The Queen will attend The King’s Troop 70th Anniversary Parade

Thursday 19th October 2017

The Queen, Captain General, will review The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery (KTRHA) in Hyde Park, London, on the occasion of their 70th Anniversary.

The KTRHA was formed on the wishes of His Majesty King George VI in October 1947. Commonly known as the ‘Gunners’, The Royal Artillery provides firepower to the British Army. Equipped with 13-pounder field guns dating from WWI, the Troop provides ceremonial salutes for Royal occasions and state functions. The soldiers are superb equestrians as well as a fighting force, which is deployed on operations around the world when required.

Her Majesty will arrive at Hyde Park and take position on the dais for the Royal Salute and National Anthem. The Queen will then inspect the Parade in the State Review Range Rover, accompanied by the Master Gunner and Honorary Colonel.

Following the Parade, Her Majesty will attend a reception to meet soldiers and veterans of the Troop, including Percy Austen who was serving in 1947 when King George VI inspected the Parade.

Uniquely in the British Army, the KTRHA is currently made up of a 50/50 male and female demographic. At the reception, The Queen will meet some of the women who are currently serving in the Troop, including the first female Master Saddler and Master Tailor. Also present will be soldiers who are training Her Majesty’s race horse ‘Knock Castle’ which was gifted to the Troop in August.

Her Majesty will sign the 70th Anniversary Review Document and receive a posy upon departure. The Queen has been Captain General of The Royal Regiment of Artillery since 6 February 1952.

The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery received their title in 1947 when King George VI decided that, following the mechanisation of the last batteries of horse drawn artillery, a troop of horse artillery should be kept to take part in the great ceremonies of state. His Majesty declared that the Riding Troop of the Royal Horse Artillery would be known as ‘The King’s Troop’, and enacted this by striking out the word ‘Riding’ in their Visitors Book and inserting ‘King’s. On her accession, The Queen declared that the name ‘The King’s Troop’ would remain in his honour.

The King’s Troop forms part of the Household Troops and, when on parade with its guns, take precedence over all other Regiments in the Regular forces of the British Army. They also mount the Queen’s Life Guard at Horse Guards each summer when the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment is on military training outside London. The unit is also famous for their spectacular Musical Drive which thrills the crowds at shows up and down the UK every year, when they tow their guns around the arena in exciting and immaculately choreographed manoeuvres.

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The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry to attend the Coach Core Graduation

London Stadium, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

Wednesday 18th October, 2017

The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry will visit West Ham United’s London Stadium to attend the graduation ceremony for more than 150 Coach Core apprentices. This apprenticeship programme improves the availability and quality of sports coaching, creating a solid career path, and increasing the confidence and the belief of young people in their ability to achieve.

Apprentices will be attending the ceremony from seven different areas where Coach Core operates (London, Glasgow, Essex, Nottingham, Birmingham, Manchester, and South Wales), with those graduating from London, Glasgow, Wales and Essex. Ahead of the ceremony Their Royal Highnesses will have the opportunity to watch some practical sessions in action, where they will see a number of different sports being played.

Also attending the event will be partners and key supporters of the Coach Core programme. The Duke and Prince Harry will attend a reception at the stadium to meet with some of the key figures who have helped to deliver the programme, as well as hearing about future plans for Coach Core.

The graduation ceremony will then begin pitchside at London Stadium, and will include speeches from the Chairman of Coach Core Ed Wray, and Karren Brady the Vice-Chairman of West Ham United. Their Royal Highnesses will take to the stage and congratulate the 2017 graduates, inviting them on stage to mark their official graduation from Coach Core.

Earlier in the day a number of professional sports players will take part in a Q&A session with the apprentices attending to discuss the impact sports and coaching has had on their lives.

The Coach Core apprenticeship scheme was designed by The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry to take young people aged 16 – 24 with limited opportunities, and train them to be sports coaches and positive role models and mentors in their communities. The apprentices learn technical sport skills alongside an inclusive and holistic approach to coaching, with an emphasis on employability and mentoring skills. Coach Core is proud to have transformed the lives of its apprentices with 98% of its graduates now being in full-time employment or education, and 80% retain strong ties with their employers and continue to engage in community sport.

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THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE AND PRINCE HARRY WILL ATTEND THE CHARITIES FORUM EVENT

Paddington Station, London

Monday 16th October, 2017

The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry will join children from the charities they support on board Belmond British Pullman train at Paddington Station. The event will be hosted by STUDIOCANAL, with support from BAFTA through its BAFTA Kids programme, and before embarking Their Royal Highnesses will meet the cast and crew from the forthcoming film PADDINGTON 2.

The Duke and Prince Harry will spend time meeting the young guests on board the 1920s and 30s vintage carriages that form the sister train to the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. After which they will disembark, and wave off Belmond British Pullman as it departs Paddington Station and journeys through the English Countryside.

This will be a unique opportunity for members of Their Royal Highnesses’ Charities Forum to nominate some of the children they support – many going through difficult times in their lives – for a special trip aboard the train.

There are over 30 organisations involved in The Charities Forum, which consists of Their Royal Highnesses’ patronages and other organisations with whom they work closely. The Forum aims to bring together Their Royal Highnesses’ individual charitable interests. The group meets regularly, with organisations taking it in turns to host. The meetings provide an opportunity for the charities to update Their Royal Highnesses on their recent activities and projects, and also provide a platform for collaborative activity between the organisations. Opportunities to support each other are explored at meetings, relationships are developed and bilateral work is initiated, often between charities and organisations that would not ordinarily have been linked through the course of their own work.

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Prince Harry to Visit Copenhagen

25th and 26th October

Prince Harry will undertake a two day visit to Copenhagen, Denmark on Wednesday 25th and Thursday 26th October. This visit is at the request of The Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

This will be His Royal Highness’s first official visit to Denmark, and Prince Harry is looking forward to meeting the people of Copenhagen. In particular he will spend time with young Danes making a real difference in fields including business, sports and social development, and His Royal Highness will have an opportunity to meet veterans including the recently returned Danish Invictus Games team.

On arrival to Copenhagen, which will be the early afternoon of the 25th October, Prince Harry will visit The Palace of Amalienborg for an Audience with Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.

After this, His Royal Highness will travel across the city to KPH Projects. Based in a regenerated area of Copenhagen, this organisation acts as a community for innovative start-ups and small growing businesses, which all have a shared focus to improve society by working with social, cultural or environmental objectives. Each business supports and collaborates with one another across a huge variety of sectors and while here Prince Harry will meet with the KPH founders, and entrepreneurs.

Just nearby are the headquarters of GAME, an NGO with a mission to create lasting social change through youth-led street sports and culture, which Prince Harry will visit. He will meet young volunteers known as ‘Playmakers’ who are encouraged to take a role as peer educators, and leaders of activities for youth including those from less advantaged neighbourhoods. His Royal Highness will hear about these programmes and view activities including basketball, parkour, and dance classes, before hearing from young people for whom GAME has become an important part of their lives.

That evening His Royal Highness will attend a reception hosted by Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Denmark at the famous Tivoli Gardens. Located in central Copenhagen, Tivoli is one of the world’s oldest amusement parks, first opening in 1843. Prince Harry will meet a selection of Danish figures including from the worlds of sports, business, politics, arts and culture at this event, which will close the day’s engagements.

On Thursday morning His Royal Highness will start the day with a visit to a Danish bakery, where he will meet with volunteers and service users from a nationwide campaign designed to improve attitudes towards mental health. The ‘One of Us’ programme builds awareness of mental health while simultaneously reducing the stigma associated with it, and been successfully rolled out across schools, workplaces and elsewhere in Denmark.

The second engagement of the day, just outside the main city centre, where Prince Harry will be joined by His Royal Highness Prince Joachim, will see Their Royal Highnesses visiting a project which supports veterans of the Danish Armed Forces. Prince Harry will learn about the origins of the initiative which uses sports and teamwork to help rehabilitate wounded soldiers and watch demonstrations of the most popular activities. The event will conclude with a reception which will be attended by some of the recently returned Invictus Games competitors who have also benefitted from this project.

His Royal Highness’s last stop of the day will be Ørestad Gymnasium, which is part of a global network of changemaker schools, with partners in the UK. Prince Harry will join the school as it holds a conference on the importance of ‘Making a Difference’, and His Royal Highness will join individual sessions and workshops to hear from young people sharing ideas and best practices related to solving issues facing their generation.

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PRINCE HARRY TO ATTEND WELLCHILD AWARDS CEREMONY

Royal Lancaster Hotel, London

Monday 16th October, 2017

Prince Harry will attend the annual WellChild Awards at The Royal Lancaster Hotel on Monday 16th October. As Patron of WellChild, His Royal Highness will commend the courage of seriously ill children and their families, and thank those who care for and support them. Prince Harry will attend a pre-ceremony reception where he will meet the young winners of each award category and members of their families. He will then attend the ceremony where he will present the Award for Most Inspirational Child (aged 4-6) and deliver a short speech.

WellChild is the national charity for seriously ill children and their families. Across the UK, growing numbers of children remain in hospital simply because there is no support enabling them to leave. Through a nationwide network of WellChild Nurses, home makeover projects and family support programmes, WellChild is committed to giving these children the best chance to thrive – at home, together with their families. Prince Harry became Patron of WellChild in 2007 and has attended their Awards Ceremony on seven previous occasions.

The Awards celebrate the inspiring qualities of some of the country’s seriously ill young people and the dedication of those who go the extra mile to keep children healthy and happy, including the outstanding health, social care and education professionals.

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Her Majesty The Queen and Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal will attend a reception to mark the Centenary of the Women’s Royal Naval Service and Women’s Auxiliary Army Corp

12th October 2017

Her Majesty The Queen accompanied by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal will attend a reception at the Army and Navy Club to mark the Centenary of the Women’s Royal Navy Service and the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corp on 12th October 2017.

The Royal party will be met on arrival by the Chairman of Army and Navy Club, Colonel Ian Paterson. The Chairman will escort the Royal party inside and present Commander Rosie Wilson, Chairman of the WRNS100 Project Group and Colonel Alison K Brown, Vice-President of the WRAC Association.

The Queen and The Princess Royal will meet Senior Naval and Army members alongside veterans who joined the ATS in 1941 and worked at Bletchley Park until VE Day.

The photographic display The Queen and The Princess Royal will see in the Wellington Room charts the progression of women serving in the Army from 1917 to the current day. The images have been chosen to reflect the changing roles and the widening of opportunities for women over the last 100 years.

Her Majesty The Queen is Patron of the WRAC Association (Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps) which incorporates the WAAC (renamed the QMAAC ‘Queen Mary Army Auxiliary Corps’ in 1918). The WRAC Association also incorporates the ATS, of which Her Majesty was a member.

WRNS 100 in 2017 is to celebrate the formation and history of the Women’s Royal Naval Service and to recognize the role of women in the Royal Navy today. It will celebrate the valuable work still done by the WRNS Benevolent Trust and the Association of Wrens. Some 116 National and regional events are planned culminating in a Service at Portsmouth Cathedral in November. A Commemorative Stone marking the formation of the WRNS and all the women of the Naval Services will be dedicated as part of the Service.

The Princess Royal is Patron and supporter of the WRNS Benevolent Trust, Patron of the Association of Wrens and is also the Patron of the WRNS100 Project. She is Admiral and Chief Commandant for Women in the Royal Navy.

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My ten years in the Army taught me a great deal. I learned about the true meaning of service, duty, resilience and dedication.

But in many ways I have learned more about the sacrifices our servicemen and women make for us all since I left the army and continued my work with the Invictus Games. Having a step back from day-to-day Army life has allowed me to think carefully about how we prepare, support, and care for those who wear the uniform.

Each one of our servicemen and women is carefully selected, highly trained and rigorously tested. A huge amount of time, energy and resources is invested in each person to make them the best that they can be. As the overall numbers of active duty personnel have reduced, we are naturally placing a premium on every individual being fighting fit and deployable. Quite simply, these men and women are prized asset which need to be continually invested in. In many ways we have to think of them as high performance athletes, carrying all their kit, equipment and a rifle.

Elite sports people now focus heavily on their mental approach to training and competing. They know that a perfectly fit body cannot win on the court, on the field, in the ring, or on the track if the mind is not focused. We have all seen professional athletes lose races or matches due to unforced errors. It is no different for anyone in high pressure roles.

During my time in the Army, I saw how important physical conditioning was and how we always warmed up before every run or loaded march to reduce the risk of injury. We should have the same approach to conditioning for our mental health too. The military has faced the challenge of dealing with things like post-traumatic stress, anxiety, and depression.

But like many of you in this room, I have come to realise that we can all do more to promote the positive management of our mental health and in doing so, help prevent some of these issues before they develop.

This is what the partnership between the MOD and The Royal Foundation is all about. Placing mental fitness and mental health at the heart of the training and support provided to the entire defence community.

The Royal Foundation has built up strong relationships in this space, through our work with the Invictus Games, the Endeavour Fund, and Heads Together. I am delighted that we are now going to make the most of what we have learned, and working with the MOD, fundamentally change the conversation on mental health inside the military.

This isn’t just about what to do when one our friends isn’t themselves. It’s about what we do to help each other stay mentally and emotionally sharp – getting that extra 20 or possibly 30% of performance, that can make all the difference. This isn’t just about the support we must provide for veterans with mental health challenges. It’s about providing tools and information that will help everyone in the Defence community to get ahead of some of these problems before they start.

And it isn’t just about the vital work to challenge stigma around mental health in our Armed Forces. It is about showing everyone the amazing advantages we will enjoy from training our minds as well as our bodies.

We should be bold about the goals we set ourselves. I see no reason that this partnership cannot be part of a cultural change around mental health that could lead to: More service men and women feeling resilient in the face of unforeseen circumstances, both on and off the battlefield; Fewer medical discharges as a result of people not getting ahead of their challenges; And a more confident, focused, and ultimately more combat ready military.

Throughout our training, we develop a mind-set which will not let weakness take over. We are taught to push ourselves through pain barriers to achieve what we thought was impossible. For too long, acknowledging emotion or challenging thoughts was seen as counterproductive to the fundamental characteristics of the Armed Forces.

Today, we are saying that taking mental health seriously is what professional and dedicated service men and women must do to be above the rest and leading from the front.

I am incredibly excited about what we are going to achieve.

Thank you.

– His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales

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Ministry of Defence and Royal Foundation Launch New Partnership to Improve Mental Health

Monday 9th October, 2017

His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales and Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon have today launched a new partnership to improve the mental health of current and former Armed Forces personnel.

The joint initiative between the MOD and the Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry builds on the MOD’s recently launched mental health and wellbeing strategy, which outlines how the department will improve the mental health of its serving military and civilian personnel, their families, and veterans.

It will see the Royal Foundation provide advice and resources to the MOD to improve training, education and information sharing for the entire Armed Forces. The work will include annual briefings, websites and specialist support to raise awareness of the importance of good mental health.

Defence Personnel will be encouraged to use psychology and well-being in the same way as athletes do to maximise performance; emphasising the idea that mental fitness is as important as physical fitness when working as part of the Armed Forces.

The resources will be integrated into staff training courses and briefing processes across the Armed Forces from the middle of 2018, and will be widely available online, to strengthen the mental health support and services already available to Defence personnel.

Announcing the partnership, Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said:

“By looking after our mental health we are building a more effective armed forces that helps keep this country safe. Our soldiers, sailors and airmen are the best in the world but we will only maintain that if we are as serious about improving mental health as we are our combat skills and cutting-edge technology. So partnering with key groups like the Royal Foundation is an important part of our strategy to improve the wellbeing of our serving Armed Forces and veterans. ”

Sir Keith Mills, Chairman of the Royal Foundation said:

“Through our work with the Invictus Games, the Endeavour Fund, and most recently the Contact coalition through Heads Together, the Royal Foundation has had the privilege of convening some of the best expertise in the field of military mental health. We are delighted that this new partnership with the Ministry of Defence will see the UK leading the way internationally in prioritising the mental fitness of its entire defence community.”

While rates of mental disorder are slightly lower in the Armed Forces (3.2%) than in the general population (3.5%), improving the mental health of the MOD’s entire workforce is a key priority. The Defence People Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2017-2022, launched in July, builds on five years of research and aims to develop a coordinated approach to prevent, detect, and treat mental health and wellbeing issues, as well as introduce measures to promote the importance of mental health.

As part of that strategy, the MOD committed to collaborate with the Royal Foundation to produce Mental Health training to embed within compulsory courses and work with them on communications material. Today’s announcement delivers on that promise.

The wider Strategy includes plans to:

• Encompass all Defence People – serving Armed Forces members (Regulars and Reserves), military families, veterans, and MOD civil servants;
• Introduce standardised mental health and wellbeing education and training for all those working in Defence;
• Invest in research on resilience training to ensure that individuals are as mentally fit as they can be to prevent depression and anxiety and monitoring of groups who are more likely to suffer from mental health issues, such as combat troops and medical personnel in support of them;
• Improve access to clinical assessment (such as through digital delivery) and prioritisation for treatment;
• Develop partnerships with key service charities in order to continue anti-stigma campaigning initiatives and share best practice;
• Improve communication to the workforce about what help is on offer.

The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry has made mental health one of its key priorities. The Foundation operates by bringing together people and organisations with passion and expertise to tackle issues that are close to the heart of Their Royal Highnesses. As part of its work with the Invictus Games, Endeavour Fund, and most recently Heads Together the Foundation has partnered with veterans charities and experts to lead awareness raising activity and to provide support for veterans and serving military personnel as they recover from both physical and emotional challenges.

The Foundation is delighted to have the opportunity to make the most its expertise and partnerships in this area for the benefit of the Armed Forces.

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THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE WILL VISIT THE DATA OBSERVATORY FOR A PRESENTATION ON THE IMPACT OF HEADS TOGETHER

IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON

Friday 6th October, 2017

The Duke of Cambridge will visit the Data Observatory at Imperial College London to receive a briefing on the progress the Heads Together campaign and its partners have made towards changing the national conversation on mental health. Working with YouGov, and experts from the Data Science Institute at Imperial College London, Heads Together will present independently verified data outlining the progress made towards changing the national conversation on mental health. Importantly the research will reveal the remaining challenges that will inform the next steps in Heads Together’s work. Building on this successful foundation, Heads Together will now focus on providing support to help people have those conversations, focussing on schools, workplaces and the military, alongside other projects to be announced over the coming year.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry founded the Heads Together campaign in February 2016, in partnership with eight leading mental health charities to highlight how the power of conversations, being able to talk openly about mental health challenges, can be life-changing.

Heads Together has commissioned the largest ever survey involving 14,000 members of the British public in total, of how people talk about mental health in the UK and a measure of how this conversation is changing. The Data Science Institute offers invaluable expertise in visualising and analysing results from very large datasets.

During this engagement The Duke, together with representatives from The Royal Foundation and their charity partners, will hear about the research, including the evidence around ongoing challenges to be tackled, which has underpinned the second phase of the campaign.

The Data Observatory is the largest of its kind in Europe. Opened in November 2015, it provides an opportunity for academics and industry to visualise data in a way that uncovers new insights, and promotes the communication of complex data sets and analysis in an immersive and multi-dimensional environment.

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The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will
visit Singapore, Malaysia and India

30th October – 9th November 2017

Their Royal Highnesses’ visit, which is at the request of the British Government, will celebrate the U.K.’s partnership with these Commonwealth Nations on shared priorities in advance of the Commonwealth Summit in April 2018.

The visits will highlight key themes including celebrating community, cultural diversity and promoting business innovation.

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will begin the tour in Singapore on 31st October.  Their Royal Highnesses will be welcomed by President Halimah Yacob at a ceremony at the Istana- the official residence and office of the President of Singapore. Their Royal Highnesses will also meet Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong before attending an official dinner.

Key events in the programme will include a meeting with leaders from Singapore’s ten national religions in order to highlight Singapore’s innovative approach to community cohesion; an event with representatives from British companies working in Singapore to see how a collaborative approach to research and innovation is creating jobs in both countries; a wreath-laying ceremony to  acknowledge the sacrifices made by British, Singaporean and Commonwealth personnel during the two World Wars and other conflicts and an event to celebrate close UK-Singapore cultural collaborations.

The Duchess of Cornwall will also visit a school to meet young people aspiring to enter The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition, which is the world’s oldest schools’ international writing competition, managed by The Royal Commonwealth Society since 1883. The Duchess of Cornwall will present certificates to the 2017 winners and runners up, on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen, at a formal Awards Ceremony at Buckingham Palace in November.

On 3rd November, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will start their visit to Malaysia in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. Key events in the programme include a Gala Dinner celebrating 60 years of diplomatic ties between the UK and Malaysia, attended by senior dignitaries in Malaysia as well as key figures from business, arts, culture and media. The programme also includes a celebration of the Commonwealth in the lead-up to the Commonwealth Summits to be held in the U.K in 2018 and Malaysia in 2020.

The Prince and The Duchess will visit Sarawak and Perak. His Royal Highness will see first-hand the work being done to promote wildlife conservation and the protection of biodiversity. Their Royal Highnesses will also meet members of Sarawak’s diverse indigenous communities.  The Duchess of Cornwall will meet representatives of Purple Lily, a non-Governmental Organisation committed to inspiring and empowering disadvantaged women and young girls by providing life skills training and financial education.

Their Royal Highnesses will end their visit to Malaysia in Georgetown, Penang, originally named Prince of Wales Island. The Prince and The Duchess will have the opportunity to meet members of the different religious and ethnic communities who live side-by-side in the UNESCO World Heritage site, and to experience its rich cultural heritage.

On 8th November The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will visit India. In addition to a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Their Royal Highnesses will undertake various engagements to celebrate the UK/India Year of Culture.

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