Latest news with #JeremyDawson
CBC
27-05-2025
- General
- CBC
An RCMP officer from N.L. chauffeured King Charles and Queen Camilla by horse-drawn carriage
An RCMP sergeant from Newfoundland and Labrador played a big role in escorting King Charles and Queen Camilla to the Senate chamber in Ottawa on Monday. Sgt. Jeremy Dawson of St. George's, a third generation RCMP officer, was the head coachman driving the royal carriage. He spoke with the CBC's Carolyn Stokes about what the honour means to him.
Globe and Mail
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
Mountie set to drive King Charles III's carriage in Ottawa once rode the monarch's horse
When Sergeant-Major Jeremy Dawson drives King Charles III's carriage in next week's ceremonial procession to Parliament in Ottawa, it won't be his first brush with royalty. The third-generation Mountie led the RCMP contingent at the King's 2023 coronation cavalcade in London while riding the monarch's own horse. The stunning black mare, called Noble, was a gift to the King by the Canadian police force to mark his becoming its Commissioner-in-Chief. Sgt.-Maj. Dawson was among the Mounties present at the handover. On Tuesday he will lead a mounted escort of more than 20 horses from the RCMP Musical Ride as the King and Queen Camilla journey to the Senate from the Bank of Canada, past the House of Commons and the Prime Minister's Office. The Mounties have been training hard for the procession, Sgt.-Maj. Dawson said at a press briefing, likening preparations to 'our hockey team getting ready for the Stanley Cup.' 'It takes a lot of practice, a lot of push,' he said. 'This is not something that's easy. There's a lot of stress that's involved in it, and a lot of work behind the scenes.' Sgt.-Maj. Dawson, who trains officers for the Musical Ride, will serve as coachman for the state landau. 'I'm just so excited to have this opportunity to be a part of this wonderful piece of history for Canada, and especially in times when we need it the most,' he said. The two horses drawing the small carriage, which was built in Quebec, will have brass bridles and a face drop bearing the insignia of the RCMP Commissioner-in-Chief. It is the first royal outing for the carriage. 'It's beautiful,' Sgt.-Maj. Dawson said. 'It has the Royal Canadian colours. It's nice with a lot of brass fittings, which matches up with our harnesses that we'll be using, which also would be all brass.' The King's flying visit to open Parliament is being seen in Ottawa as a symbolic gesture in support of the country, which has been the target of barbs by U.S. President Donald Trump, including that it should become the 51st state. Other RCMP officers will provide security in strategic positions along the landau's Wellington Street route, according to a briefing. The Mounties' ties to the Royal Family date to 1904, when King Edward VII bestowed the title Royal upon the North-West Mounted Police. The force has since presented several horses as gifts to the family. They include George, ridden by King Charles III while he was Prince of Wales, and Sir John, given to Elizabeth II in 2016 to mark her 90th birthday. Noble, now living in stables at the Royal Mews in Windsor, England, was a veteran of the Musical Ride. The King has ridden the mare at the ceremonial Trooping the Colour. The Royal Family are keen horse people. Princess Anne represented Britain at the 1976 Olympics in the equestrian three-day event. In 1970, the family, including the King when he was Prince of Wales, took a break from an official Canadian tour to ride RCMP horses on a 2,000-acre potato farm in Manitoba.
