THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE TO VISIT THE SCOUTS’ EARLY YEARS PILOT AT GILWELL PARK

Gilwell Park, Essex

Thursday 28th March, 2019

The Duchess of Cambridge will visit the Scouts’ headquarters at Gilwell Park on 28th March to learn more about the organisation’s new pilot to bring Scouting to younger children. The visit to Gilwell Park will also celebrate the site’s 100th anniversary year.

In November 2018, the Scouts announced 20 pilots in England to explore the potential of providing Scouting to children between the ages of four and six. Research has shown that the first five years of a child’s life are more pivotal for development, and for future health and happiness, than any other single moment in their lifetime. What a child experiences during its earliest years shapes the development of the brain and influences interactions at school, work and in society. The new pilot will see Scouts test its exciting programme of activities – which currently reaches 473,000 young people between the ages of 6 and 25 in the UK – to younger children, equipping them with the life skills and values of teamwork, leadership and resilience.

2019 also marks the 100th anniversary of Gilwell Park, a site recognised internationally as the home of Scouting. Located on the edge of Epping Forest, it is a Scout campsite, training and adventure centre, and home to the organisation’s UK headquarters. Each year, the Park welcomes thousands of Scouts, schools and youth groups to develop their character skills, including taking the initiative and tenacity; employability skills such as leadership, teamwork and problem solving; and practical skills like cooking and first aid.

The Duchess will join a number of sessions with young children currently taking part in the pilot scheme, including activities to improve communication and teamwork, such as boat building and balloon rocket assembling. A group of Scouts aged 14 to 18 will also show Her Royal Highness a number of Gilwell Park’s iconic features, including the famous Gilwell Oak, named UK Tree of the Year in 2017. Prior to departing, The Duchess will plant an oak sapling to mark the 100th anniversary of Gilwell Park.

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New patronage announced for The Duchess of Cambridge

The Duchess of Cambridge has today become Patron of the Foundling Museum.

The new patronage has been announced ahead of Her Royal Highness’ visit to the Foundling Museum later today where she will learn how the organisation works with art and artists to transform the lives of vulnerable and marginalised young people.

During the visit Her Royal Highness will meet trainees and graduates of the Foundling Museum’s ‘Tracing our Tales’ programme, which has been developed to equip care-experienced young adults with the skills to devise and deliver workshops at the Museum. In 2017 The Duchess visited The Foundling Museum and met the first intake of ‘Tracing our Tales’ trainees; two years later she will meet these young adults again to hear how the programme has helped them gain confidence and employment.

The Duchess has a longstanding interest in both the arts and supporting vulnerable families, and this patronage will further highlight the beneficial impact that art and creativity has on emotional wellbeing.

The Foundling Museum tells the history of the Foundling Hospital, the UK’s first children’s charity and public art gallery. The museum works with contemporary artists, writers and musicians to develop learning programmes that are meaningful for young people, especially those who are looked after and care-experienced, to help them see the world differently and imagine new possibilities for themselves.

Larissa Joy, Chair of Trustees – Foundling Museum, said: ‘We are delighted and honoured that Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge has become Patron of the Foundling Museum. We could not imagine a more perfect Patron. We look forward to working with her as we fulfil our mission to inspire people to make a positive impact on society through the arts.’

Caro Howell, Director of the Foundling Museum, said: ‘The Foundling Museum is thrilled and honoured to receive The Duchess’s patronage. Her support is a huge boost to our work transforming the lives of vulnerable young people through the arts.’

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The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will visit St Lucia, Barbados, St Vincent and The Grenadines, St Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, Cuba and The Cayman Islands

17th March – 29th March 2019

Their Royal Highnesses’ visit to St Lucia, Barbados, St Vincent and The Grenadines, St Kitts and Nevis and Grenada will celebrate the Monarchy’s relationship with these Commonwealth Realms. Furthermore, at the request of the British Government, Their Royal Highnesses will also visit Cuba to highlight the growing bilateral relationship with the U.K. and showcase some of the cultural links between the two countries. Their Royal Highnesses will also visit the British Overseas Territory of The Cayman Islands to celebrate its place within the British family.

• Their Royal Highnesses will visit six countries and one Overseas Territory, undertaking over fifty engagements across ten islands.
• This will be the first official visit by a member of The Royal Family to Cuba.

The tour will begin in St Lucia on 17th March, where The Prince of Wales will be guest of honour at an event to mark the country’s 40th anniversary of Independence, following a welcome to the island by The Governor General and The Prime Minister. The Prince of Wales will later attend a reception for guests from across the island.

On Tuesday 19th Their Royal Highnesses will undertake a number of engagements in Barbados including a parade and wreath laying at The Cenotaph in Bridgetown. His Royal Highness will then have the chance to visit the oldest synagogue in the western hemisphere, which was recently restored with the help of The Barbados National Trust. The Prince will attend a demonstration on the island’s hurricane preparedness mechanisms and meet teams involved in responding to recent natural disasters across the region. His Royal Highness will also learn more about the work that The Prince’s Trust International has been doing locally.

The Duchess, who is President of the Women of the World Festival, will attend an event for Barbadian women of influence. The Women of the World festival (WOW) is a global festival movement to celebrate and encourage women and girls to overcome inequality. Her Royal Highness will also join a Commonwealth Big Lunch, and visit a diabetes clinic, before joining His Royal Highness for a meeting and reception at The Prime Minister’s residence.

Their Royal Highnesses will visit St Vincent and the Grenadines on 20th March, where key themes in the programme will include youth opportunity and female empowerment, as well as the preservation of the islands’ natural environment. Her Royal Highness will visit the St Vincent and Grenadines Community College and St Vincent Girls’ High School, where pupils have been busy creating their entries for The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition.

On Thursday 21st March, The Prince and The Duchess will visit both parts of the dual-island nation of St Kitts and Nevis and will undertake a programme that will demonstrate the country’s commitment to heritage restoration, the environment and local culture.  The Prince of Wales will also have the chance to return to The Brimstone Hill Fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that he last visited in 1973. The Prince will learn more about the history of the fortress, the restoration work that has been undertaken there, and attend a showcase of local culture, dance and music. Their Royal Highnesses will also attend receptions on both islands for members of the community, featuring local music and culture.

The Prince and The Duchess will visit Grenada on the 23rd March where Their Royal Highnesses will learn more about local agriculture and the importance and history of cocoa and spice production on the island. The Prince of Wales will attend a meeting on the importance of the blue economy and meet organisations involved in marine protection and conservation.

Their Royal Highnesses will arrive in Cuba on Sunday 24th where, after an official welcome, they will commence their visit to the country with a wreath laying at the Memorial of Cuba’s national hero – the essayist and poet– José Martí. The Prince and The Duchess’ visit will highlight cultural and academic connections, links between the people of the U.K. and Cuba, and explore key themes, such as the arts, youth entrepreneurship, heritage restoration and sustainable agriculture.

On Monday 25th March, Their Royal Highnesses will undertake a varied programme in Havana including a joint visit to a community and arts centre. His Royal Highness will also be able to meet some of Cuba’s young entrepreneurs at an event in central Havana. That evening, The President of Cuba will officially welcome Their Royal Highnesses before hosting an official dinner.

On their second day of engagements in Havana Their Royal Highnesses will have the chance to meet a group of owners of British classic cars and pay a visit to a Cuban music recording studio. Their Royal Highnesses will also visit one of the country’s leading dance studios and The Prince of Wales will travel out of Havana to learn more about renewable energy and organic farming in Cuba. Their Royal Highnesses will later attend a reception hosted by the British Ambassador.

Their Royal Highnesses’ visit to Cuba will end on Wednesday 27th March. The Prince will visit Cuba’s south coast to learn more about the country’s flora and fauna. His Royal Highness will also attend a roundtable discussion on environmental conservation, whilst Her Royal Highness will visit an equestrian centre helping students from primary school level through to the country’s National team. Her Royal Highness will also attend a roundtable to discuss the work being done to help those affected by domestic violence.

The Prince and The Duchess will arrive in The Cayman Islands later that day, officially opening the new airport upon arrival. Their Royal Highnesses will attend a meeting with The Premier and The Governor.

His Royal Highness will be visiting all three of the Cayman Islands, and will meet members of the local communities from each island and attend a series of engagements focusing on sustainability and marine conservation. The Duchess will visit a crisis centre for young people and their families who have been affected by domestic abuse, as well as a new hospice providing end of life palliative care for those in need. Her Royal Highness will also attend a cultural performance at a local primary school.

The Prince of Wales will have the chance to meet hurricane relief personnel based on the islands. Their Royal Highnesses’ visit will end with a reception and celebration showcasing local music and culture.

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THE DUKE OF SUSSEX TO JOIN SCHOOLCHILDREN AT A QUEEN’S COMMONWEALTH CANOPY AND WOODLAND TRUST TREE PLANTING

St Vincent’s Catholic Primary School, Acton

Wednesday 20th March, 2019

The Duke of Sussex will join schoolchildren as they take part in a tree planting project in support of The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy (QCC) initiative, together with the Woodland Trust.

Year 5 pupils from St Vincent’s Catholic Primary School in Acton will plant saplings in the school’s outdoor nature area, which will eventually become their own Forest School. His Royal Highness will meet the school’s Eco Ambassadors, and then join the children as they plant the saplings before planting his own tree, marking the achievements of the QCC and the Woodland Trust in providing 74,000 trees across the UK.

The QCC and the Woodland Trust, with funding from Sainsbury’s, last year launched two free plant-a-tree campaigns to highlight the importance of trees and woods and the impact they have on the environment. Members of the public applied for packs containing native broadleaf trees. The Woodland Trust continues to offer free trees for schools and communities, and is providing St Vincent’s with 60 broadleaf trees, to encourage and inspire children to learn about the importance of trees to their environment through positive outdoor experiences.

Launched in 2015, the QCC is a conservation initiative that unites the Commonwealth family of nations in creating a global network of indigenous forests to benefit communities and wildlife, now, and into the future. To date, more than 8.4 million hectares of forests in 43 countries have been dedicated to the QCC, honouring Her Majesty’s lifetime of service to the Commonwealth.

The Woodland Trust is the largest woodland conservation charity in the UK. It has over 500,000 supporters and more than 1,000 sites in its care; covering 22,500 hectares including Wentwood in Wales which is a designated QCC forest. The Trust wants to see a UK rich in native woods and trees for people and wildlife.

The Duke of Sussex has previously visited QCC forest dedications during his official visits across the Commonwealth including projects in Antigua and Barbuda, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, New Zealand, Australia, Tonga and Fiji. In 2017 The Duke visited the Epping Forest QCC dedication.

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HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN AND THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE WILL VISIT KING’S COLLEGE LONDON TO OPEN BUSH HOUSE

Tuesday 19th March 2019

Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge, will visit King’s College London on Tuesday 19th March 2019 to open Bush House, the latest education and learning facilities on the Strand Campus. Her Majesty is Patron of King’s College London and previously visited in 2012 and 2002.

As the fourth oldest university in England, King’s College London provides teaching and cutting-edge research in the heart of London. King’s has played a major role in many of the advances that shape modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA, and research that led to the development of radio, television, mobile phones and radar.

The Queen and The Duchess will arrive at the central courtyard that connects the five Bush House Buildings, before touring the facilities and meeting a number of supporters of the development. Her Majesty and Her Royal Highness will move up to the eighth floor, visiting one of two Roof Terraces which boast panoramic views of London and to meet those who worked on the conversion of Bush House.

The Royal Party will view a robotics demonstration, including robotic surgery, and a demo showing how sensors made from textiles can measure useful information about the body. The Queen and The Duchess will then visit King’s virtual trading floor, and meet a number of students from the Entrepreneurship Institute, which exists to support entrepreneurial thinking, skills and experiences amongst King’s students, staff and alumni.

The Royal Party will conclude the visit in the development’s new auditorium, where The Queen will unveil a plaque, formally opening Bush House, before signing the Visitor’s Book alongside The Duchess of Cambridge.

King’s College London has over 31,000 students from some 150 countries and acquired the Bush House buildings in 2015 to provide a home for many of their academic departments, as well as further learning and social spaces and enhanced student facilities. These new buildings include lecture theatres, teaching rooms, a 395-seat auditorium, and The Exchange, an open, collaborative space designed for events and exhibitions.

Her Majesty The Queen, Patron, previously visited King’s College London in November 2012 to open the Dickson Poon School of Law and in 2002 to open King’s new Maughan Library. In January 2018 The Duchess of Cambridge visited The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute at King’s College London’s Denmark Hill Campus.

His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh is a Life Governor of King’s College London and Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal has been a Fellow since 1989.

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THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE TO VISIT THE FOUNDLING MUSEUM

London

Tuesday 19th March, 2019

The Duchess of Cambridge will visit the Foundling Museum to understand how they use art to make a positive contribution to society by engaging with vulnerable and marginalised young people.

The Foundling Museum tells the history of the Foundling Hospital, the UK’s first children’s charity and public art gallery. The museum works with contemporary artists, writers and musicians to develop learning programmes that are meaningful for young people, especially those who are looked after and care-experienced, to help them see the world differently and imagine new possibilities for themselves.

At the Museum, Her Royal Highness will visit ‘Bedrooms of London’, a photography exhibition that documents the living conditions of London’s most disadvantaged children. The Duchess will be shown the photographs by graduates of the Foundling Museum’s ‘Tracing our Tales’ programme, which has been developed to equip care-experienced young adults from London boroughs with the skills to devise and deliver workshops at the Museum.

In 2017 The Duchess visited The Foundling Museum and met the first intake of ‘Tracing our Tales’ trainees. Two years later, she will meet these young adults again to hear how the programme has helped them gain confidence and employment. Her Royal Highness will also join them in a creative ‘Tracing our Tales’ training session where participants will be learning how to deliver a creative workshop on block printing techniques.

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THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE WILL ATTEND THE ST PATRICK’S DAY PARADE

Cavalry Barracks, Hounslow

Sunday 17th March, 2019

The Duke of Cambridge, Colonel of the Irish Guards, accompanied by The Duchess of Cambridge, will visit the 1st Battalion Irish Guards at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Cavalry Barracks, Hounslow on Sunday 17th March.

350 soldiers will march onto the Parade Square at Cavalry Barracks led by their mascot, the Irish Wolfhound Domhnall. Her Royal Highness will step forward to present the shamrock to Officers and Warrant Officers, who will in turn issue it along the ranks. The parade will conclude with a march-past where His Royal Highness will take the salute.

The Duke and Duchess will then meet members of the Regiment before sitting for official Officers’ and Sergeants’ Mess photographs, and afterwards they will meet soldiers and their families. Finally, The Duke and Duchess will visit the Guardsman’s lunch where the longest-serving Guardsman in the Battalion will propose a toast to Their Royal Highnesses, and thank The Duchess for presenting the gift of shamrock.

The Irish Guards have had a busy yet rewarding 12 months with three years of ceremonial duties coming to an end in January 2019. The main focus was on Exercise Askari Storm, a battlegroup level exercise in Kenya.

The Irish Guards currently have troops deployed in Uganda, Jordan and Kenya as they also prepare to go onto high readiness from the beginning of April. They will see Number One Company deploying to Georgia in August. From September mission specific training will ramp up for the Battalion as they prepare to deploy on operations to South Sudan and Iraq.

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THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE WILL VISIT BRAINS’ DRAGON BREWERY AHEAD OF ATTENDING WALES VS IRELAND SIX NATIONS MATCH

Cardiff, Wales

Saturday 16th March, 2019

The Duke of Cambridge will officially open Brains Brewery before attending the Wales vs Ireland Six Nations Match as Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU).

Established in 1882, Brains is Wales’ biggest brewer and the official ale partner of the Welsh Rugby Union. His Royal Highness will be given a tour of their new Dragon Brewery, where he will meet production operatives, fill a 9-gallon cask of beer and hear about the brewery’s latest developments. The Duke will also meet with apprentices from a scheme that aims to help people out of long-term unemployment by training them as chefs in Brains pubs.

His Royal Highness will officially open the new Dragon Brewery building before departing for the Six Nations match at the Principality Stadium.

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Commonwealth Day Message from Her Majesty The Queen, Head of the Commonwealth

Theme: ‘A Connected Commonwealth’

Monday 11th March 2019

Commonwealth Day has a special significance this year as we mark the 70th anniversary of the London Declaration, when nations of the Commonwealth agreed to move forward together as free and equal members. The vision and sense of connection that inspired the signatories has stood the test of time, and the Commonwealth continues to grow, adapting to address contemporary needs.

Today, many millions of people around the world are drawn together because of the collective values shared by the Commonwealth. In April last year, I welcomed the leaders of our 53 nations to Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, and we all witnessed how the Commonwealth vision offers hope, and inspires us to find ways of protecting our planet, and our people.

We are able to look to the future with greater confidence and optimism as a result of the links that we share, and thanks to the networks of cooperation and mutual support to which we contribute, and on which we draw. With enduring commitment through times of great change, successive generations have demonstrated that whilst the goodwill for which the Commonwealth is renowned may be intangible, its impact is very real.

We experience this as people of all backgrounds continue to find new ways of expressing through action the value of belonging in a connected Commonwealth. I hope and trust that many more will commit to doing so this Commonwealth Day.

THE DUKE OF SUSSEX TO ATTEND VETERANS’ MENTAL HEALTH CONFERENCE

King’s College London

Thursday 14th March, 2019

The Duke of Sussex will attend the Veterans’ Mental Health Conference at King’s College London on Thursday 14th March.

The event, organised by the King’s Centre for Military Health Research with funding from the Forces in Mind Trust, will this year focus on evidence, innovation and practice. Experts in their field – from prominent academics and researchers and mental health practitioners through to journalists – will be brought together to share ideas around initiatives and best practice and discuss findings and progress on better supporting veterans’ mental health.

The Duke will join delegates to listen to the opening address by the Rt Hon Tobias Ellwood, Minister for Defence, People and Veterans, and presentations throughout the morning that will focus on international perspectives on military mental health. After the morning session concludes, His Royal Highness will have the chance to meet some of the conference speakers.

The King’s Centre for Military Health Research is the leading civilian UK centre of excellence for military health research. The Centre is co-directed by Professor Sir Simon Wessely and Professor Nicola Fear, who draw on the experience of their multidisciplinary team to produce relevant scientific research at the highest level.

The Duke of Sussex is passionate about promoting the welfare of those who are serving or who have served their country in the Armed Forces. His attendance at the conference is part of his on-going work at The Royal Foundation with the Heads Together campaign to change the national conversation on mental health, and his work in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence aimed at improving mental health support and training across the Defence community.

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