MOUNTBATTEN MUSIC1

BACK

INDEX

HOME

INDEX

BACK

In 1964, the tercentenary year of HM Royal Marines, Mountbatten presented the Captain-General (his nephew - Admiral of the Fleet HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, KG, KT, OM, GBE, AC, QSO, PC (b.1921)) with Dunn's score of “The Preobrajensky March” by Donajowsky and it became adopted as the new Regimental Slow March. It was first performed as the Corps’ Regimental Slow March at Beating Retreat, Horse Guards Parade, London that year. The march was well known to Mountbatten as his great-uncle (HIH Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia (1857-1905) - fifth son of HIM Tsar Alexander II of Russia, KG (1818-1881) was one of the last colonels of the Preobrajensky Guards.

“The Preobrajensky March" is generally recognised as the finest ceremonial slow march of the old Russian Imperial Army and was the Regimental March of the first regiment of Foot Guards (the Preobrajensky Guards). It was also the regimental march of the Halberders Guard of Spain and the music was given to HM Royal Marines by Field Marshal HCM King Alphonso XIII, KG, GCVO, The King of Spain (1886-1941) and has been played from time to time ever since. Historically, a Regimental Slow March was not officially recognised in the military, however slow marches were used as inspection pieces. At the first time HM Royal Marines performed public duties at St James’s Palace, London in 1935, the march “The Globe and Laurel” (arranged by Lieutenant Colonel Sir Vivian Dunn) based on the traditional old English air “Early One Morning” was used as the Regimental Slow March and was officially adopted as the Regimental Slow March on 24th April 1953.

Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Vivian Dunn,
KCVO, OBE, FRAM, FRSA, Hon.GSM, Royal Marines
(1908-1995)

Mountbatten (left), with
HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
in their Royal Marines uniforms

CONTINUED