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Their Majesties The King and Queen will Visit Brecon

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Royal Life Magazine
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The Prince of Wales, Patron for The Prince's Countryside Fund, visits bag maker Hayley Hanson, who creates sustainable leather bags and goods, and whose company has benefited from The Princes Countryside Fund Farm Resilience Programme, during a visit to Brecon in Wales, 2019.
The Prince of Wales, Patron for The Prince's Countryside Fund, visits bag maker Hayley Hanson, who creates sustainable leather bags and goods, and whose company has benefited from The Princes Countryside Fund Farm Resilience Programme, during a visit to Brecon in Wales, 2019.

THEIR MAJESTIES THE KING AND QUEEN WILL VISIT BRECON, WALES

Thursday 20th July 2023

Engagement 1:

Their Majesties The King and Queen will mark the Centenary Year of Brecon Cathedral, meeting Cathedral representatives and organisers of the Brecon Choir Festival.

Greeted by local children from Priory Church in Wales, Their Majesties will proceed inside the cathedral and meet members of the community who are involved in the life of cathedral, including Friends of Brecon Cathedral, of which His Majesty was patron as Prince of Wales.

Built in the 12th century, Brecon Cathedral, the mother church of the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon, is set in the only walled cathedral close in Wales – with a weekly congregation of 80, it hosts civic and military services.

Proceeding down the aisle, the King and Queen will have an opportunity to meet members of the congregation.

Their Majesties will then be seated for a short programme of music by performers from Brecon Choir Festival, including the winner of the Young Singer Award singing the Benedictus from Rod Paton’s Ascension Jazzmass – the Ascension Jazzmass was originally commissioned to celebrate 150 years of Bishop Otter College.

Their Majesties’ visit to Brecon coincides with the first day of the festival, which takes place from 20th to 23rd July.

The King and Queen will watch a solo performance from the Ascension Jazzmass which is the opening concert of this year’s festival. This will be accompanied by members from the Ascension and Cathedral choirs as well as musicians who are students of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, of which His Majesty was long-standing president as Prince of Wales.

Engagement 2:

The King and Queen will meet members of the local community and celebrate the local volunteering and public service sector at Theatr Brycheiniog, Canal Wharf, Brecon.

Their Majesties will first proceed to a field next to the theatre, situated in the canal basin in the centre of Brecon. Here, the King and Queen will see elements of Brecknock Agricultural Society’s annual show, of which His Majesty was patron as Prince of Wales.

Their Majesties will have the opportunity to see livestock, speak to local food and drink producers and meet representatives from Black Mountains College, a new college based in Brecon with courses specialising in adapting to the climate emergency.

While Their Majesties are speaking to representatives at the various stalls, Aberhonddu Male Voice Choir will be singing in the background.

Concluding the county show aspect of the visit, the King will be invited to add soil to an oak sapling which will later be replanted in Brecon County Showground.

Walking the short distance to the theatre, the King and Queen will join a reception. Guests will include Welsh Coronation Champions, members of Brecon Mountain Rescue Team (of which The Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh was patron), representatives from Brecon Women’s Festival and of the local health service.

Music during the reception will be provided by the Swing Strings Trio – three top Welsh Jazz musicians who are regular performers at the annual Brecon Jazz Festival, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this August.

Following the reception there will be a short performance by Theatr Brycheiniog’s Lunchtime Uplift Choir and the Alive & Kickin’ Community Choir Brecon.

Their Majesties will then be invited to unveil a plaque, marking the visit. It comes more than a quarter of a century after the then Prince of Wales opened the theatre in 1997.

Engagement 3:

His Majesty The King will visit Brecon Barracks, home to 160 Brigade, the regional army command for Wales. Brecon Barracks, Brecon.

Upon arrival, as the Royal Welsh Band march on to the square, His Majesty will be greeted by Brigade Commander, Brigadier Nick Thomas.

Based at the Brecon Barracks, the 160 Brigade have supported the people of Wales during the recent pandemic with UK Resilience Operations Joint Military Command leading on the delivery of support to the Welsh civil authorities. The brigade also stood up as Joint Military Command, Wales, supporting Operation London Bridge and the Coronation of Their Majesties.

The King will have the opportunity to meet Welsh military mascots, including the Royal Welsh Goat, Lance Corporal Shenkin IV and 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards Welsh Mountain Pony, Lance Corporal Emrys Forlan Jones.

His Majesty will then join an outdoor reception. The King will have the opportunity to meet the honour guard, 160 Brigade headquarter staff, Gurkha soldiers, and individuals from the Infantry Battle School.

His Majesty will then be invited to join a photograph, which will reflect the variety of military units and activity in Wales. Before departing the King will sign the visitors’ book.

Engagement 4:

Her Majesty The Queen will meet representatives and staff from Calan DVS, one of the largest domestic abuse charities operating in Wales, at a refuge.

The Queen will have the opportunity to meet clients and understand the work that Calan DVS offer throughout Wales.

Calan DVS is a domestic violence and abuse charity in Wales operating services for adults, children, and young people (CYP) across south, mid and west Wales. Calan’s objectives are to relieve the distress, suffering and poverty experienced by individuals and families exposed to domestic abuse and sexual violence, and to educate the public regarding the causes and effects of domestic abuse and methods of prevention.

The charity was incorporated in 2012 following a merger with Neath and Lliw Valley Women’s Aid followed by a merger with Amman Valley Women’s Aid, Radnorshire Women’s Aid and Brecknock Women’s Aid. As a result of the mergers, Calan has over 70-years sector experience.

Their specialist services include accommodation, community services, and perpetrator interventions.

The King will Visit The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight

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King Charles III arriving at Church of Christ the Cornerstone attend a reception for members of the local community and organisations during his visit to Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, to celebrate its new status as a city, awarded as part of the late Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations, February, 2023.
King Charles III arriving at Church of Christ the Cornerstone attend a reception for members of the local community and organisations during his visit to Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, to celebrate its new status as a city, awarded as part of the late Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations, February, 2023.

HIS MAJESTY THE KING WILL VISIT THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN MEMORIAL FLIGHT, LINCOLNSHIRE

Monday 24th July 2023

To commemorate the 80th anniversary of Operation Chastise, His Majesty The King will visit the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (B.B.M.F) and meet staff and World War Two veterans.

On arrival at the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (B.B.M.F), His Majesty will be received by Group Captain Billy Cooper, Station Commander at R.A.F. Coningsby and Group Captain Lewis Cunningham, Commander Hawk/Display at R.A.F. Coningsby.

In the hangar, His Majesty will be joined by the Officer Commanding B.B.M.F, Squadron Leader Mark Sugden, for a tour of the aircrafts that will be displayed and hear about their roles and operations during World War Two.

The Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight was founded at a formal ceremony held at RAF Biggin Hill, the Battle of Britain airfield in Kent, on 11th July 1957. The initial complement of aircraft was three PR Mk XIX Spitfires and the RAF’s last airworthy Hurricane, LF363. (Three of these four aircraft still serve with the BBMF today.)

In 1969, it was renamed the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and was formally established as a fully funded unit. The BBMF has continued to grow and now maintains and operates ten historic and irreplaceable Second World War era aircraft; an Avro Lancaster, a C-47 Dakota, six Spitfires, two Hurricanes and, in addition, flies two 1952 de Havilland Chipmunk T10 training aircraft.

His Majesty will also have an opportunity to meet B.B.M.F staff and World War Two veterans to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Operation Chastise, commonly known as the Dambusters Raid. The Operation was against German dams and carried out on the night of 16th and 17th May 1943 by 617 Squadron RAF Bomber Command, later called the Dam Busters.

Some of the veterans His Majesty will meet include Flt Sgt Henry Townsley DFM, who will turn 103 on Thursday 27th July. Flt Sgt Townsley served as a Lancaster Flight Engineer during the Second World War. His Majesty will also be introduced to 102-year-old WO Frank Tolley, who volunteered to join Bomber Command after seeing the destruction German air raids had caused in Coventry, and 101-year-old RAF Medical Officer Dr James Burt, who joined the RAF shortly after graduating from St Andrews and is one of the RAF’s oldest surviving medics from World War Two.

After signing a visitor book and joining a group photo in front of the Avro Lancaster, His Majesty will meet the 29 Squadron in front of Typhoons. 29 Squadron took part in the recent flypast for Trooping the Colour and made up the ‘CR’ formation.

King and Queen Celebrate the Work of William Shakespeare

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King Charles III and Queen Camilla wave from the Royal Box ahead of the concert at Windsor Castle in Windsor, May 7, 2023
King Charles III and Queen Camilla wave from the Royal Box ahead of the concert at Windsor Castle in Windsor, May 7, 2023

THE KING AND QUEEN WILL HOST A RECEPTION AT WINDSOR CASTLE TO CELEBRATE THE WORK OF SHAKESPEARE IN THE 400TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR OF THE FIRST FOLIO

Tuesday 18th July 2023

The King and Queen, accompanied by the Duchess of Edinburgh and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, will host a reception in the state rooms at Windsor Castle to celebrate the work of William Shakespeare, on the 400th anniversary of the publication of the first Shakespeare Folio.

As Prince of Wales, His Majesty became President of the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1991.

The First Folio, published in 1623, contains 36 plays, 18 of which would have been lost without its publication. A copy of the First Folio is held in the Royal Library at Windsor Castle and will be on display during the reception.

On arrival in the Waterloo Chamber, Their Majesties, with the Duchess of Edinburgh and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, will take their seats for a short performance given by actors and musicians from the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). The focus of the performance will be The World’s Volume: A Celebration of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s First Folio.

Actors including Dame Harriet Walter, Sir Simon Russell Beale, and Ray Fearon will perform extracts from the plays that would have been lost including Macbeth, Julius Caesar, As You Like It, Twelfth Night, Antony & Cleopatra, and The Tempest.

After the performance, Their Majesties and Their Royal Highnesses will meet the actors and musicians in the Grand Reception Room, as well as other members of the Royal Shakespeare Company including new co-artistic directors Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey.

Their Majesties and Their Royal Highnesses will then join a larger reception in St George’s Hall.

The Queen to Celebrate the 15th Anniversary of First Story

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The Duchess of Cornwall arrives at Peterborough Cathedral at the start of a day of visits to the city to promote reading and storytelling as part of her role as Patron of the National Literacy Trust, 2016.
The Duchess of Cornwall arrives at Peterborough Cathedral at the start of a day of visits to the city to promote reading and storytelling as part of her role as Patron of the National Literacy Trust, 2016.

HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN WILL HOST A RECEPTION TO MARK THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF FIRST STORY
Clarence House

Tuesday 11th July 2023

The Queen will host a reception at Clarence House to celebrate the 15th anniversary of First Story.

During the reception, the Queen will meet First Story guests, including beneficiaries, staff, trustees and supporters of the charity. Antonia Byatt, CEO of First Story will give a speech and a First Story Young Writer alumna will read a poem at the conclusion of the event.

First Story was founded in 2008 by the writer William Fiennes and Katie Waldegrave MBE, to provide opportunities for under-represented young people to participate in enriching creative writing activities. Her Majesty became Patron of First Story in 2011.

Since their founding in 2008, First Story has printed and distributed more than 550 anthologies of new writing by young people – amplifying diverse voices from under-represented backgrounds; an estimated 10,000 young people have benefited from the core provision; and First Story students’ writing has been broadcast on BBC radio stations locally and nationally. First Story young writers have gone on to win national competitions, one has founded a publishing company whilst others have recently published books with Usborne and Faber & Faber.

In the most recent academic year (2022/23):

• First Story has placed professional writers in 49 partner schools nationally.
• Almost 1,000 young people took part in the intensive Young Writers Programme.
• Over 240 young writers and 30 teachers from 15 partner schools across England attended the annual Young Writers Festival, held for the first time at Downing College, in partnership with the University of Cambridge.
• 1,232 students from across partner schools entered one of the national creative writing competitions (Six Word Story, 100 Word Story and Eco-poetry).
• First Story professionally produced and published 45 First Story group anthologies, which will be added to the collection of the British Library.

The Prince of Wales to attend United for Wildlife’s Screening of Rhino Man

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The Duke of Cambridge (left), alongside Lord Hague, hosts a meeting of the United for Wildlife Financial Taskforce at Mansion House in London ahead of an international conference on the illegal wildlife trade 2018.

THE PRINCE OF WALES TO ATTEND UNITED FOR WILDLIFE’S SCREENING OF RHINO MAN
Battersea, London

Tuesday 13th June 2023

The Prince of Wales will attend a private screening of RHINO MAN, hosted by United for Wildlife, at The Cinema in Battersea Power Station.

The Duchess of Edinburgh will also be present.

Directed by John Jurko II, the documentary, which marks the tragic murder of Anton Mzimba at the hands of wildlife traffickers, follows the training of the next generation of South African wildlife rangers and the crucial role they play in protecting rhinos from poachers and wildlife criminals.

The illegal trade of rhino horn continues to be a prominent part of the international illegal wildlife trade, which is now worth up to $20 billion annually. United for Wildlife was founded by Prince William and The Royal Foundation in 2014 to disrupt this transnational organised crime and make it impossible for traffickers to transport, finance, or profit from illegal wildlife products.

The United for Wildlife network facilitates the sharing of intelligence and information internationally between governments, law enforcement agencies and private sector organisations – especially in the transport and finance sectors – as well as supporting rangers and front-line conservation organisations. In the six years since creating its international transport and financial taskforces, the United for Wildlife network has contributed to nearly 500 law enforcement cases, over 300 arrests, over 200 seizures of wildlife products and has trained over 100,000 people.

Anton’s legacy, celebrated through the documentary, also highlights the dangers faced by wildlife rangers across Africa and around the world. Prince William marked the death of Anton in 2022 as the incident highlighted the threats faced by wildlife rangers on the ground fighting against organised criminal organisations.

Ahead of the documentary screening, His Royal Highness will meet those featured in the documentary, including Ruben and Marianne De Kock, Orlat Ndlovu, a wildlife ranger from the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, and Director and Producer John Jurko II.

Garter Day at Windsor Castle

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Prince William, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, King Willem-Alexander, King Felipe attending the Procession from the Garter Knights and Ladies to St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, on June 17, 2019
Prince William, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, King Willem-Alexander, King Felipe attending the Procession from the Garter Knights and Ladies to St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, on June 17, 2019

GARTER DAY AT WINDSOR CASTLE

Monday 19th June 2023

A service for the Most Noble Order of the Garter will be held in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, on Monday 19th June.

Members of the Royal Family will walk in procession to the chapel, and after the service, will depart by carriages for their return journey to the castle.

During the service, the Baroness Ashton of Upholland GCMG will be installed as a Lady Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, and the Lord Patten of Barnes CH will be installed as a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.

The Order of the Garter is the oldest and most senior order of chivalry in Britain, established by King Edward III nearly 700 years ago. The order includes the King, who is Sovereign of the Garter, the Queen, several members of the Royal Family, and eighteen Knights or Ladies chosen in recognition of their work. Knights of the Garter are chosen personally by the sovereign to honour those who have held public office, who have contributed in a particular way to national life or who have served the sovereign personally.

Supernumerary, or ‘Stranger’ Knights, are overseas monarchs appointed to the order, and are in addition to the twenty-four knights or ladies. The King of Spain and the King of the Netherlands were both installed as members of the order at the Garter Day service in 2019.

The appointment of the Baroness Ashton of Upholland and the Lord Patten of Barnes was announced on 23rd April 2023.

The Right Honourable the Baroness Ashton of Upholland, GCMG PC (b. 1956) is a former Labour government minister and European Union diplomat, who served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department of Education and the Ministry of Justice between 1999 and 2007.

Baroness Ashton was appointed a Dame Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael and St. George in the 2015 New Year Honours for services to international diplomacy. She has served as the order’s King of Arms and is currently Chancellor of the Order.

The Right Honourable the Lord Patten of Barnes, CH PC (b. 1944) is a former Conservative Member of Parliament who became the final Governor of Hong Kong from 1992-1997. Lord Patten was first elected as an MP in 1979 and served across government for over two decades, including as Secretary of State for the Environment and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, as well as Conservative Party chairman.

Lord Patten was Chairman of the BBC Trust between 2011 and 2014 and was appointed a Companion of Honour in 1998. He served as Chancellor of Newcastle University between 1999-2009 and was elected Chancellor of Oxford University in 2003, a post he still holds.

The King, accompanied by The Princess Royal, will present a new Sovereign’s Standard to The Blues and Royals

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The Coronation Procession travels along The Mall following the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in London, 2023
The Coronation Procession travels along The Mall following the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in London, 2023

HIS MAJESTY THE KING, ACCOMPANIED BY HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCESS ROYAL, WILL PRESENT A NEW SOVEREIGN’S STANDARD TO THE BLUES AND ROYALS AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE

Thursday 15th June 2023

His Majesty The King, Head of the Armed Forces, accompanied by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, Royal Colonel of The Blues and Royals, will present a new Sovereign’s Standard to The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons) on Thursday 15th June.

The presentation will take place in the Quadrangle of Buckingham Palace, ahead of the regiment’s role providing the Sovereign’s Escort at The King’s Birthday Parade – the first of His Majesty’s reign – on Saturday 17th June 2023.

Thirty-five service personnel and 27 military working horses will be on parade in the Quadrangle for the presentation of the new standard, which normally takes place every decade. The Blues and Royals were last presented their standard by Queen Elizabeth II in May 2014.

The King’s arrival in the Quadrangle of Buckingham Palace will be announced by a fanfare, following which His Majesty will receive a royal salute from The Blues and Royals.

The new standard will then be consecrated by the Chaplain General before it is presented by the King to the regiment. The standard will be given to The Sovereign’s Escort, and the mounted troop will then offer a second royal salute.

The new standard of The Blues and Royals will be used on public parade for the first time on 17th June for The King’s Birthday Parade. At the parade, the regiment will provide a mounted Sovereign’s Escort for His Majesty from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade.

This year, the Welsh Guards’ colour will be trooped at The King’s Birthday Parade, which will involve all seven regiments of the Household Division.

His Majesty The King Will Visit Pickering

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The royal train arrives at London Euston Station ready to carry the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on a tour across the UK, 2021.

HIS MAJESTY THE KING WILL VISIT PICKERING

Monday 12th June 2023

In celebration of its 100th anniversary, the Flying Scotsman will pull the Royal Train into Pickering Heritage Railway Station, the southern terminus of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

After meeting shop owners on Pickering’s Market Place, His Majesty will visit St Peter and St Paul’s Church to view its collection of medieval wall paintings.

To mark the 100th anniversary of Flying Scotsman and the 50th anniversary of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, the Royal Train will be pulled into Pickering Heritage Railway Station by the famous locomotive.

The Flying Scotsman started life as just another of Sir Nigel Gresley’s A1 class of locomotives but is now considered one of the most famous locomotives in the world and officially the first locomotive to reach 100mph. Friday, 24th February 2023 marked 100 years since Flying Scotsman entered service.

On the platform at Pickering Heritage Railway Station, His Majesty will walk down the platform, meeting the custodian of Flying Scotsman Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill, and Mrs Judith McNicol, Director of the National Railway Museum, which is home to the Flying Scotsman.

After viewing the footplate of the Flying Scotsman, His Majesty will have an opportunity to meet staff and volunteers who have helped the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and Flying Scotsman reach its significant milestone. Amongst those who will be met include volunteers with over fifty years’ service, apprentices, and a diesel fitter.

At the ticket hall, the Chief Executive of North Yorkshire Moors Railway Mr Chris Price will say a few words before His Majesty unveils a plaque commemorating the 50th anniversary.

After departing Pickering Heritage Railway Station, His Majesty will have an opportunity to visit local shops on Pickering’s Market Place including Birdgate Chocolatiers, a handmade chocolatier and ice-cream shop that uses locally-sourced ingredients and Horsley Butchers which sells produce from the Duchy of Lancaster.

After meeting shop owners, His Majesty will head into St Peter and St Paul’s Church, a parish church which is part of the Church of England Diocese of York. The wall paintings of St Peter and St Paul’s Church, commissioned around 1450, are one of the most complete sets of medieval wall paintings in Britain and were only first accidentally rediscovered behind plaster in 1852. Depictions on the wall include those of St George slaying the dragon, the biblical story of the beheading of John the Baptist, the Coronation of the Virgin Mary, the seven Corporal Acts of Mercy and The Passion and Crucifixion of Christ.

On a tour of the church with its vicar, Reverend Gareth Atha and Dr Kate Giles Co-Director of the Centre for the Study of Christianity and Culture and Senior Lecturer at the University of York, His Majesty will hear more about the significance of the medieval paintings.

Before departing, His Majesty will sign a visitors’ book. The last royal visit to the church was in 1937 by Queen Mary.

North Yorkshire Moors Railway
North Yorkshire Moors Railway is one of the earliest and most historic lines in the North of England, taking visitors on picturesque journeys along an 18-mile railway line aboard steam and heritage diesel trains. The railway passes through stunning scenery, from wooded valleys to beautiful countryside, stopping at villages and seaside locations.

The line was registered as a charity under the title of the North York Moors Historical Railway Trust on 14th February 1973 before being officially opened by the Duchess of Kent later that year.

The King’s Birthday Parade (Trooping The Colour)

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Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles during 2022 Trooping the Colour celebrations, marking the monarch's official birthday and her 70 year Jubilee, in London, 2022.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles during 2022 Trooping the Colour celebrations, marking the monarch's official birthday and her 70 year Jubilee, in London, 2022.

The King’s Birthday Parade (Trooping The Colour)

Saturday 17th June 2023

His Majesty The King will take the Salute as Colonel in Chief of the seven regiments of the Household Division, at the Birthday Parade on Horse Guards Parade, on Saturday 17th June 2023.

Marking the first time that the reigning Monarch has ridden at Trooping the Colour since 1986, when Queen Elizabeth II last rode, The King will join His Majesty’s Birthday Parade on horseback.

The Parade will move from Buckingham Palace, down The Mall to Horse Guard’s Parade, where The King will be greeted by a Royal Salute and will carry out an inspection of the military on parade.

His Majesty will be joined by Her Majesty The Queen and Members of the Royal Family to view the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards Troop their Colour. The Sovereign’s Escort will be provided by The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals.

Following the Parade, The King, accompanied by The Queen and Members of the Royal Family, will return to Buckingham Palace for the March Past and the fly-past, which will conclude the day’s celebrations.

The annual event of Trooping of the Colour has marked the official birthday of the Sovereign for more than 260 years.

The King and Queen will Mark the Windrush 75th Anniversary

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A statue designed by Jamaican artist and sculptor Basil Watson, unveiled by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Waterloo Station, to mark the Windrush generation, 2022.
A statue designed by Jamaican artist and sculptor Basil Watson, unveiled by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Waterloo Station, to mark the Windrush generation, 2022.

THEIR MAJESTIES THE KING AND QUEEN WILL MARK THE WINDRUSH 75TH ANNIVERSARY

Wednesday 14th June 2023

Their Majesties The King and Queen will host a reception at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the Windrush Generation and mark the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush.

The King and Queen will unveil ten portraits of Windrush elders, newly commissioned by His Majesty. The portraits will be unveiled in the presence of the sitters, their families, and the artists. Their Majesties will then meet the project’s supporters and will join a group photograph of the artists and the sitters, before meeting other guests at the reception.

The Windrush Portraits Project
His Majesty, as Prince of Wales, commissioned the Windrush portraits in 2022, acknowledging the tremendous impact of the Windrush Generation on the United Kingdom. The sitters were selected by the Windrush Portraits Committee, appointed by His Majesty and chaired by Baroness Floella Benjamin, OM DBE, along with Paulette Simpson, CBE, Bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin, MBE and Rudolph Walker CBE. The portraits were undertaken by Black artists personally selected by His Majesty.

Windrush
In 1998 His Majesty, as Prince of Wales, led the way during national Windrush celebrations by hosting a reception in the state apartments at St James’s Palace to mark the 50th anniversary of Windrush. His Majesty (then HRH) believed it was important to mark the contribution made by the Windrush Generation to British society.

In his speech on that occasion, the former Prince of Wales said, “I attach huge importance to the distinctive contribution which you, your families and the wider black community make to British life”.

In 2020, His Majesty as Prince of Wales sent a message of thanks to Britain’s Caribbean community on Windrush Day. The full video can be found here: https://youtu.be/w-YbyVKy74k

BBC Arts Documentary
On 6th June 2023, BBC Arts announced a 75-minute documentary to commemorate National Windrush Day, entitled ‘Windrush: Portraits of a Generation’. The documentary will air on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer on 22nd June 2023 (Windrush Day).

Throughout the programme, viewers will hear testimony from the sitters, about their experiences of arriving in Britain. The film also follows the making of the portraits, as artist and sitter come together, with the artists reflecting on their own experience of undertaking this special commission.

Royal Collection Trust Exhibition
Following the reception, the ten Windrush portraits, part of the Royal Collection, will go on display at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh from 22nd June to 16th October 2023, and at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace from 10 November 2023 to 14 April 2024, in an exhibition entitled ‘Windrush: Portraits of a Pioneering Generation’. Further locations may be added in due course.

Thursday 22nd June 2023

His Majesty The King will attend a service for young people to recognise and celebrate the Windrush 75th anniversary at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.

The congregation in St George’s Chapel will be made up of 300 young people from schools across England as well as representatives from the Prince’s Trust, the Prince’s Foundation, Project Zero and the Amos bursary.

A choir from St Martin-in-the-Fields High School for Girls will sing, and poetry will be recited by school children. Students from the Royal Drawing School will capture the proceedings on paper.

Following the service, His Majesty will meet members of the congregation and the choir.

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