Guto Bebb, Member of Parliament for Aberconwy, was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Lance Corporal Gwillam Jenkins of the Royal Welsh Regiment. LCpl Jenkins, from the Great Orme in Llandudno and also known as Taffy VI, served as one of the Royal Welsh’s regimental goats. He passed away peacefully in his pen during the early hours of 14th May.
Taffy VI has represented the Royal Welsh Regiment at a wide array of engagements, meeting with Royalty, the Prime Minister David Cameron and a long list of other famous personalities. One of his most high profile engagements was leading the Welsh Rugby Union team onto the pitch at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
The Royal Welch Fusiliers, the predecessors of the Royal Welsh Regiment, were first presented with a goat from her Royal Herd at Windsor around 1860. The Queen has been informed of Taffy’s death and permission sought to select a new goat from the same herd, now living on the Great Orme in Llandudno.
The Royal Welsh Captain Ben Phillips commented, “More accustomed to celebrities than anyone else in the Regiment, he certainly lived a very pleasant and high-profile life, especially compared to his counterparts on the Great Orme. We all honour his passing with respect for a well disciplined and loyal Regimental Mascot.”
(Image copyright: Greg O’Beirne. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RoyalRegimentWalesGoat_gobeirne.jpg)
