THE DUCHESS OF SUSSEX TO VISIT THE NATIONAL THEATRE

London

Wednesday 30th January, 2019

The Duchess of Sussex will visit the National Theatre on Wednesday 30th January. Earlier this month The Duchess was announced as Patron of the National Theatre, one of two Patronages passed on by Her Majesty The Queen. The Duchess is a strong believer in using the arts to bring people from different backgrounds and communities together, and this first official visit to The National Theatre will explore the work they do, as well as meeting some of the talented teams and apprentices working behind the scenes.

The National Theatre’s mission is to make world class theatre that’s entertaining, challenging and inspiring – and to make it for everyone. It aims to reach the widest possible audience and to be as inclusive, diverse and national as possible with a broad range of productions that play in London, on tour around the UK, on Broadway and across the globe. In 2017/18 the National Theatre staged 19 productions at the South Bank, 10 across the UK, three in the West End and six internationally. Its extensive UK-wide learning and participation programme supports young people’s creative education through performance and writing programmes like Connections, New Views and Let’s Play. The National Theatre extends its reach through digital programmes including NT Live, which broadcasts some of the best of British theatre to over 2,500 venues in 65 countries, and the free streaming service On Demand In Schools, used by nearly 60% of UK state secondary schools.

On arrival The Duchess will join a workshop with members of the Pericles company, which was the National Theatre’s first Public Acts production in 2018. Public Acts, which launched last year, creates extraordinary acts of theatre and community. Pericles brought over 200 people of all ages from across London together with six professional actors to breathe new life into the Shakespeare classic in a musical version. Her Royal Highness will then meet current and former apprentices who are working as technicians in various departments including carpentry, metalwork and painting. Before departing The Duchess will watch a performance inspired by War Horse by primary school children, working with the National Theatre’s primary school programme.

Whilst Her Royal Highness spent ten years working in television, her training is in theatre. As well as a double major in theatre and international relations from Northwestern University, The Duchess volunteered at a performing arts after school programme for children in underprivileged school districts in Los Angeles.

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THE DUKE OF SUSSEX TO ATTEND COMMONWEALTH YOUTH ROUNDTABLE

Lancaster House, London

Wednesday 30th January, 2019

The Duke of Sussex, in his role of Commonwealth Youth Ambassador, will meet young people from across the Commonwealth at a roundtable discussion at Lancaster House on Wednesday 30th January. The event, hosted by Lord (Tariq) Ahmad, Minister of State for the Commonwealth, will allow The Duke to hear directly from young people about the issues that are key to them in the run up to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2020 (CHOGM).

Representatives from the UK will include youth delegates who participated in CHOGM 2018 and the Commonwealth Youth Forum. Young people from networks across the Commonwealth will represent nations including India, Fiji, Ghana and Jamaica.

60% of the population across the Commonwealth is under 30, and these young leaders will discuss how they and other young people have been delivering on the ambitions set out at the Youth Forum in 2018, an event that The Duke officially opened. They will also discuss how they can maintain momentum in working towards these ambitions and how they can use the networks they are building now to make their ideas a reality, and demonstrate the value of the Commonwealth among young people.

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THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE TO VISIT COMMUNITY SERVICE PROVIDING SUPPORT TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN SOUTH LONDON

Family Action, Forest Hill, Lewisham

Tuesday 22nd January, 2019

The Duchess of Cambridge will visit Family Action’s Lewisham base which provides a range of valuable community support for children and families in South London, to launch a new national support line, on Tuesday 22nd January.

Family Action, which is celebrating 150 years in 2019, works directly with vulnerable children and families through some 150 local and national services, as well as supporting professionals and organisations through training and consultancy. Their new service ‘FamilyLine’ uses a network of volunteers from across the country to support parents and carers virtually through telephone calls, email and text messaging.

This visit furthers The Duchess’s research and work focusing on the support available for children in their earliest years. Working with a steering group of leading practitioners and academics from a range of disciplines, Her Royal Highness is driving forwards a project to establish what more can be done in Britain to make a positive difference to the lives of children by focusing on their earliest moments in life, from pre-birth to infancy.

The visit will be hosted by David Holmes CBE, the chief executive of Family Action, who is a member of The Duchess’s steering group.

During the course of Her Royal Highness’s visits, she will meet families who are supported by Family Action, spend time with some young carers, meet volunteers who are supporting the new FamilyLine service and also view the ‘Family Monsters’ campaign film that has been produced to mark Family Action’s 150th Anniversary. The campaign highlights the hidden ‘monsters’ that many families face, such as debt, addiction, lack of time together, relationship issues and mental health issues. Every family faces pressures from time to time, and Family Action is drawing attention to the fact that if we don’t acknowledge them and talk about them, these family monsters can get bigger and become overwhelming.

The Family Monsters campaign film can be seen below.

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The Duke of Rothesay will Formally Open the Dumfries House Health and Wellbeing Centre

TUESDAY 22ND JANUARY 2019

HRH Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay, will formally open The Dumfries House Health and Wellbeing Centre, the new home of The Prince’s Foundation’s successful Integrated Health and Wellbeing programme at Dumfries House, Cumnock, Ayrshire.

The Prince’s Foundation Integrated Health and Wellbeing programme

The programme, established in May 2016 and run in partnership with local GPs, champions natural remedies, traditional techniques and healthy-eating, with great emphasis placed on healing the mind and body as a whole. The new centre will offer a wide range of complementary therapies – including reflexology, acupuncture and hypnotherapy – to help participants attain outcomes such as increased fertility, menopausal health, and chronic pain management, and to combat diabetes and obesity.

Dumfries House

In July 2007 a consortium led by The Prince of Wales purchased Dumfries House and, in so doing, saved it for the Nation. Its contents and adjoining land, including a priceless collection of furniture by Thomas Chippendale, were due to be separated and sold at auction. The Great Steward of Scotland’s Dumfries House Trust was formed to develop the house and estate as a visitor attraction, as well as using it to invigorate the local community.  Now fully restored, Dumfries House is at the heart of local regeneration and is open to the public for the first time in 250 years. The estate offers training opportunities through a number of The Prince’s Charities, and includes a number of facilities such as a hospitality centre, engineering centre, Sports Hall and the fully restored Queen Elizabeth Walled Garden.

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This evening, Buckingham Palace revealed that the Duke of Edinburgh has today been involved in a road traffic accident. The palace spokesperson said:

The Duke of Edinburgh was involved in a road traffic accident with another vehicle this afternoon. The Duke was not injured. The accident took place close to the Sandringham Estate. Local police attended the scene.

THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE TO SHOWCASE ‘BACK TO NATURE’ GARDEN AT CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW

To highlight the benefits of the great outdoors and inspire children, families and communities to get back to nature, The Duchess of Cambridge, the Royal Horticultural Society and landscape architects Davies White have today announced that they will design and build the 2019 RHS Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show.

The garden will build on Her Royal Highness’s passion for the outdoors and the proven benefits that nature has on physical and mental health. The Duchess is a strong advocate for the positive impact that nature and the environment can have on childhood development, demonstrated by her longstanding support for organisations including the Scouts and Farms for City Children, as well as at more recent engagements to Sayers Croft Forest School and Wildlife Garden, the RHS Campaign for School Gardening, and her visit today [15th January] to Islington Community Garden.

Based on a woodland, the garden seeks to recapture for adults the sense of wonder and magic that they enjoyed as children, in addition to kindling excitement and a passion for nature in future generations. Wild planting and natural materials will be used to recreate a woodland wilderness where children and adults alike can feel closer to the great outdoors.

Her Royal Highness has worked in collaboration with the RHS and Davies White over the past three months and will continue to finalise the design ahead of the show in May.

For over 200 years the RHS, which is the UK’s gardening charity, has been championing the power of gardening and growing plants for the environment, and for the health and wellbeing of people of all ages and backgrounds.

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THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF SUSSEX WILL ATTEND THE PREMIERE OF CIRQUE DU SOLEIL’S TOTEM IN SUPPORT OF SENTEBALE

London

Wednesday 16th January, 2019

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will attend the premiere of Cirque du Soleil’s Totem in support of Sentebale at the Royal Albert Hall on Wednesday 16th January. The evening will raise awareness and funds for Sentebale’s work with children and young people affected by HIV in southern Africa. Over the course of the evening, Their Royal Highnesses will meet representatives from Sentebale, Cirque du Soleil and Totem, including members of the cast.

The Duke of Sussex founded Sentebale with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in 2006 following The Duke’s gap year to Lesotho two years previously. The charity supports the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people affected by HIV in Lesotho, Botswana and Malawi. Sentebale’s programmes of education and care provide the tools and knowledge this vulnerable generation need to live long, happy, healthy lives.

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THE DUCHESS OF SUSSEX TO VISIT MAYHEW

Kensal Green, London

Wednesday 16th January, 2019

The Duchess of Sussex will visit Mayhew on Wednesday 16th January to meet with staff, volunteers and beneficiaries, and hear more about the animal welfare charity’s various initiatives, from community engagement to international projects. This will be Her Royal Highness’s first official visit to Mayhew in her new role as Patron.

During the visit, The Duchess will see first-hand a number of the diverse projects run by the charity, designed to improve the lives of animals and people and to better communities both in London and internationally. These initiatives include animal therapy visits, work with homeless people and their pets, animal welfare schemes such as the Trap, Neuter and Return programme, and international projects including dog rabies vaccinations in Kabul. Her Royal Highness will spend time touring the facilities, meeting members of the community and animals who have benefitted directly from the work of the charity.

Established in 1886, Mayhew looks for innovative ways to reduce the number of animals in need through pro-active community and educational initiatives and preventative veterinary care. This includes working with homelessness charities across London to ensure people and their animal companions can remain together; running a Pet Refuge programme to provide shelter and care for the pets of people in crisis; and educating young people about animal welfare and the importance of responsible pet ownership. Mayhew International works with governments, local communities and charitable groups to help improve animal welfare overseas.

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THE DUCHESS OF ROTHESAY WILL UNDERTAKE ENGAGEMENTS IN ABERDEEN

Wednesday 16^th January 2019

Engagement 1

HRH The Duchess of Rothesay, Chancellor, University of Aberdeen, will install Professor George Boyne as Vice-Chancellor of the University and also confer an honorary degree and present an award in recognition of outstanding service to the community at Elphinstone Hall, King’s College, Aberdeen AB24 3EE.

Around 400 guests – University alumni, staff, students, supporters, civic and industry leaders and chancellors and vice-chancellors of other universities – will attend the formal ceremony.

The event will also see Her Royal Highness confer an honorary degree upon Edward Stevenson who worked in the University’s biomedical physics department for 42 years and supported the pioneering team that created the world’s first clinical MRI scanner. The retired technician – awarded an MBE in 2010 for his services to healthcare and charity – is known to many Aberdonians for the festive display he used to create every Christmas in his garden in the city’s Ashgrove Road West, raising tens of thousands of pounds for local children’s charities.

Aberdeen initiative Food and Fun – set up to provide free meals during the school holidays to children in most need – will also be recognised at the ceremony, with the founding partners presented with University’s inaugural Principal’s Award for Outstanding Service to the Community.

Scottish performers Fiona Kennedy and Robert Lovie will both sing at the installation ceremony which will also feature musical arrangements by the University’s Royal composer Professor Paul Mealor whose motet Ubi Caritas et Amor was performed at the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.

After the installation ceremony, Her Royal Highness will meet and greet guests at a short reception.

Engagement 2

Her Royal Highness will also visit the University’s School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition and in her role as President of the National Osteoporosis Society and Patron of the Versus Arthritis meet researchers working in arthritis and musculoskeletal health, breast cancer and women’s health at the Institute of Medical Sciences, Foresterhill Health Campus, Foresterhill Road, Aberdeen AB25 2XE.

Her Royal Highness will initially meet researchers working in the Centre for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Health that enables innovative interdisciplinary clinical, research and training activities at the University of Aberdeen and NHS Grampian. Both are working together to improve the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions. Centre research investigates the role that stem cells – the cells that can form new joint tissues – play in joint health and osteoarthritis. This knowledge will help devise new treatments for osteoarthritis by harnessing the ability of the stem cells to maintain and repair joints.

HRH will then see poster presentations and hear from scientists and students conducting breast cancer research and meet a breast cancer charity representative.

HRH will then be updated on the University’s osteoporosis research.

The Duchess has a great interest in osteoporosis with both her mother and grandmother dying of it. HRH has been President of the National Osteoporosis society since 2001.