HM Queen Margrethe II has paid a visit to one of her foreign patronages, the 1st Battalion of the Princess of Wales’ Royal Regiment (PWRR), in Germany.

View the image at Daily Echo

During the visit, which took place at the Regiment’s base in Paderborn, the Queen spoke with the soldiers and laid a wreath in memory of soldiers lost during war in recent years. Queen Margrethe was also on hand to view a training ground exercise, in which a simulated casualty received medical treatment for a serious injury.

This is only the second visit HM has made to the PWRR since her installment as its Colonel-in-Chief in 1992, and the British soldiers in the Regiment were overjoyed by her visit. “I feel lucky that after all these years the Queen still has such a large interest in the PWRR and is prepared to take time out of her busy schedule and travel all the way to Germany and visit the battalion,” 29-year-old Corporal Nathanael Wrigglesworth said.

The PWRR was formed in 1992, by the amalgamation of The Queen’s Regiment and The Royal Hampshire Regiment. It was named for Diana, Princess of Wales, who was an Allied Colonel-in-Chief with Queen Margrethe up until her 1996 divorce from HRH the Prince of Wales. The PWRR is currently the most senior English-line infantry regiment, with battalions stationed in Germany, Cyprus and Canterbury.

JessRulz Danish Royals Germany, Margrethe II, Military, Patronage, United Kingdom

HM Queen Beatrix and HRH the Duke of Edinburgh yesterday commemorated the 65th anniversary of the liberation of the Dutch city of Nijmegen from German occupation during World War II. The city was the first Dutch city to fall to German hands in 1940.

Click to see the image at Koninklijkhuis

The royal pair inspected the customary guard of honour, before laying wreaths at the Resistance Monument at Traianus Square. Speeches were made by both Dutch, British and American parties, including the Dutch Defence Minister, the Mayor of Nijmegen, former NATO chief Lord Carrington (who served in the liberation of Nijmegen) on behalf of the British Guards Armoured Division and Major Moffitt Burris for the 82nd Airborne Division (who also served in the liberation in 1944).

A parade of historical vehicles concluded the official ceremony, with HM and HRH then given the opportunity to speak with veterans at the Nijmegen Town Hall.

The Duke of Edinburgh was selected as the British representative at the event as he is the Colonel-in-Chief of the Grenadier Guards, a regiment which was instrumental in the liberation of Nijmegen, which began on September 17 when the Allied Forces landed in the south of the country.

According to royalblog.nl, there has been some criticism in Britain by the press over HRH the Prince of Wales’ non-attendance at the anniversary. Prince Charles is the Colonel-in-Chief of the Parachute Regiment, which also played a large part in the Battle of Arnhem and the liberation of Nijmegen. A large group of 100 paratroopers were dropped on the city on Saturday as part of the commemoration festivities, and some veterans are “disgusted” that the Prince was not in Holland to mark the anniversary.

Click here to view the thread for the anniversary.

JessRulz British Royals, Dutch Royals Anniversary, Duke of Edinburgh, Liberation, Military, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Prince Philip, Queen Beatrix, World War II

 Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, arrived in the Helmand province of Afghanistan last Tuesday. On Wednesday, he met with soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, the Rifles, according to an article from Monsters and Critics.com. The prince is the Royal Colonel of the battalion.

The 2nd Battalion has been in Afghanistan for five months. They are working closely with the Afghan police force and army, and are expected to be there for a few more weeks, of which Prince Edward said that he hoped were “painless and productive”. The prince spent time with the battalion, talking with them and dining with them.

Major Marc Briggs told Sky News, “It’s an honor to have our Royal Colonel come to see the battalion when we’re so far forward in the fight”, and “The visit of His Royal Highness only reinforces the level of public support we’ve experienced”.

After spending two days in Afghanistan, Prince Edward travelled to Bahrain to visit with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

To read about, and to discuss Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, please visit this thread.

sgl British Royals Afghanistan, Earl of Wessex, Military

August 4 is marked by all sorts of events, starting from the World’s first public smoking ban and the end of the Age of Chivalry in England, to the birth of ‘most dangerous woman in Europe’. If you want to learn what important things happened in the (Royal) History on August 4, read on.

click to view the full-sized image

August 4, 1265 – The Battle of Evesham, one of the two most important Wars during the Second Barons’ War
The army of Prince Edward (future Edward I of England) defeated the army of rebellious Barons led by Simon de Monrfort, 6th Earl of Leicester. Outnumbered two to one, Monrfort had no illusions about the outcome of the battle: when he saw the advancing army of Prince Edward, he allegedly exclaimed “May the Lord have mercy upon our souls, as our bodies are theirs.”
The battle itself was over fairly quickly but the massacre continued for some time. The memory of the disastrous Battle of Lewes, fought in 1264, was still fresh in the memories of the Royalist forces: they showed no mercy or compassion and killed most of the rebels who wanted to surrender. According to the legend King Henry, who was in de Monrfort’s custody and was wearing his colours, barely escaped death himself: the enraged soldiers killed everyone who was in de Monfort’s colours and if he hadn’t been recognized by a former rebel, he would have been murdered as well. The massacre that followed the Battle of Evesham is referred to as an ‘episode of noble bloodletting unprecedented since the Conquest’. As most of the rebels were brutally murdered, rather than imprisoned, the Battle is often called “the end of the age of chivalry in England”.

August 4, 1521 – Birth of Pope Urban VII
Pope Urban’s papacy lasted only 12 days, thus making his reign the shortest in the history of Papacy. Despite this, he managed to introduce one memorable decree – world’s first known public smoking ban. Pope Urban threatened to excommunicate anyone who ‘took tobacco inside a church, whether it be by chewing, smoking or sniffing’.
Read more…

Marsel Historical Royals Edward I, Military, Pope Urban VII, Queen Mother, Sebastian I, World War I

 Last Saturday, over 200 people attended the grand opening of the Edward Brooks military barracks in Oxfordshire. The new barracks cost £4 million to build, and were officially opened by the Duchess of Gloucester.

Click here to see the photo from the Oxford Mail

The Oxford Mail reports that the barracks have been named for Edward Brooks, who was a local Territorial Army hero during World War I. Brooks was awarded the Victoria Cross in 1917. Many members of Sargent Major Brooks’ family were in attendance. His three grandchildren told the Mail that they were “extremely proud the barracks had been named in his honor”.

The Duchess was presented with a bouquet of pink and white flowers from nine year-old Rosemary Dicks, who stated that she was nervous, but was excited to give the flowers to the royal guest. “It was a real honor for me”, the nine year-old told reporters. After the official opening, the Duchess was given a tour of the facility. This is not the first military experience for the Duchess. She serves as Royal Colonel of the 7th Battalion, The Rifles.

Now that the new facility is opened, Territorial Army units will move from their previous facility, Slade Park, in Headington. It will also house the D Squadron of 202 Field Hospital and the Thames Valley Air Training Corps. Doctors with the Field Hospital are hoping that the new facility will help to modernize the army’s image. 32 year-old Dr. Jennifer Dinsdale said that, “It’s an honor the Duchess has opened the facility and remembered both TA units currently have members deployed in Afghanistan”.

To read about, and to discuss the Duchess of Gloucester, please visit this thread.

sgl British Royals Afghanistan, Duchess of Gloucester, Military

Click on the image to view the photo at The Associated Press

 For the first time since the George Cross in 1940, a new medal of honor for fallen British military men and women will be named for a reigning monarch.  The Elizabeth Cross, named for HM The Queen, will be awarded to the families of British military men and women killed in active duty from World War II to the present.  Those killed in terrorist attacks will also be eligible for the medal.

Military personnel killed in action in Northern Ireland, the Falklands, Afghanistan, and Iraq will be among those eligible to receive the Elizabeth Cross.  The Associated Press reports, however, that the next-of-kin of those killed before the new millenium will have to apply for the honor, while families of those killed within the decade will be notified by the Ministry of Defence that their loved ones will receive the Cross.

The silver cross is decorated with the initials “EIIR,” for Queen Elizabeth II, and with a rose, a daffodil, a thistle, and a shamrock, the national flowers representing England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

The news of the new military medal comes on the day that Lt. Col. Rupert Thorneloe, the highest-ranking member of the British military to be killed in action since the Falklands War, died after the vehicle in which he was traveling was exploded by a bomb in Afghanistan.

For more on The Queen’s current events, please visit this thread.

Ella Kay British Royals Elizabeth II, Military

 The Duke of Gloucester paid a visit to the RAF Oldham recently, where he honored several members of the Royal Air Force with medals, commendations, and awards for length of service. The Duke serves as the Honorary Commodore for the RAF station, and is known for his commitment to honoring the men and women of the British military.

According to an article from This Is Hampshire, the Duke said to the honorees that, “Your role is absolutely vital for so many of the tasks that the British forces are carrying out”. The Duke presented medals and commendations in twelve different categories. Among the award winners was Flight Sergeant Lee Renard, of the 27th Squadron, who airlifted six injured civilians in a Chinook after they had been caught up in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan in 2008. One of the civilians died on the way to the hospital, but five other lives were saved because of his actions.

After giving out the awards, the Duke watched as a RAF display team performed stunts in a Chinook helicopter. He also helped to plant a cherry tree at the helicopter support memorial in honor of Armed Services Day.

To read about, and to discuss the Duke of Gloucester, please visit this thread.

sgl British Royals Duke of Gloucester, Military

 On Saturday June 27th, HRH the Prince of Orange attended the Veterans Day 2009 celebrations in The Hague. He was accompanied by the Dutch Prime Minister, Jan Peter Balkenende.

Click to see the PPE gallery

Upon arriving at the Ridderzaal, the Prince and the Prime Minister met before Balkenende delivered a solemn speech. The party then moved to the Binnenhof; where HRH, PM Balkenende, the Defence Minister (E Van Middelkoop) and the Commander of the Armed Forces, General PJM van Uhm, presented awards veterans and soldiers currently in active service. Among the recipients were sixty soldiers who recently returned to the Netherlands from serving overseas.

A parade through the streets of The Hague also occurred, with veterans marching past the official party on foot, on bicycles and in army trucks. HRH, who holds the ranks of Commodore in the Royal Netherlands Navy Reserves, Commodore in the Royal Netherlands Air Force Reserves and Brigadier General in the Royal Netherlands Army Reserves, saluted the veterans and soldiers who passed.

The Prince of Orange is also the patron of the Dutch Veterans Day Committee. Click here to read more about Willem-Alexander’s current events.

JessRulz Dutch Royals Military, Prime Minister Balkenende, Prince of Orange, Prince Willem-Alexander, Veterans Day

Click here to see the photo from the BBC

Today, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, along with Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and his wife, Sarah, attended the very first Armed Forces Day celebrations at the Historic Dockyard, in Chatham, Kent. This is not the first time that Great Britain has honored the military; the event was previously known as Veteran’s Day. The name has been changed to Armed Forces Day, in order to include the thousands of men and women who currently serve in the British military, according to a report by the BBC.

In addition to the Duke and Duchess, 30,000 people attended today’s events, which included a fly-over by the Red Arrows and the Royal Air Force’s Battle of Britain Memorial Display Team. Throughout Great Britain, concerts and parades are taking place in many cities. Despite the fact that Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II and the Prince of Wales were unable to attend, they did send greetings of “deep and enduring gratitude” to the veterans and military members, and the Queen presented campaign medals to the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards in Edinburgh.

Currently, British military members are serving in 11 different nations, as well as working with the UN. There will be more events throughout the week in honor of the Armed Forces.

For more information about the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, please visit this thread.

sgl British Royals Duchess of Gloucester, Duke of Gloucester, Elizabeth II, Military, Official Visit, Prime Minister Brown, Prince of Wales

 There will be no ’senior royals’ attending the inaugural Armed Forces Day in Kent, according to the British media. The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester will attend the event, and one Buckingham Palace spokesman has referred to the couple as ’senior royals’, although this does not seem to match the call from the public.

The palace official pointed out the Duke and Duchess’s multiple visits to the Middle East, including Iraq and Afghanistan last year. The Duke is the patron of the Normandy Veterans Association, and 19th in line to the throne.

The event will take place on Saturday at the Historic Dockyard in Chatham, and the Duke and Duchess will receive the royal salute as Her Majesty’s representatives. On the same day, Queen Elizabeth will be in Edinburgh to present the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards with campaign medals, whilst the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall will be at Highgrove. Princes Andrew and Edward are both otherwise engaged.

Armed Forces Day aims to increase public awareness and appreciation of the Armed Forces.

marmi British Royals Armed Forces Day, Duchess of Gloucester, Duke of Gloucester, Elizabeth II, Military