A message from The Queen to the President of Greece
“Prince Philip and I offer our deepest sympathies to the people of Greece in the wake of the devastating fires in Attica and across Greece.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the victims of this terrible tragedy and to all those who have lost their homes.
I pay tribute to the courage and dedication of the Greek emergency services and the volunteers that have provided support.”
Elizabeth R
A speech by The Duke of Sussex at the International AIDS Conference
Good morning everyone.
This conference has a proud history. For more than 30 years it has been a place where science, activism, government, and medicine have come together in the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
These communities have come together to rise to the big challenges the fight has required:
What we have learned, is we succeed when we put people at the heart of our strategies.
When we focus on the reality of the child born with the virus; when we respect the young woman at risk due to the behaviour of her partner;
When we try to understand the perspective of the man who lacks access to information and testing;
When we harness the huge potential of people living with HIV to help guide the delivery of services and the campaign against stigma;
And when we create platforms for young people to shape and direct the services they rely on;
When we do all of these things, we succeed in developing approaches that make a real and lasting difference.
I am honoured to be sharing the stage with someone who has always put people at the centre of his work – Sir Elton John.
For over a quarter century, Elton has worked tirelessly to fund research and services in communities around the world. And today, he has come to Amsterdam to announce his latest endeavour – a billion dollar global partnership to break the cycle of male transmission of HIV, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
We stand here at a moment when the progress we have fought so hard for is at risk from a dangerous complacency. Too many around the world are still ignoring the damaging knock-on effect on education and other community services from not prioritising HIV prevention and treatment.
This is a time when new, energetic and innovative solutions are needed more than ever before – and that is exactly what you are about to see from Elton and the Men Star Coalition partners.
This initiative is focused on the tough but essential work of truly changing mind-sets. Inspired by the growing alarm at the rate of new HIV infections among young women, this campaign is bravely tackling the root cause of this problem — the lack of awareness of HIV prevention amongst hard-to-reach young men. And it will be guided by listening to and respecting the voices of the young men the coalition is trying to reach.
I would like to congratulate the Elton John AIDS Foundation on convening this impressive coalition with major financial backing.
I am a firm believer that we must work together across agencies, charities, and industries to make change at scale.
To formally announce the Men Star Coalition, it is my honour to introduce my friend, Sir Elton John.
NEW PORTRAIT OF HRH THE PRINCE CHARLES, DUKE OF ROTHESAY, UNVEILED AT SCOTTISH NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
A stunning new portrait of HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay, will be unveiled in the Great Hall of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery (SNPG) in Edinburgh today (Tuesday 24 July 2018).
The portrait, painted in oil on linen, is the work of the distinguished artist Victoria Crowe and was painted at Birkhall on the Balmoral Estate in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland earlier this year. This is the first portrait of the Duke of Rothesay to enter the National Galleries of Scotland (NGS) collection.
Victoria Crowe OBE FRSE RSA (b.1945) is a widely admired artist whose practice encompasses portraiture, still life and landscapes. Portraits by her are included in a number of major public and private collections, including that of the National Galleries of Scotland.
The first major exhibition of Crowe’s portraits, Victoria Crowe: Beyond Likeness, which is now on show at the SNPG, will be a highlight of the 2018 Edinburgh Art Festival programme, which opens this week and runs until 26 August. Victoria Crowe: Beyond Likeness will continue until 18 November.
Crowe often uses objects and other personal symbols and sympathetic settings to evoke the personalities of her sitters, and the resulting portraits are richly layered with personal resonance and meaning. Numerous prominent cultural figures, ranging from actors, authors, publishers, composers and scientists, including Nobel Laureate Sir Peter Higgs, composer Thea Musgrave and astrophysicist Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell are among the sitters whose portraits are included in Beyond Likeness.
Victoria Crowe commented on her new portrait of The Duke of Rothesay: “This commission was a very great pleasure… I had four sittings at Birkhall. The first visit was intensely vivid, with beautiful light on the landscape, thick snow around and plummeting temperatures. His Royal Highness was extremely relaxed and generous during the sittings and we talked about painting, the Royal Drawing School and shared interests, as well as attitudes to conservation and ecology. The more we spoke the more I realised the importance Birkhall and the sanctuary it had provided. So, the landscape element of the painting became very specific. I felt that so much of his thinking was rooted in a deep love of the natural world… and indelibly linked with a philosophy of respect and sustainability. I was not painting a symbol of power or establishment but an engaging, thoughtful and sympathetic human being. Because of time constraints, I had to paint as directly as possible… no time for many sketches”.
Christopher Baker, Director of European and Scottish Art and Portraiture at the National Galleries of Scotland said: “We are delighted with this new portrait for the collection of the National Galleries of Scotland. It is a deeply thoughtful and sensitive portrayal of His Royal Highness and encompasses all the subtlety, insight and delight in painterly effects that Victoria Crowe’s work is rightly renowned for. It also perfectly complements the experience of seeing her impressive exhibition currently at the Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh. ”
THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE WILL ATTEND COMMEMORATIONS MARKING THE BATTLE OF AMIENS
Wednesday 8th August, 2018
The Duke of Cambridge will attend commemorations marking the centenary of the Battle of Amiens on Wednesday 8th August. The visit is being undertaken at the request of Her Majesty’s Government.
The event will be held at Amiens Cathedral, and is organised by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, in partnership with the Governments of Australia, Canada, France and the USA. The commemorations will tell the story of the Battle of Amiens, which heralded the Hundred Days Offensive and started the path to the Armistice in November 1918. Around 2,000 guests will attend the ceremony, which will feature readings including diary extracts, letters, poems and personal accounts from those who were there.
The Duke will give the opening reading at the ceremony, before meeting descendants of those who fought at the battle. His Royal Highness will also lay flowers in the Chapel of Allies alongside representatives from the partner countries, as a reaffirmation of friendship between the Allies, Germany and the city of Amiens.
Starting on 8th August 1918, the Battle of Amiens marked a turning point in the First World War. The Allied forces, made up of British, Australian, Canadian, French and US soldiers, advanced over seven miles on the first day of the battle, a campaign which eventually led to the signing of the Armistice. This ceremony is an opportunity to tell the stories of those who fought and to reflect on the significance of the Battle, which marked the beginning of the end of the First World War.
PHOTOGRAPH OF PRINCE GEORGE TO MARK HIS FIFTH BIRTHDAY
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to share a new photograph of Prince George to mark His Royal Highness’s fifth birthday.
The photograph was taken in the garden at Clarence House by Matt Porteous, following the christening of Prince Louis on Monday 9th July.
THE WEDDING OF PRINCESS EUGENIE OF YORK AND MR JACK BROOKSBANK
Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie of York and Mr. Jack Brooksbank will invite members of the public to join in the celebrations of their wedding on Friday 12th October.
The couple are delighted to announce an opportunity for 1,200 people from across the United Kingdom to be invited into the grounds of Windsor Castle to share the experience of their special day.
The attendees will view the arrival of the congregation and Members of the Royal Family, listen to a live broadcast of the Marriage Service and watch as the Bride and Groom depart St George’s Chapel at the end of the ceremony.
The newly married couple will then undertake a short carriage procession through part of Windsor High Street. The carriage will process through the grounds of Windsor Castle, departing via Castle Hill to proceed along part of the High Street before returning to the Castle via Cambridge Gate.
Members of the public are invited to apply for the positions in the grounds of Windsor Castle at https://publicevents.royal.uk
Also present in the Castle Grounds will be representatives of charities supported by Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, together with members of the Windsor community and children from the local schools which Her Royal Highness attended. Residents of Windsor Castle and a number of Royal Household staff will also be present.
THE CHRISTENING OF PRINCE LOUIS THE OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHS
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have released four official photographs to mark the christening of Prince Louis on Monday 9th July.
The photographs were taken by Matt Holyoak in the Morning Room and the garden at Clarence House, following Prince Louis’s baptism in The Chapel Royal, St. James’s Palace.
Matt Holyoak said: “I was truly honoured at being asked to take the official photographs at the christening of Prince Louis, and to witness at first hand such a happy event. Everyone was so relaxed and in such good spirits, it was an absolute pleasure. I only hope I have captured some of that joy in my photographs.”
Photograph One: Seated (left to right): Prince George, The Duke of Cambridge, Prince Louis, The Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte.
Standing (left to right): The Duke of Sussex, The Duchess of Sussex, The Duchess of Cornwall, The Prince of Wales, Mrs. Carole Middleton, Mr. Michael Middleton, Mrs. Pippa Matthews, Mr. James Matthews, Mr. James Middleton.
Photograph Two: Seated (left to right): The Duke of Cambridge, Prince George, Prince Louis, The Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte.
Standing (left to right): The Duchess of Cornwall, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Sussex, The Duchess of Sussex.
Photograph Three: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Photograph Four: The Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Louis.
THE QUEEN WILL MEET THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND MRS TRUMP AT WINDSOR CASTLE
13th July 2018
The Queen will meet the President of the United States of America and Mrs Trump at Windsor Castle on Friday 13th July 2018.
Her Majesty will welcome the President and Mrs Trump at the dais in the Quadrangle of the Castle. A Guard of Honour, formed of the Coldstream Guards, will give a Royal Salute and the US National Anthem will be played. The Queen and the President will inspect the Guard of Honour before watching the military march past. The President and First Lady will then join Her Majesty for tea at the Castle.
The Queen has received three other Presidents of the United States at Windsor Castle in recent times:
1. President and Mrs Obama (Windsor 2016)
2. President and Mrs George W. Bush (Windsor 2008)
3. President and Mrs Reagan (Windsor 1982)
The Queen has met eleven out of twelve serving US Presidents during Her Majesty’s Reign (President Johnson being the only one not met by The Queen).
The 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards is one of the British Army’s longest serving units. As well as operational duties, the Coldstream Guards also have a ceremonial role as The Queen’s Guard, protecting the Royal Palaces, including Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace. The Band of the Coldstream Guards is one of the oldest and best-known military marching bands in the world.
THE DUKE OF SUSSEX WILL VISIT THE RFU INJURED PLAYERS FOUNDATION
Twickenham Stadium, London
Wednesday 18th July, 2018
The Duke of Sussex will attend the RFU Injured Players Foundation’s annual Client Forum at Twickenham Stadium on Wednesday 18th July.
The RFU Injured Players Foundation (IPF) provides support and information to rugby players in England who have sustained catastrophic injuries playing the game, and help prevent future injuries through research and education. The charity’s assistance is available to any player and their families, from grassroots up to professional level, to empower them to lead their lives as fully and independently as they are able to.
The Client Forum is designed to enable injured players and their families to learn about the IPF’s support programmes, its research and try out some of the activities as part of the IPF Engage programme. It is also an opportunity for IPF clients to let the charity know what their priorities are and what they think of the IPF’s support so they can learn how to further improve their services.
The Duke will meet a number of the IPF’s clients as they take part in activities including archery, tennis and boccia, and will hear how these former rugby players have been supported by the charity following their life-changing injuries. The Duke will also meet a number of the charity’s partners, including rehabilitation organisations who work to support the players on their journeys to recovery.
The Duke of Sussex to attend International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam
The Duke of Sussex will attend the International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam on Monday 23rd and Tuesday 24th July. His Royal Highness will attend the event in his capacity as Patron of Sentebale.
The International AIDS Conference (AIDS2018) is the largest conference on any global health issue in the world. First convened during the peak of the AIDS epidemic in 1985, it continues to provide a unique forum for the intersection of science, advocacy, and human rights. Each conference is an opportunity to strengthen policies and programmes that ensure an evidence-based response to the epidemic. The Duke previously attended the Conference in Durban in 2016.
The Duke will join Sentebale’s ‘Let Youth Lead’ advocates on Monday afternoon to discuss the challenges of young people living with HIV and those affected by the epidemic in southern Africa. The Let Youth Lead advocacy programme aims to engage policymakers to drive positive change in HIV interventions that better support the younger generation. His Royal Highness will then attend a meeting with influential leaders from organisations working in HIV response.
On the second day of his visit, The Duke will join a plenary session with Sir Elton John to launch a new coalition of global AIDS funders – the MenStar Coalition. Founding partners include the Elton John AIDS Foundation, the U.S. government’s PEPFAR programme, the Global Fund for AIDS, TB & Malaria, UNITAID, Johnson & Johnson, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), Gilead and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. These organisations represent some of the most critical stakeholders working on HIV globally. The MenStar Coalition’s first initiative will be to launch a new HIV self-testing campaign aimed at young men in Kenya.
