THE DUCHESS OF SUSSEX TO JOIN PANEL DISCUSSION WITH THE QUEEN’S COMMONWEALTH TRUST ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

King’s College London

Friday 8th March, 2019

On Friday 8th March The Duchess of Sussex will join a panel discussion convened by The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust to mark International Women’s Day. The event, hosted at King’s College London, will bring together a special panel of female thought-leaders and activists to discuss a range of issues affecting women today.

Those joining The Duchess for this unique panel include Annie Lennox OBE, founder of The Circle, an organisation supporting and empowering women’s lives around the world; Adwoa Aboah, founder of Gurls Talk, an open community where young girls can talk about the issues that matter to them; Julia Gillard, Former Prime Minister of Australia and Chair of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s College London; Chrisann Jarrett, Founder of Let us Learn; and Angeline Murimirwa, Executive Director of the Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED) in Africa and co-founder of CAMA, a pan-African network of young female leaders. The panel will be chaired by Anne McElvoy, Senior Editor of The Economist.

In front of an audience of students, opinion formers and young leaders, Her Royal Highness will join the panel to discuss the importance of International Women’s Day, and the spotlight it can bring to obstacles which still affect female empowerment across the world, including access to education and limitations within employment. The discussion will also cover the positive opportunities that come when women are given wider access and equal opportunity, whether that be in the UK or elsewhere in the world.

The panel will be hosted by The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, an organisation which exists to champion, fund and connect young leaders around the world who are serving their communities, providing solutions to problems, and hope, employment and self-employment opportunities for others. The Trust, of which Her Majesty The Queen is Patron and The Duke of Sussex President, is working in partnership with a number of organisations to reach and connect with young people worldwide, and support those that are the most vulnerable.

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THE DUKE OF SUSSEX TO ATTEND WE DAY UK

London

Wednesday 6th March, 2019

The Duke of Sussex will attend WE Day UK, a global initiative to encourage young people to take part in positive social change.

Over 12,000 students and teachers who have made a difference in their local and global communities will attend WE Day UK at the SSE Arena in Wembley for a full day of educational speeches, inspirational moments and show-stopping performances.

His Royal Highness will give a speech in his capacity as President of The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, a new organisation launched last year. The Commonwealth Trust champions, funds and connects young leaders who are leading social purpose ventures around the world by giving them a platform that takes their work seriously, funds their work, shares and amplifies their ideas. The Duke of Sussex is a keen advocate for young people to be seen as leaders and equal partners in making the world a better place.

Other speakers and performers on the day include WE co-founders Craig Kielburger and Marc Kielburger; model, actress and activist, Naomi Campbell; model, self care and mental health activist, Iskra Lawrence; hit singer-songwriter, Liam Payne; Grammy-nominated singer, Nicole Scherzinger; singer-songwriter and BRIT Award-winner, Tom Walker, and more to be announced. Students attending WE Day cannot buy a ticket to the event; they have to earn it through making a commitment to undertake at least one local and one global charitable act of their choice as part of the year-long school citizenship programme. In the 2017/2018 school year, over 4,000 UK schools and groups volunteered over 860,000 hours and collected over 115,000 kilos of food for local foodbanks through WE Schools. Together, finding their passion for taking action on causes including homelessness, food security, the environment, education and access to clean water.

The Duke has previously spoken on the WE Day stage at WE Day Toronto, September 2017 and at WE Day UK, March 2014.

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HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN WILL VISIT THE SCIENCE MUSEUM

Thursday 7th March 2019

Her Majesty The Queen will visit the Science Museum in London on Thursday 7th March to announce its summer exhibition, Top Secret, and unveil a new space for supporters, to be known as the Smith Centre.

Tracing its origins from the Great Exhibition in 1851, the Science Museum aims to ignite curiosity among visitors of all ages through iconic objects, exhibitions and stories of scientific achievement.

Her Majesty’s visit will celebrate the technology of communications. On display will be iconic objects, including an enigma machine, loaned to the Science Museum for Top Secret: From Ciphers to Cyber Security by GCHQ. Also present will be the original NeXT computer used by Sir Tim Berners-Lee to design the World Wide Web in 1989.

Upon arrival, The Queen will be greeted by primary school students participating in an activity with beebots – robots designed for use by young children. During the visit, Her Majesty will view objects connected with the Top Secret exhibition and meet school students involved in computer coding sessions.

Her Majesty will tour the Smith Centre to meet supporters and employees who will benefit from the new space, which will be used for networking, events and lectures. On display will be a painting by Terence Cuneo depicting an electrical engineering workshop. The Queen will unveil a plaque to officially open the Smith Centre, to conclude the visit.

Her Majesty has previously visited the Science Museum on a number of occasions, in 1938, 1996, 1988, 2006 and most recently in 2014, when The Queen opened the Information Age gallery by sending her first tweet.

With over three million visitors per year, The Science Museum’s world-class collection forms an enduring record of scientific, technological and medical advancement from across the globe.

The Smith Centre occupies a building originally constructed in 1890. The design reflects the rich history of the Museum across four rooms, preserving many of the building’s original features.

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THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE VISIT NORTHERN IRELAND

Thursday 28th February

On day two of their visit to Northern Ireland The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will spend the day in Ballymena, meeting with organisations that are working to create a bright future for the next generation.

Their Royal Highnesses will begin the day by meeting privately with officers and staff from the Police Service in Northern Ireland to hear about the unique challenges they face.

At the Braid Arts Centre Their Royal Highnesses will visit the charity Cinemagic, who have used film, television and digital technologies to engage with over 500,000 young people. The charity uses visual arts to increase opportunities and develop skills for young people from all backgrounds. The Duke and Duchess will take part in some of Cinemagic’s workshops to see the full range of training they provide.

Their final engagement of the day will be at Sure Start, a programme that supports parents with children aged under four years old living in disadvantaged areas in Northern Ireland. Their Royal Highnesses will see some of the different programmes that Sure Start provides to understand how the organisation supports parents and provides best practice for early years work.

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THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE VISIT NORTHERN IRELAND

Wednesday 27th February

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are visiting Belfast, Fermanagh and Ballymena on a two day trip [27th-28th February] that will celebrate the young people of Northern Ireland.

Day one will have a strong focus on the positive impact that sport, nature and the outdoors can have on childhood development, and improved physical and mental health for all.

Their Royal Highnesses will start the first day with a visit to Windsor Park football stadium, home of the Irish Football Association (IFA). The IFA run outreach programmes that benefit the mental and physical health of local communities. ‘Shooting Stars’ encourages young girls to play football and ‘Ahead of the Game’ works to support clubs and volunteers when dealing with mental health issues, with a focus on challenging the stigma and preventative measures.

In Fermanagh The Duke and Duchess will see the incredible work that the charity Extern is doing at their Roscor Youth Village, which is a residential activity centre for children referred to the charity by social workers or the Department of Justice. The site provides a safe space to help and support these young people, with particular emphasis on outdoor activities and developing independent living skills.

Ending the day back in Belfast at the iconic Empire Music Hall, Their Royal Highnesses will attend a party celebrating young people who are making a real difference in Northern Ireland. The band LARKS will take to the stage, and guests will encompass representatives from Northern Ireland’s business, arts and sport sectors, including Dame Mary Peters who was today appointed Lady Companion of the Most Noble of the Garter by Her Majesty The Queen.

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THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE TO VISIT BLACKPOOL

Blackpool, Lancashire

Wednesday 6th March, 2019

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will travel to Blackpool on Wednesday 6th March, visiting a series of innovative projects that are focused on investment and regeneration, as well as learning how the resort is leading the way in tackling some of the social and mental health problems faced by people in Britain today.

Their Royal Highnesses will first visit the iconic Blackpool Tower. In the surroundings of one of the UK’s most famous landmarks, The Duke and Duchess will join a roundtable briefing about the town’s recent history, the challenges, and the investment and regeneration efforts that are currently underway.

As Their Royal Highnesses depart Blackpool Tower they will spend time on ‘Comedy Carpet’ on the promenade to meet with members of the public gathered outside.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will travel to Blackpool Central Library where they will join two separate discussions focussing on issues and initiatives of particular relevance to each of their ongoing charitable interests.

The Duchess will continue her work on early childhood and join people involved in Blackpool’s ‘A Better Start’ programme, including health visitors, practitioners from the Family Nurse Partnership, and parents. The session, led by Merle Davies, the Director of Blackpool’s Centre for Early Child Development, will discuss the impact of long-term investment in mothers, fathers and children in their early years.

The Duke will meet people affected by problems around mental health, including issues such as homelessness and addiction, and meet people making a difference through the innovative work locally. He will also meet representatives of the emergency services and first responder community to learn more about how they are helping people with complex mental health needs.

For the final stop of the day, Their Royal Highnesses will visit Revoe Park, a recently revamped community garden and park that has been transformed thanks to involvement from ‘A Better Start’. The park had previously been a known location for drug use, in an area of significant deprivation, yet is now a great example of how a long-term community led initiative can transform lives and provide new opportunities. In particular the park is helping young children experience gardening and the outdoors, as well as providing space and activities that allow parents, particularly men, to talk about mental health.

Their Royal Highnesses will meet with volunteers who maintain the space and run activities in the park, including a carpentry workshop.

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THE DUKE OF SUSSEX TO VISIT BIRMINGHAM

Birmingham

Monday 4th March, 2019

The Duke of Sussex will visit Birmingham on Monday 4th March for two separate engagements.

His Royal Highness will first attend a dedication ceremony and officially open a memorial in Cannon Hill Park to the victims of the two terrorist attacks which took place in Tunisia in 2015. The memorial has been designed by George King Architects and overlooks the park’s boating lake. The centre piece of the memorial is a sculpture titled ‘Infinite Wave’ made up of 31 individual streams, each one representing the British nationals who lost their lives in the Bardo Museum attack in March 2015 and the Sousse attack in June 2015. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office have led on both the development of the memorial, which included a consultation with families on the design and location, and also the unveiling ceremony.

The memorial will be a place of remembrance, commemoration and reflection for the families of those injured and killed and following the ceremony His Royal Highness will attend a reception and meet some of the families of those affected by the attacks. In 2016 The Duke attended a Service of Solemn Commemoration at Westminster Abbey for the victims of the 2015 attacks where he gave a biblical reading.

His Royal Highness will then visit The Scar Free Foundation Centre for Conflict Wound Research based at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The Centre is a ground-breaking national facility that aims to minimise the psychological and physical impact of scarring among armed forces personnel injured in service and civilians wounded in terrorist attacks. More than 6,000 members of the British Armed Forces have been seriously injured or scarred in recent conflicts and veterans who have survived physical injury are at greater risk of experiencing mental health problems. The new centre will support the creation of bespoke psychosocial interventions to help veterans and their families adjust to living with scars.

The establishment of the Centre for Conflict Wound Research was led by The Scar Free Foundation in collaboration with the University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, as well as the Centre for Appearance Research at the University of the West of England, and the CASEVAC Club.

The CASEVAC Club, which was set up in 2017 with initial seed funding from The Royal Foundation, is an organisation set up by and for armed forces personnel wounded in recent conflicts. The Club, based on The Guinea Pig Club, aims to assist in the advancement of medical science and treatments for all, help others experiencing traumatic injury and provide wounded personnel with a close knit community.

During his visit The Duke will find out more about different techniques being developed by The Centre to help treat scars. This will include Decorin, a pro-healing protein being developed within a new biomaterial gel for use as an anti-scarring dressing, and laser therapy to correct historic scars. Before departing, His Royal Highness will also drop in on a workshop run by the UNITS study involving veterans and members of the CASEVAC Club. UNITS aims to better understand and address the psychological needs of military personnel affected by appearance altering conflict wounds and will be looking to recruit over 200 participants. The Duke will have the opportunity to find out more about the study, why participants have chosen to get involved, what they hope to get out of it and their hopes in terms of their own personal recovery.

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THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE TO OPEN THE MAYHEW THEATRE AT THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE DIPLOMATIC ACADEMY

London

Monday 4th March, 2019

The Duke of Cambridge will visit the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to open the Mayhew Theatre, a new state-of-the-art learning facility in the Diplomatic Academy building.

The Mayhew Theatre is an innovative new space for learning and development built in a previously unused courtyard within the FCO. The state-of-the-art technology within the theatre allows staff to join sessions virtually from across the world, and will be used to support the delivery of the Diplomatic Academy curriculums.

Opened in February 2015, the Diplomatic Academy is a centre of excellence, helping FCO staff to become part of the best diplomatic service in the world. The academy brings together knowledge and expertise across the FCO and other Whitehall departments with international responsibilities. The materials produced by the Academy reflect the requirements of modern diplomacy, covering topics such as International Policy, Security Defence & Intelligence, Economics, and Languages, amongst others. The new theatre will allow the Academy to improve their learning culture by bringing larger groups of people together, both physically and virtually, to share knowledge, expertise and skills.

The new facility is named after Lady Cicely Mayhew, one of the first women to be appointed to the British Diplomatic Service. Three of her four children will be in attendance during His Royal Highness’s visit to open the facility.

During the engagement, The Duke will have the opportunity to meet the Foreign Secretary, the Mayhew family as well as FCO staff from the Diplomatic Academy who have been involved in the delivery of the new learning space and those who have already benefitted from sessions within the facility.

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Her Majesty The Queen will give a reception to mark the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Investiture of The Prince of Wales

Tuesday, 5th March 2019

Her Majesty The Queen will give a reception to mark the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Investiture of The Prince of Wales on Tuesday 5th March 2019 at Buckingham Palace. Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and The Princess Royal will attend.

This special reception will mark The Prince of Wales’s fifty years of service to Wales, the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, and will be an opportunity to celebrate a range of Welsh charities, organisations and businesses.

Among the guests will be leading figures in Welsh and UK public life, as well as representatives from The Prince of Wales’s many Welsh charities and patronages, including The Prince’s Trust Cymru, Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod and the BBC National Orchestra & Chorus of Wales. The Archbishop of Canterbury will also give a speech to mark the Anniversary.

The Investiture Regalia worn by The Prince of Wales in 1969 will be on display, including the Investiture Coronet, Sword, Ring and Rod, as well as the Letters Patent for the creation of Charles, Duke of Cornwall as Prince of Wales in 1958.

The reception will culminate with a musical performance in the Ballroom by students from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, of which The Prince of Wales is Patron. The performance will include a new piece written for the anniversary by Welsh composer Paul Mealor, inspired by the legend of the Lady of Llyn y Fan, a mountain lake near The Prince of Wales’s Welsh home, Llwynywermod in Carmarthenshire.

Prince Charles was created The Prince of Wales aged 9 on July 26th 1958 and was formally invested with the title by Her Majesty The Queen on July 1st 1969 at Caernarfon Castle.

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THE DUKE OF SUSSEX TO VISIT 42 COMMANDO ROYAL MARINES AND CARRY OUT GREEN BERET PRESENTATION

Bickleigh and Dartmoor National Park, Devon

Wednesday 20th February, 2019

The Duke of Sussex, Captain General Royal Marines, will visit 42 Commando Royal Marines at their base in Bickleigh and then carry out a Green Beret presentation on Dartmoor for recruits on completion of their basic Royal Marines training.

Since assuming the role of Captain General Royal Marines from his grandfather The Duke of Edinburgh in December 2017, The Duke of Sussex has already visited new recruits at the Commando Training Centre in Lympstone and most recently met Marines during a training exercise in Norway. This visit will allow His Royal Highness to see first-hand the capability of the specialist teams within the Royal Marines and the display of commando spirit amongst all ranks.

His Royal Highness will first visit 42 Commando to learn about the specialist teams within the unit that are at high readiness to deploy around the world to deliver maritime security, support and training to foreign nations and specialist amphibious support across Defence. The Duke will see first-hand a Joint Personnel Recovery (JPR) demonstration in which Royal Marines will disembark from a Merlin helicopter and simulate the rescue of an F35 pilot from the new HMS Queen Elizabeth Aircraft Carrier, who has become isolated in a high threat operational environment. There will then be an opportunity to meet some of the Royal Marines currently serving with the unit.

The Duke will then meet with members of the training team from the Commando Training Centre and see a recruit troop finishing their final Commando Test on Dartmoor. The final test, a 30-mile march, starts at the north end of Dartmoor and finishes near Plymouth. Recruits have eight hours to complete the test, carrying around 40lbs of equipment. On completion of the test, The Duke will salute the recruits and present their coveted Green Berets, which symbolically marks the completion of their commando training.