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Armed Forces Day delight: HMS Protector receives Freedom of Cambridge
1 July 2025
The Royal Navy’s Ice Patrol Ship was granted the honour from the Mayor of Cambridge on this year’s Armed Forces Day, cementing a special relationship between the city and the Royal Navy.
HMS Protector has been granted the Freedom of Cambridge, signalling the beginning of a new formal affiliation between the city and the Royal Navy’s only ice patrol vessel.
Discussions around formalising the association between the city and the ship began in 2011 with the Council outlining a desire to establish a “strong and enduring relationship between Cambridge and HMS Protector”.
The affiliation also marked a poignant moment in the defence calendar, taking place on this year’s Armed Forces Day where the city of Cambridge, amongst many others across the country, came together to celebrate and show respect and gratitude towards our Armed Forces.
This was Cambridge’s second annual Armed Forces Day celebration, organised by local veterans, where residents enjoyed an array of displays, musical performances and children’s entertainment as well as a parade by HMS Protector’s crew at Gonville Place in the city centre.
The parade was followed by a presentation at the Guildhall where HMS Protector’s Commanding Officer, Captain Thomas Weaver OBE, presented a photo of the ship to the Mayor.
Speaking on the affiliation, Captain Weaver OBE, said: “HMS Protector spends much of her time at the other end of the globe but having returned the ship home for routine maintenance, we were privileged to be able to visit Cambridge for Armed Forces Day celebrations and also mark the honour of being granted the Freedom of the City.
“We support the UK’s primary polar research institutions, which are based in Cambridge, and we are all proud to have taken part in this year’s Armed Forces Day celebrations.
“Armed Forces Day is a moment to recognise the contribution of our fellow service personnel, veterans and cadets, but most importantly it is an opportunity to engage with the communities we serve and talk about what we do.”
Cambridge is home to the UK’s primary polar research institutions such as the Scott Polar Research Institute at the University of Cambridge as well as the British Antarctic Survey, for which HMS Protector supports the work off with a continuing mission to support international research into the changing climate of Antarctica as well as upholding the UK’s longstanding commitment to the region.
Sailors from HMS Protector were able to pay a visit to the Scott Polar Institute to see the valuable work they are contributing to.
HMS Protector is the Royal Navy’s only ice patrol ship, calling the freezing waters of Antarctica and the Southern Hemisphere home. Her crew includes a team of hydrographers, who undertake exploratory surveys and ensure that environmental guidelines are being upheld as well as a team of mountain-leader trained Royal Marines.
A Memorandum of Understanding will now be drawn up to set out the aspirations of the Council and HMS Protector for the affiliation.