THE PRINCESS ROYAL (AND VICE ADMIRAL SIR TIM LAURENCE) IN TURKEY: DAY ONE
Thursday 24th April 2025
Her Royal Highness will begin her programme in Turkey with a commemorative service at the Çanakkale Martyrs’ Memorial. The Princess Royal will deliver an address and will lay flowers at the memorial to mark the 110th anniversary of the Gallipoli Campaign.
Her Royal Highness will proceed to a service at the Morto Bay French National Cemetery. At the French Commemoration, the Princess Royal will lay a wreath at the Lantern Tower Memorial and place flowers on the graves of French soldiers who lost their lives during the fighting.
As President of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), Her Royal Highness will visit the grave of Lieutenant Colonel Charles Doughty-Wylie, who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for service at Gallipoli. As Lieutenant Colonel Doughty-Wylie was in the Royal Welch Fusiliers, His Majesty The King, as Colonel-in-Chief of The Royal Welsh, has provided a wreath card to be laid at the grave.
The Princess Royal will deliver a message on behalf of His Majesty at a memorial service at the Cape Helles Memorial for United Kingdom, Commonwealth and Irish servicemen. The CWGC Torch of Remembrance will be walked down the aisle by Defence Attaché staff, family and veterans to represent the handing over of remembrance to the younger generations.
The first day of Her Royal Highness’s visit will conclude with a tour Seddülbahir Castle, which was at the heart of the campaign and has recently been restored in a 25-year process. Her Royal Highness will unveil a plaque to mark the visit after greeting local CWGC staff, firefighters, curators and residents.
THE PRINCESS ROYAL (AND VICE ADMIRAL SIR TIM LAURENCE) IN TURKEY: DAY TWO
Friday 25th April 2025
The Princess Royal will begin a second day of commemorations by addressing the ‘Spirit of Place’ Ceremony and Dawn Memorial Service at Anzac Cove, a key landing spot for Australian and New Zealand forces during the campaign and laying a wreath. The Australian and New Zealand Governments jointly conduct the Anzac Day Gallipoli Dawn Service on 25 April each year at the Anzac Commemorative site. Of the more than 75,000 Australians and New Zealanders that served at Gallipoli between 25 April and 20 December 1915, over 10,000 lost their lives.
Her Royal Highness will conduct audiences with the Prime Minister of New Zealand, The Right Honourable Christopher Luxon, and the Governor-General of Australia, Her Excellency The Honourable Ms Sam Mostyn.
The Princess Royal will proceed to the Australian National Service at Lone Pine Cemetery, where she will lay a wreath at the Lone Pine Memorial.
Finally, Her Royal Highness will attend the New Zealand Memorial service at Chunuk Bair Cemetery where the Princess Royal will lay a wreath at the Memorial of the Missing.
