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Prestigious King's Sword presented for the first time

Lt Maynard receives the King's Sword
17 December 2024
A Royal Marines young officer has been presented with the first ever King’s Sword as the best overall student in his cohort.

Second Lieutenant Maynard was handed the sword by Commandant General Royal Marines, General Gwyn Jenkins, at the Commando Training Centre in Lympstone, Devon.

Previously known as the Sword of Honour, the prize is awarded in recognition of excellency as the best student officer among the intake for the year.

The King himself renamed the award during his visit to the training centre last month, when, for the first time since his grandfather King George VI in 1939, His Majesty presented the coveted King’s Badge to the recruit deemed the most impressive of those passing out, before watching the remaining successful recruits receive their iconic green berets, earned over 32 gruelling weeks.

Not only has 2Lt Maynard picked up the honour of being the first Royal Marines officer to hold the King’s Sword, but he has also joined an exclusive band of Commando brothers, to be a holder of the King’s Badge too.

Although not a rare achievement ‘the Double’; the honour of wearing the King’s Badge and carrying the King’s Sword is exceptional amongst fellow Royal Marines. 

London born 2Lt Maynard studied at the University of Exeter before graduating in 2019 and beginning his training for the Royal Marines in 2020 during the COVID pandemic, passing out as the King’s Badge for 305 Troop in 2021.

He joined 45 Commando RM in Arbroath, Scotland and served with Zulu Company as a Combat Communicator on exercises and deployments to Eastern Europe, Cyprus and Montenegro, working alongside partner nations and military forces. 

On return from Montenegro, 2Lt Maynard was selected for promotion to Lance Corporal, and in the following year returned to CTCRM again to complete a Combat Fire Support Group course. After doing a Drone Operators course at RNAS Culdrose, he became part of a Zulu Company instructor team, taking Ukrainian recruits through basic training in Lydd, Kent.

After which, he chose to apply for a commission, attended an Officer Selection Course and was enrolled onto the Royal Marines Young Officer 2023 batch, starting officer training in September 2023. 

CGRM, General Gwyn Jenkins said, “It is a great honour to be awarded not just the much-respected King’s Badge as a Royal Marines Recruit but to then be the recipient as a Royal Marines Young Officer of the renamed King’s Sword as well, is history making and a remarkable achievement.”

“Receiving the King’s Sword from CGRM was a proud moment for me as well as being a King’s Badge holder as well,” said 2Lt Maynard.

“I’m also delighted to have earned my Green Beret twice and know that the real work starts now as a Young Royal Marines Officer in a Commando Unit. There are exciting times ahead of me and I look forward to all the challenges.” 

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