MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Forty one years since the Falklands Task Force Parade in the heart of London

The Falklands Task Force Parade took place on 12th October 1982, in London, and a few months since the Liberation of the Islands from the Argentine invasion and occupation. The salute to the Task Force encompassed a military parade, with military bands and contingents through the City of London.

The Parade began at Armoury House, off City Road near Finsbury Square and progressed via Finsbury pavement, Moorgate, Lothbury, Bartholomew Lane and Threadneedle Street past Mansion House, then continued along Poultry, Cheapside and King Street to Guildhall.[

It was estimated approximately 300,000 people lined the mile-long route of the parade. At Mansion House the Lord Mayor of London, Sir Christopher Leaver took the salute from the armed forces personnel as they marched past. He was accompanied by Prime Minister Mrs. Margaret Thatcher, Admiral Sir Terence Lewin and the Chief of the Defense Staff, Field Marshal Sir Edwin Bramall.

During the parade, there were several protests by peace campaigners opposed to the Falklands War and what they regarded as the militarism of the parade. Seventeen people were arrested while trying to block a road to stop the parade. One of them was reportedly knocked unconscious when being thrown into the back of a police van.

After the parade there was a Salute to the Task Force luncheon at the Guildhall in which Thatcher gave a speech, saying: “We, the British people, are proud of what has been done, proud of these heroic pages in our island story, proud to be here today to salute the task force. Proud to be British.”

However the parade was not without controversy, since Mrs. Thatcher took advantage of Queen Elizabeth's overseas travel to lead the Task Force Parade. As Head of the Armed Forces, it is tradition for the British monarch to take the salute, but following her victory, Mrs Thatcher took the Queen's role in a display of “almighty hubris”, in the words of a former MP.

Speaking to the Channel 4 series 'Royals Declassified', royal author Dean Palmer said: “It's incredible, she stood in what looked like a royal box. It showed an almighty hubris.”

Clive Irving, the author of 'The Last Queen', continued: “Thatcher becomes Britannia and Gloriana. Thatcher becomes the Defender of the Faith. ”Thatcher becomes the things that the Queen is supposed to be. Wow what's happening here?“

Former Foreign Secretary Lord David Owen also gave his opinion: ”Disgusting. Shabby is probably the better word than disgusting”.