Prince of Wales recalls first parachute

The Prince of Wales recalled his first parachute landing in Dorset nearly 50 years ago, “Initially it was inverted and my legs were on the rigging line”.

Charles, 72, showed a new color to the parachute regiment at a ceremony held at Merville Barracks in Colchester, Essex.

On July 29, 1971, he was 23 years old when he landed from Andover to Studland Bay in Dorset. At that time, he received training as a jet pilot during a four-month internship in the Royal Air Force.

In 1977, he was appointed as a colonel of the parachute regiment, and in 1978 he asked to participate in the parachute training course of the British Royal Air Force Britz Norton.

Speaking to soldiers, veterans and family members on Tuesday, he said: “I can hardly believe that I have been your colonel for 44 years, and it has been almost 50 years since I landed on a parachute for the first time. At first, my legs were inverted. The rigging line entered Studland Bay in Dorset, where I was pulled out of the water by the Royal Marines.”