'A truly extraordinary commitment': Princess Anne on Royal Newfoundland Regiment

Princess Anne is making a royal visit to Newfoundland and Labrador this week to mark the 100th anniversary of the battle of Beaumont-Hamel.

The Princess Royal will be in Corner Brook Wednesday toopen a Danger Tree and soldier exhibit at Grenfellcampus of Memorial Universitybefore heading to St. John's for Friday's July 1 ceremonies.

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Princess Anne, who is the Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, spoke with CBC's Chris O'Neill-Yates a number of months ago prior to her visit.

We remember them forBeaumont-Hamel, but they hadn't exactly had an easy entrance into the war inGallipoli.- Princess Anne

She said the sacrifice made by the men who signed up to the Regiment showeda remarkable commitment.

"We remember them for Beaumont-Hamel, but they hadn't exactly had an easy entrance into the war in Gallipoli," she said.

"That commitment to join upgiven that although the Regiment's name had existed before, it hadn't existed as a unit until the warso that also shows an extraordinary commitment, to make the decision to join up so quickly."

The Regiment was the first to be given the Royal designation during a war, instead ofafterwards. That's something the princesssaid is significant of how her great-grandfather, King George V, viewed their actions in the First World War.

"I think again because of the level of sacrifice and I think his understanding of exactly what that meant," she said.

"It's a very defined area, Newfoundland. It's an island, Labrador is a huge empty space, it's very defined area with a very few number of people. Whichever way you look at that, that's an enormous commitment to make, and I think the king recognized that very early on for exactly that."

Princess Anne's interview was part of CBC Newfoundland and Labrador's documentary Trail of the Caribou, which will be playing on CBC Television in Atlantic Canada July 1 at 9:30 NT.

Trail of the Caribouwill also be available online, on demand,July 1.