Britain’s first female infantry soldier to serve in the Army has told how she was born a boy and described how honoured she is “to be able to make history”.

Guardsman Chloe Allen, who joined the forces in 2012 as Ben Allen, made the decision to transition from male to female after being caught cross-dressing as she prepared to guard a royal palace.

But she said being discovered wearing women’s clothing was a “blessing in disguise” because it prompted her to “get on and deal with it”.