The Duchess of Cambridge Will Attend the Portrait Gala 2017
Nation Portrait Gallery, London

Tuesday 28th March

The Duchess of Cambridge, will attend the 2017 Portrait Gala, held at the National Portrait Gallery in London. Her Royal Highness will view the newest exhibitions during the reception, and meet a selection of guests, many of whom will have contributed to this important event, before attending the Gala dinner.

The Duchess, who has been Patron of the Gallery since 2012, will view two exhibitions; Howard Hodgkin: Absent Friends, and Gillian Wearing and Claude Cahun: Behind the mask, another mask, where Her Royal Highness will be hosted by Gillian Wearing, who will explain the significance of the works featured.

To mark the Gala, and help raise funds during the evening, a range of artwork has been especially created, including 10 unique masks by the likes of Dame Vivienne Westwood and Philip Treacy, and 100 postcard sized works of art for a Mystery Portrait Postcard Sale. Her Royal Highness will have the opportunity to view both of these special collections during the evening.

This is the second Gala that The Duchess has attended and, as in previous years, the funds raised will directly support the National Portrait Gallery’s work in delivering inspirational exhibitions and displays, offering unique learning opportunities and undertaking world class research.

The 2017 Gala is fundraising for Coming Home, a project that will make it possible for portraits of iconic individuals to return to places that are special to them for a loan period of over three years. Coming Home will enable sitters such as Sir Walter Raleigh to return to Dorset, the Brontë sisters to Yorkshire and David Beckham to Essex.

For more information on the National Portrait Gallery please click here.

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

This Commonwealth Day, a baton will set out from Buckingham Palace and begin a long and extraordinary journey. Over the next twelve months, the Baton will visit people living in the nations and territories of our Commonwealth family in every continent and ocean.

Carried on its way by thousands of people of all ages and backgrounds, by the time it reaches its final destination, The Queen’s Baton will have brought together through its route and symbolism, almost 2.5 billion people who share the special connection of being Commonwealth citizens.

Contained within the Baton will be a written message that will be opened and read at the Commonwealth Games in Australia next year. However, there is an even more powerful message to be seen and experienced as the Baton passes from hand to hand, from seashore to mountaintop, through cities, towns, and villages. It is the message of a peacebuilding Commonwealth.

The cornerstones on which peace is founded are, quite simply, respect and understanding for one another. Working together, we build peace by defending the dignity of every individual and community.

By upholding justice and the rule of law, and by striving for societies that are fair and offer opportunities for all, we overcome division and find reconciliation, so that the benefits of progress and prosperity may be multiplied and shared.

As members of the Commonwealth family we can find much to be thankful for in the inheritances we have received from those who came before us. Through consensus and cooperation great things have been achieved.

We can find further reward and fulfilment by continuing to collaborate with others in a spirit of goodwill to build a peaceful and abundant future for all Commonwealth citizens.

Prince Harry to visit Queen’s Commonwealth
Canopy Project at Epping Forest

Wednesday 15th March 2017

Prince Harry will visit Epping Forest to view the Wood Pasture Restoration Project which is part of The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy (QCC) on Wednesday 15th March.

Launched in 2015, the QCC is a conservation initiative which aims to create a global network of indigenous forests to benefit communities and wildlife, now, and into the future. The forestry sites dedicated to the QCC will be preserved in perpetuity to mark Her Majesty’s lifetime of service to the Commonwealth.

Epping Forest, which is managed by the City of London Corporation, is London’s largest open space, and an ancient woodland located within an busy urban environment that covers around 2,400 hectares. It is home to over a million trees, 50,000 of which are ancient pollards. For over 1,000 years, the forest has been grazed by cattle and other animals and together with traditional tree management practices, such as pollarding, this has helped to shape a distinctive forest landscape and unique biodiversity. The tradition of cattle grazing in the forest has steadily declined throughout the 20th century, which has adversely impacted the local ecology.

Prince Harry will visit the forest to learn about the area’s natural and historic heritage, and to see the work that is being undertaken as part of the QCC project. This includes efforts to reinstate cattle grazing across 600 hectares of the forest using satellite collars and fenceless grazing technology. HRH will also receive a briefing on wood pasture management and meet arborist teams involved with ancient tree conservation work.

Prince Harry will also see areas of the forest which are used for recreation and enjoyment. HRH will meet local school children involved in a range of education conservation activities aimed to provide wildlife experiences and increase awareness of the value of indigenous forests. The activities will include conducting tree investigations, identifying plant health problems and pond dipping.

Steeped in Royal history, Epping Forest was opened in 1882 by Queen Victoria when she made a public address under the Queen’s Oak Tree, to dedicate the forest to “the use and enjoyment of my people for all time”.

To conclude the visit, His Royal Highness will plant a tree and gather with school children under the Queen’s Oak Tree to mark the Epping Forest QCC dedication.

In 2016, Prince Harry visited five QCC dedications during his visit to the Caribbean, including projects in Antigua and Barbuda, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada.

Launched by The Queen at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Malta in 2015, an appeal was made to all 52 Commonwealth nations to contribute areas of indigenous forest to be preserved in perpetuity to mark Her Majesty’s lifetime of service to the Commonwealth.

Since then, 21 Commonwealth countries have dedicated forestry projects or are planting new forests, with another 10 countries in the process of finalising submissions. By the time of CHOGM in 2018, which is to be held in the United Kingdom, it is expected that all nations of the Commonwealth will have joined the QCC initiative to create a global network of indigenous forests to benefit communities and wildlife, now, and into the future.

In November 2016, The Queen held a reception at Buckingham Palace to acknowledge the countries that have dedicated projects by presenting High Commissioners with a certificate of QCC partnership.

Epping Forest was dedicated to the QCC by the City of London Corporation in 2016. Conceived by the Right Honourable Frank Field MP, the QCC is a partnership between the Royal Commonwealth Society, Cool Earth and the Commonwealth Forestry Association.

The City of London Corporation protects and conserves 18 major green spaces in London and south east England – including two ancient woodlands – and over 200 smaller ones in the Square Mile. They include important wildlife habitats, sites of scientific interest and national nature reserves.

 Prince Harry to Visit Leicester 

Tuesday 21st March, 2017

Prince Harry will travel to Leicester on Tuesday 21st March to visit three local projects; Yes You Can, Leicestershire Aids Support Service (LASS) and the Pink Lizard. His Royal Highness will see how the Yes You Can and Pink Lizard programmes engage with and empower young people from the local communities, and how LASS, which this year is celebrating its 30th birthday, provides vital support to those who are living with or affected by HIV.

Prince Harry will firstly visit the Yes You Can project at Hamilton Community College. The 20-week personal development programme, which is delivered by Kainé Management and operates within seven secondary schools around Leicestershire, uses peer mentors between the ages of 16 and 25 to inspire and meet the needs of Year 8 pupils who are underperforming by overcoming barriers to learning, raising aspirations, and helping to close attainment gaps for at risk groups. The project also has a strand – the ‘I Have A Dream’ programme – which empowers primary school children to be resilient in achieving their dreams as they transition to secondary school. Prince Harry will meet mentors and children from the two programmes at Hamilton College, and hear more about how the project has helped the young people to turn their lives around and reach their goals.

His Royal Highness will then travel to LASS, the HIV charity for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. LASS provides information, advice, support and advocacy services for people who are living with or affected by HIV, and also raises HIV awareness through training and workshops. The charity, which Diana, Princess of Wales, visited in 1991, also works in partnership with other local agencies to challenge the stigma and discrimination faced by people living with HIV. On arrival Prince Harry will join a discussion with LASS service users affected by HIV, and attend a training session with the charity’s partner organisations to examine how they can support people affected by HIV to lead happy, healthy lives. His Royal Highness will then meet service users and volunteers over lunch in the LASS canteen, before unveiling a commemorative plaque to mark the charity’s 30th birthday.

Prince Harry will lastly visit the Pink Lizard, a youth and community organisation based in the Saffron Lane estate in Leicester. The organisation’s main aim is to support young people living in deprived communities by developing and delivering learning opportunities which are uplifting, interesting and fun. It uses sport to build confidence, tackle negative behaviour patterns, and help get young people back into education, training or employment. Pink Lizard has been supported by the sport for development charity Sported for a number of years, as part of the membership organisation’s ongoing commitment to strengthen grassroots community groups across the UK. Prince Harry will meet a number of young people from the local community taking part in a sports training session at the Southfields Drive Sports Centre, and will hear how Pink Lizard’s programmes and services have helped these young people to develop essential skills for career progression.

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The Queen, accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh, and The Duke of Kent, will re-open the National Army Museum, Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea.

Thursday 16th March 2017

Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh and His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent, will re-open the National Army Museum (NAM), London on Thursday 16th March.

Upon arrival, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will be greeted by The Duke of Kent, who will have arrived separately in advance. The Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London (Mr. Kenneth Olisa) will present General Sir Richard Shirreff (Chairman, NAM), Mrs. Janice Murray (Director General, NAM), Cllr. Elizabeth Rutherford (Mayor of Kensington and Chelsea) and General Sir Nicholas Carter (Chief of the General Staff).

After these presentations, the Royal Party move into the museum and will first visit the Army Gallery where, amongst other items on display, The Queen will view Her Majesty’s own uniform from when she held the honorary commission of Brigadier in the Women’s Royal Army Corps (WRAC) 1949-1953.  The museum acquired the uniform in 1993, following the disbandment of the WRAC in 1992.

Afterwards, the Royal Party will move into the café area to meets donors and shortly after, staff and volunteers outside the Soldier gallery. The Queen and Their Royal Highnesses will then move through the atrium area onto a stage where words of welcome will be made by the Chairman. Short speeches will also be made by the Chief of the General Staff and Sir Peter Luff (Chair, National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Heritage Lottery Fund).

Sir Peter will then invite The Queen to officially re-open the National Army Museum by unveiling a plaque.  The Royal Party will then move outside via the front entrance where Her Majesty will receive a posy from a child of a serving member of the Armed Forces, before departing the National Army Museum.

The National Army Museum will re-open to the public on 30 March 2017 after a three-year £23.75 million re-development project. The Chelsea-based museum has been transformed into five bright thematic galleries – Solider, Army, Battle, Society and Insight – that provide a space to explore and discuss the British Army and its relevance to society from fashion and films to flood defences and, of course, conflict.

Founded in 1960 by Royal Charter and established for the purpose of collecting, preserving and exhibiting objects and records relating to the Land Forces of the British Crown it is a museum that moves, inspires, challenges, educates and entertains.  The museum seeks to tell the story of the British Army, the personal experiences of the soldiers who have served in it and to connect the British public and its Army demonstrating how the role of the Army and its actions are still relevant today.

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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Will Attend St Patrick’s Day Parade
Cavalry Barracks, Hounslow

Friday, 17th March 2017

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 Friday, 17th March 2017.

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.

To find out more about the Irish Guards, click here.

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The Queen, accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh, will open the new headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, London

Thursday 23rd March 2017

Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, will open the new headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, New Scotland Yard, Victoria Embankment, London on Thursday 23rd March.

Upon arrival, The Queen and The Duke will be greeted by Acting Commissioner Craig Mackey and Commissioner-Elect Cressida Dick. The Royal Party will proceed past a display of police vehicles and two police horses into the building where they will view a selection of historical items, including a WWII uniform of a female PC and an operational order for the Coronation. After viewing plans of the new building Her Majesty and His Royal Highness will watch a demonstration of a bomb disposal robot.

The Queen and The Duke will proceed to the 8th floor where they will meet officers demonstrating “A day in the life of the Met”, featuring search dogs and uniformed staff – including a dog handler, forensic specialist and a special constable. Her Majesty and His Royal Highness will be shown items on display including plans of a crime scene and seized weapons. The Royal Party will then move to the balcony to view the Thames and Westminster skyline.

The Queen and The Duke will attend a brief reception for staff, bravery award winners, officers and partner organisations before returning to the ground floor. The Acting Commissioner will say a few words of thanks and The Queen will unveil a plaque and receive a posy before departing.

The Metropolitan Police Service was founded by Sir Robert Peel in 1829 to serve and protect the people of London. Currently the Met polices 620 square miles and serves more than eight million people across 32 boroughs in one of the world’s most dynamic and diverse cities. With more than 43,000 officers and staff the Met is the UK’s largest police service.

The original task of organising the new service was given to two Commissioners, Colonel Charles Rowan and Richard Mayne. They occupied a private house at 4 Whitehall Place, the rear premises of which were used a police station and backed on to “Great Scotland Yard”.

In 1890 the headquarters moved to a new building on Victoria Embankment which became known as “New Scotland Yard”. By 1967 the cramped Victorian offices meant a further move to a more modern building was needed so the headquarters was moved again to the present site at Broadway and the name New Scotland Yard was given to the building.

The Met began to move into the refurbished building on the Victoria Embankment in November 2016 when the building was officially renamed as New Scotland Yard. Approximately 600 staff are based in the new HQ. They were followed by the iconic revolving sign, designed by artist Edward Wright in 1968. The font is unique to New Scotland Yard, matching all the signs and room numbers within the building. The sign revolves around 5,000 times a day and the revolving triangular shape and reflective steel lettering were designed to be ‘symbolic of the Met’s constant vigilance in guarding our safety’.

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Prince Harry Joins Veterans’ Mental Health Conference
with Heads Together 

KING’S COLLEGE, LONDON

Thursday 16th March 2017

Prince Harry will attend the Veterans’ Mental Health Conference at King’s College London on Thursday 16 March, where he will lead a panel discussion with three veterans on the benefits of having open conversations and getting the right support for a range of mental health issues.

The event is organised by the King’s Centre for Military Health Research with Forces in Mind Trust. Prince Harry is attending as part of the Heads Together campaign to change the conversation on mental health which he leads with The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and which includes Contact, the military community mental health coalition. Contact aims to make it easier for veterans, service personnel and families to find the right help for the full range of mental health issues, including anxiety and depression.

The Prince will open the conference by leading a panel discussion with three former members of the UK and US Armed Forces: Caroline Buckle, Ivan Castro and Philip Eaglesham. They will have a group discussion about their personal experiences of addressing and managing mental health challenges, and the importance of the Armed Forces community working together to encourage an open attitude about mental health.

Prince Harry will then join delegates to listen to presentations throughout the morning which offer international perspectives on military mental health in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States of America. King’s Centre for Military Health Research is the leading civilian UK centre of excellence for military health research. The conference includes contributions from academics and experts in health, the military, and military support services.

After the morning session concludes, Prince Harry will also have the chance to speak to Ivan Castro, a US veteran who was blinded in Iraq, and Karl Hinnet, a UK veteran badly burned while also serving in Iraq. Karl and Ivan are running together in the Boston Marathon, for Heads Together, before taking on the 2017 Virgin Money London Marathon as part of Team Heads Together, six days later. Heads Together is the Marathon’s Charity of the Year.

Contact is a collaboration of leading military charities, support organisations, the NHS, the Ministry of Defence and top academics working together to make the most effective mental health support easily accessible to Service Personnel, Ex-Service Personnel and their families. The Contact coalition incorporates: Big White Wall; Cobesco; Combat Stress; Help for Heroes; Kings Centre for Military Health Research; Kings College London; Ministry of Defence; NHS Wales; NHS England; The Royal British Legion; Uk Psychologolical Trauma Society; Walking With the Wounded; Veterans First Point.

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The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall to Visit Europe to Celebrate Links between the UK and Romania, Italy, The Holy See and Austria

29th March – 6th April 2017

The Tour will highlight the UK’s relationship with European partners in areas including social cohesion, military ties and combatting human trafficking.

The British Government has asked The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall to visit Europe between 29th March and 6th April 2017. The Tour will begin in Romania – The Prince will visit Bucharest and the surrounding area from 29th-31st March. The Prince and Duchess will then undertake engagements in Italy and the Holy See from 31st March – 5th April and in Vienna from 5th-6th April.

The Prince of Wales has visited Romania officially once before. His Royal Highness has visited Italy officially 19 times, and The Duchess of Cornwall has visited once. The Prince has undertaken two previous visits to the Vatican, and The Duchess of Cornwall one. His Royal Highness has visited Austria officially 3 times and this will be The Duchess’s first official visit.

Engagement highlights include:

– A visit to The Holy See, where The Prince and Duchess will meet His Holiness Pope Francis, and will tour the Vatican.

– A trip to Amatrice in central Italy where The Prince will meet some of those affected by the earthquake which hit the region in August 2016. His Royal Highness will talk to local families, emergency service personnel and some of those co-ordinating the reconstruction effort.

– In Florence, TRHs will visit the British Institute of Florence and attend a dinner to celebrate the centenary of the Institute. During the dinner, His Royal Highness will be presented with a ‘Renaissance Man of the Year’ Award, which is an annual award given by the Palazzo Strozzi Foundation.

– On the theme of social cohesion, The Duchess of Cornwall will visit ‘La Gloriette’, a villa in Naples which has been confiscated from the mafia and now houses a project to help young people socialize and integrate into their community.

– His Royal Highness will meet the President of Romania, and Their Royal Highnesses will meet the Presidents of Italy and Austria.

– His Royal Highness will pay his respects at the national war memorial in Romania and in North East Italy, he will mark the centenary of the deployment of British Forces to the Austrian Front.

– During their visit to Austria, The Royal couple will celebrate the city’s unique cultural heritage, including a visit to the Musikverein and the Spanish Riding School.

– At several points during the tour, Their Royal Highnesses will learn about the work taking place to tackle human trafficking. In Bucharest and Vienna, The Prince will learn of the co-operation between the UK and other European countries in this area. In Florence, The Duchess of Cornwall will visit Associazione Progetto Arcobaleno, a project which helps immigrants and the impoverished, as well as the female victims of human trafficking, by providing language classes and career advice.

Additional engagements of the tour will include:

Romania
The Prince will visit the National Theatre in Bucharest to see the best of Romanian acting, music, dance and set design.

As Patron of The FARA Foundation, His Royal Highness will visit an orphanage run by the charity which transforms the lives of vulnerable and traumatised children and young people.

The Prince will also visit projects preserving traditional skills and vernacular architecture which complement the work of his own Foundation in Romania.

Italy
In Naples, The Duchess of Cornwall will visit Herculaneum, where she will hear how international partnerships and Italian expertise are transforming the archaeological site and surrounding communities.

In Florence, Their Royal Highnesses will sample some of the best ‘Slow Food’ that the region has to offer.

TRHs will also attend an event to recognise the work of The Prince’s ‘Campaign for Wool’, which raises awareness amongst consumers about the unique, natural, renewable and biodegradable benefits offered by the fibre.

In Rome, His Royal Highness will visit the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation to hear about their work to address the developing famine in the Horn of Africa and the contribution which has been made by UK aid.

Austria
In Vienna, the Royal couple will tour the world famous Wiener Musikverein, where they will see the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra rehearse and will view a number of original manuscripts by composers such as Mozart and Brahms from the Musikverein’s archives.

The Prince and Duchess will also visit an organic Heuriger and learn about the production of Austrian wine.

His Royal Highness will also visit the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe and will join discussions which are taking place on modern slavery and freedom of religion and belief.

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Kensington Palace: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will visit Paris 

 17th & 18th March 2017

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will undertake an official two-day visit to Paris on 17th and 18th March. Their Royal Highness’ visit is at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Full details of the visit will be announced in due course, but the itinerary will include a reception for young French leaders from a variety of fields, a formal dinner at the residence of Her Majesty’s Ambassador and attendance at the Wales v France Six Nations test at the Stade de France.

Friday, March 17th
Meeting with a French government representative
Further details will be announced in due course.

Reception hosted by Her Majesty’s Ambassador, British Embassy Paris 
The Duke and Duchess will attend a reception to mark the launch of “Les Voisins”, a celebration of UK-French links, hosted by Her Majesty’s Ambassador at the British Embassy Paris. Their Royal Highnesses will meet young French leaders from the arts, sport, fashion, business, and voluntary sectors, as well as young military award winners.

Dinner hosted by Her Majesty’s Ambassador, British Embassy Paris
The Duke and Duchess will attend a black tie dinner hosted by Her Majesty’s Ambassador.

Saturday, March 18th
Les Invalides
The Duke and Duchess will visit Les Invalides to hear more about the important historic and current role of the site, in particular its work supporting veterans and its rehabilitation programmes. Their Royal Highnesses will also meet a number of victims and first responders from the Bataclan and Nice attacks.

Wales vs France RBS Six Nations match, Stade du France
The Duke and Duchess will attend the Wales vs France RBS Six Nations match at the Stade du France. This will be His Royal Highness’s first engagement as Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union since Her Majesty The Queen stepped down as its Patron in December 2016.

More details to follow…

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