In Pictures: Duke of Kent unveils statue of Warwickshire military mascot at Warwick Castle

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A new statue has been unveiled by HRH The Duke of Kent at Warwick Castle.

The new bronze statue of Bobby the Blackbuck Antelope, the official mascot for the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and most recently The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, was revealed during a special ceremony on June 6.

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It was unveiled by His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent, Colonel in Chief of the Regiment, and coincided with the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, in which the Royal Warwickshire Regiment took part.

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The Duke of Kent with the statue. Photo suppliedThe Duke of Kent with the statue. Photo supplied
The Duke of Kent with the statue. Photo supplied

2024 also marks the 350th anniversary of the founding of the regiment.

The regimental badge for the Royal Warwickshire Regiment has always been an antelope and according to stories it was first adapted from a Moorish banner captured during the Battle of Saragossa.

After the Regiment was stationed in India, they began to adopt Blackbuck Antelopes as mascots and this tradition lasted for centuries.

The mascot was always called Bobby and the last Bobby died in 2005 but the legacy of Bobby still remains a huge part of the Regiment’s life and traditions.

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The Duke of Kent talking to the artist Knox Field. Photo suppliedThe Duke of Kent talking to the artist Knox Field. Photo supplied
The Duke of Kent talking to the artist Knox Field. Photo supplied

The Blackbuck Antelope as the Regimental Mascot is still on the establishment of the regiment.

However, the Indian Black Buck is a protected species and a herd animal. Therefore, it has been decision of the regiment since 2005 for animal welfare reasons not to replace the Mascot with a live Indian Black Antelope.

The idea for the ‘Bobby’ memorial was that of former Colonel (Warwickshire) Colonel Richard Cariss back in 2020. Initial plans were drawn up but put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Planning permission was granted in March last year with the ideal time for the unveiling to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings as well as the Regiment’s 350th anniversary this year.

The Duke of Kent  talking to Royal Warwickshire Veterans. Photo suppliedThe Duke of Kent  talking to Royal Warwickshire Veterans. Photo supplied
The Duke of Kent talking to Royal Warwickshire Veterans. Photo supplied

The statue stands at more than 2.5m tall on a stone plinth in Warwick Castle’s peacock garden and was created by renowned, wildlife sculptor, Knox Field, who is based in Oxfordshire.

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Through his commissions and personal projects Knox has an ever growing following that has seen him display his work around the country including at the Mall Gallery and La Galleria Pall Mall in London’s West End.

Colonel Richard Cariss MBE said “It is truly amazing to see ‘Bobby’ in his forever county home of Warwickshire and there is no better setting than within the magnificent grounds of Warwick Castle.

"It feels like the project has been a long time in the making, so it is great to finally see it come together and be unveiled on such a key date in history.

The bronze statue of Bobby the Blackbuck Antelope, the official mascot for the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers was unveiled at Warwick Castle. Photo suppliedThe bronze statue of Bobby the Blackbuck Antelope, the official mascot for the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers was unveiled at Warwick Castle. Photo supplied
The bronze statue of Bobby the Blackbuck Antelope, the official mascot for the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers was unveiled at Warwick Castle. Photo supplied

"A huge thank you to all involved in the project and for making it happen.”

Colonel James Denny, regimental secretary, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, added: “Bobby has been synonymous with the Regiment for more than 200 years so it’s extremely important that we honour the Regimental Mascot tradition with a fitting tribute that generations can enjoy and appreciate for many years to come.

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"It was also a huge honour to have our Colonel in Chief, the Duke of Kent join us to unveil the statue.”

Sculptor Knox Field said: “Working to create Bobby, the Black Buck Antelope memorial sculpture for the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, has been the most rewarding project of my career to date.

“The challenge for me was to honour the stylised portrayal of the mascot on the regimental cap-badge whilst capturing the realism of a black buck in the wild.

"To see Bobby unveiled in the majestic surroundings of Warwick Castle on the 80th Anniversary of D-Day by the Duke of Kent, is quite simply amazing.”

The event was attended by many former and current members of the military. Photo suppliedThe event was attended by many former and current members of the military. Photo supplied
The event was attended by many former and current members of the military. Photo supplied

The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, known as ‘The Fusiliers,’ is an English infantry Regiment in the British Army, formed from four historic Fusilier Regiments in 1968.

Since then, the Fusiliers have seen service across the world in Northern Ireland, Cyprus, the Balkans, the first and second Gulf Wars and Afghanistan.

The Regiment has two battalions – First Fusiliers in Tidworth and Fifth Fusiliers in Newcastle – and both adapt readily to challenging scenarios.

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