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 Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, christened the HMS Daring, the Royal Navy’s newest warship, in Portsmouth today. Even though the weather was grey and cloudy, many people came out to celebrate the ship’s christening, and to hear the Countess speak.

The countess is the patron of the ship, and was present when the ship first launched in 2006, according to The News of Portsmouth. “It is an enormous pleasure to be here with our ship proudly wearing the White Ensign and the Union Jack in her home port. She is a testament to those who designed and built her and she will be an inspiration to all the men and women of the Royal Navy called to serve on board”.

It was also a special celebration for the youngest member of the Daring’s crew. Able Seaman Daniel Small cut a cake with the countess in honor of his 17th birthday. He told reporters that, “it’s quite an honor to be at the center of a ceremony like this”.

Now that the flags have been raised, and the commissioning pennant has been broken, the HMS Daring is now officially part of the royal fleet, and is eligible for deployment. The HMS Daring will now be preparing for exercises with aircraft carriers and amphibious task groups.

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 HRH Princess Richard, who is better known as the Duchess of Gloucester, gave a royal send-off to warship the HMS Gloucester, in Portsmouth today. She was welcomed warmly by the sailors on the ship, according to an article in The News. The Duchess took the time to greet and speak with the sailors, providing what was referred to by Lieutenant Commander Douggie Ward as a “morale booster”.

The HMS Gloucester will head to the south Atlantic, where it will take part in rescue and humanitarian efforts. It is not the first time that the Duchess has seen this ship; in 1982, she acted as the ship’s sponsor during its launch. She is also the sponsor of another British ship, the HMS Sandown.

The Duchess of Gloucester has a busy summer ahead of her. It was announced today by the Herts Advertiser that she will attend the St. Albans International Organ Festival in July. It will be the 25th year for the festival, and the Duchess is expected to meet young musicians from 9 different countries. The festival begins on July 8, and ends on July 18. The Duchess is scheduled to visit on Monday July 13.

To read about, and to discuss the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, please visit the Forum.

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