The President of the Republic presided at the commemorative ceremonies of the centenary of the Pupilos do Exército (IPE) where he awarded, on parade, the insignias of the degree of Honorary Member of the Order of Prince Henry the Navigator, on the Institute’s national standard.
After receiving military honours upon arrival, President Aníbal Cavaco Silva delivered an address and watched the march past of the IPE Student Battalion, that included delegations from the Military College and from the Odivelas Institute.
The ceremony, at which the Minister for National Defence and the Chief of the Army General Staff were also present, as well as other civil, military and religious individualities, included a tribute paid the former students of the Pupilos that had already passed away.
After the military ceremony was over, the President of the Republic started out a group of cycling pilgrims, former Pupilos students, travelling to Santiago de Compostela, and presided at the launching of the commemorative coin and stamp allusive to this IPE event.
President Cavaco Silva was also presented with the Cap of the Honorary Student of the Institution.
Click here to view the address delivered by the President of the Republic