Trooping the Colour marks ends of four-decade career for Preston drum major

A Lancashire drum major took part in his final Trooping the Colour on a day that also marked the end of his four-decade career in the British Army.
Trooping the Colour marked the end of a four-decade career for Drum Major Steve Staite, from PrestonTrooping the Colour marked the end of a four-decade career for Drum Major Steve Staite, from Preston
Trooping the Colour marked the end of a four-decade career for Drum Major Steve Staite, from Preston

The centuries-old military spectacle of might, splendour and precision marching took place on Horse Guards Parade on Saturday to mark the Queen's official birthday.

It is an important day in the armed forces' calendar and for the monarchy, where the families and friends of those on parade proudly watch the ceremony.

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For Drum Major Steve Staite, who has taken part in Trooping the Colour at least 26 times - 17 as drum major, something the Army claim is a world record - this year's Queen's birthday parade carries extra significance.

Drum Major Steve StaiteDrum Major Steve Staite
Drum Major Steve Staite

"It is a culmination of my career over the four decades," he said.

"And what better day to go out on than the Queen's birthday?"

The 55-year-old who is originally from Preston, joined the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards at the age of 16 on June 19, 1979, and was appointed drum major to the Queen in 1995.

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"We are personal drummers to her majesty, we get a royal warrant signed to that effect, and it is the greatest honour in the world, you can't beat it," he said.

Drum Major Steve StaiteDrum Major Steve Staite
Drum Major Steve Staite

As one of five drum majors wearing the elaborate gold-thread state clothing, during Trooping the Colour he marches one of the divisions up to Horse Guards to get them on to parade.

Drum Major Staite also leads one of the massed bands during the parade in slow and quick time - something the father-of-two agreed very few people get to do.

"A lot of people tell you it is great to march behind a band, but you can't beat marching in front of it," he said.

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During his career Drum Major Staite said he has visited 40 of the 50 states in America, and has worked in Kenya, Northern Ireland, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq.

It was during a posting to West Berlin on his first deployment that he also patrolled the Berlin Wall and guarded Adolf Hitler's deputy, Rudolf Hess, when he was held at Spandau prison.

Quizzed on what that experience was like, Drum Major Staite, who plans on retiring to Middlesbrough with his wife Fee, said: "You just sat in a sanger at Spandau prison.

"You weren't really allowed to look into the yard, it was just a normal prison with one person in it. But driving around the Berlin wall in those days was something very, very different."

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Posted to Household Division headquarters in 2000, he was involved in the funeral of the Queen Mother and Lady Margaret Thatcher, the closing ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games and the royal weddings of Prince Charles and Prince William.