Dressed in a traditional Welsh costume, and giving an adorably wobbly curtsy, six-year-old Maisie Gregory performed her bouquet-giving duties to perfection. But she had reckoned without the private standing next to her. As the Queen walked out of the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, a uniformed army private raised his gloved hand enthusiastically to salute the monarch, and caught the six-year-old square in the face.
Her pained “owweee” was caught on camera by Ruth Mosalski, a reporter at Wales Online, as the blow knocked Maisie’s stovepipe-style hat to the floor.
Maisie's big moment. pic.twitter.com/OHHTDDmEcB
— Ruth Mosalski (@ruthmosalski) June 11, 2015
Relatives of the girl, a pupil at Cwmclydach infant school in Tonypandy, said she was none the worse for wear, but had run to her aunt for a cuddle immediately afterwards.
Maisie’s mother, Joanne Gregory, told Wales Online her daughter had been up since 4.45am in preparation for her big moment. She added that the soldier had immediately apologised, and that she had reassured him Maisie was fine.
Here's Maisie. Her next job is to hand the Queen a posy. She's just getting her instructions. pic.twitter.com/6OpvXRUmMq
— Ruth Mosalski (@ruthmosalski) June 11, 2015
Earlier on Thursday, thousands of people turned out to watch the Queen arrive to present the Royal Welsh regiment with new colours, which formally recognises the unit, formed from three merged regiments in 2006. The monarch and a crowd of 10,000 people watched a march of around 600 soldiers from Cardiff’s castle through the city to the Millennium Stadium, where the ceremony took place.
Mrs Gregory’s husband, Regimental Sergeant Major Martin Gregory, led the soldiers on the march.
