The Government of Gibraltar has congratulated the men and women of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment on the grant of their new Royal colours. 

A statement from the Government follows below:

TheChief Minister,the Hon Fabian Picardo QC MP, said:"Today has been one of my proudest moments as Chief Minister and the whole of the Government, and the Cabinet in particular, express our most sincere congratulations to all current and former members of the Regiment on this important day. 

"Seeing the Regiment at Windsor, receiving their new, blue Royal colours was a quite magnificent moment.  

"The ceremony, carried out by His Royal Highness the Earl of Wessex, was as symbolic as it was emotional.  

"The emotive words of the Earl evoked the depth of the loyalty of the People of Gibraltar and were reciprocated by the excellent response from the Regiment's Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Simon Dyson.  

"It was particularly poignant that the ceremony was taking place at Windsor, within earshot of Her Majesty The Queen herself, where she is in residence, with the Royal Standard consequently flying above Windsor Castle. 

"The nature ofthe colours ceremony and the mounting ofthe guard atWindsor and otherRoyal Palaces by the Regiment is a vivid, technicolour demonstration of the relationship between our Sovereign and the British Crown and the Regiment.  

"Itis therefore also an indelible demonstration ofthe undeniably British sovereignty of Gibraltar which has once again been evidenced in this important moment in the history of the Regiment. 

"I want to also thank the members of the Bermuda Regiment who have been joining their Gibraltarian colleagues in the ranks of the Regiment on these ceremonial duties. They too should be very proud of the work they have done in these deeply symbolic events that carry such meaning for our People. 

"Finally, I want to thank the families of the members of our Regiment for coming out to London to support those on parade and for their constant, enduring backing for the work of the Regiment. I know they are a sine qua non for each and every member of the Regiment at every rank. 

"The pride we feel today in the Regiment will be in display in Gibraltar when we welcome 'the Barbarians' back home to the Rock with their new colours, something I know we will all be looking forward to."