Home Front

A bit of sabre rattling never does any harm ...... well so works the mind of King Rudolf of Ruritania, and following the diplomatic upheaval and exchanges following the leaking of the Pickstock Telegram he ordered a series of field days for the Royal regiments, inviting observers from the neighbouring states, and his Excellency the Ambassador of Great Britain.

The Observers receive a salute!

Of course serried ranks of well drilled infantry, and troops of horse may well stir the senses and national pride, but in the powderkeg of the Balkans they can also be seen as a dagger held to the throat, and Serbia, Bulgaria and the Romanovs were clearly unhappy at the large scale troop movements.

Ruritanian Jagers advance

However the presence of Princess Flavia and the well drilled ladies of the Elfberg Hussaren certainly turned many heads and raised not a few eyebrows at their impressive display of sharpshooting and sabre drill.

Elfberg Hussars led by Princess Flavia

Noticeable by his absence was Prince Michael, and his Zenda Regiment who were committed to border protection duties along with the Hentzauers, although Colonel Ruperta of Hentzau, twin sister of Count Rupert, was in attendance as a Royal ADC.

Ruperta of Hentzau