalion under Army 2020 will move from Paderborn, Germany to be stationed at Bulford Camp.
The regiment's 2nd Battalion were based in Shackleton Barracks, Northern Ireland, the last resident battalion deployed in this role under Operation Banner. After two years at Alexandria Barracks in Dhekelia in Cyprus, they moved to Woolwich Garrison, London, to take up a public duties role in August 2010, a role they performed for three years. 2nd Battalion deployed to Cyprus again in 2014. It remains one of the infantry units rotating between the UK and British Forces Cyprus.
Structure
The regimental headquarters (RHQ) is at the Tower of London, whilst the regiment itself comprises three battalions:
Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment Museum
The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment Museum is located in Dover Castle, Dover, Kent. Exhibits trace the regiment's history, and include displays of photographs, paintings, weapons, badges, medals, uniforms and regimental regalia.
Victoria Cross and other decorations
A total of thirty-seven medals and awards were awarded to the regiment's 1st Battalion for their service during operations in Iraq in 2004, including a Victoria Cross, two Distinguished Service Orders, two Conspicuous Gallantry Cross, one Member of the Order of the British Empire for gallantry, ten Military Crosses, and seventeen were Mentioned in Despatches, making the regiment the most highly decorated serving regiment in the British Army at that time.
Private Johnson Beharry of the 1st Battalion, PWRR was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions during his unit's deployment to Amarah, near Basra.
Whilst attached to the 1st Battalion, Michelle Norris of the Royal Army Medical Corps became the first woman to be awarded the Military Cross following her actions on 11 June 2006.