Twins parade in Trooping the Colour for first time together

Guardsman Thomas Dell of the Grenadier Guards (right) and his twin brother Trooper Ben Dell of the Household Cavalry

Identical twins from different British Army regiments paraded in Trooping the Colour for the first time together earlier.

Ben and Thomas Dell, aged 21, from Bath, took part in the event which marks the Queen's official birthday.

It was the first time for Guardsman Thomas in the Grenadier Guards, but third time for Trooper Ben in the Household Cavalry.

Ben said: "Everything is a competition between both of us."

He added: "At home, since we were very young all the way up to now, it's always a competition of who's the better one. It's a lot of fun."

Iraq deployment

The twins were among more than 1,000 soldiers in the parade, along with 400 musicians from the massed bands.

As a Grenadier Guard, Thomas was deployed to Iraq to work with the US coalition and returned to the UK just before Christmas.

Ben said: "[Our parents] are proud of both of us for what we've done; him obviously going off to Iraq and being in the infantry; me doing this for the last couple of years, doing all of the ceremonial duties."

Thomas added: "They're equally proud... we've both achieved our own goals in our own respective fields."

This year the ceremony, which is staged each June in London's Horse Guards Parade, saw Thomas's Colour - of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards - being trooped.

Attended by members of the royal family including the Queen, the parade brings together prestigious regiments and the families of the serving men and women.

Thomas (left) says the twins' parents are "equally proud" of them

Thomas (left) served in Iraq and returned home just before Christmas