[Video] Queen Elizabeth in official visit to France - Pays tribute at Arc de Triomphe

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh arrived yesterday in France for a State Visit, where they were welcomed by President Hollande at the Arc de Triomphe. At the Arc de Triomphe a ceremony took place at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to commemorate the shared sacrifice of the UK and France during major conflicts. Her Majesty and the President were then escorted down the Champs-Élysées by 146 mounted members of the Republican Guard towards the Élysée Palace.

[United Kingdom] The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge both in military style for first military role as husband and wife

The Duchess of Cambridge will take on her first military role as a royal today as she hands out operational medals to members of the Irish Guards.

Alongside the Duke of Cambridge, who is Colonel of the Irish Guards, Kate will present medals to soldiers who have recently returned from serving in Afghanistan.

A royal aide said the Duchess was very pleased to be undertaking the role for a regiment 'so close to her husband's heart'.

The 1st Battalion Irish Guards returned in April from a six-month tour in Afghanistan where they were deployed to 22 different locations in Helmand Province, tasked with developing the Afghan Army.

Six soldiers returned home two weeks before the royal couple's wedding day and had ceremonial duties to perform in London on the day.

Before the medal parade, at Victoria Barracks in Windsor, William and Kate will meet privately with the families of three fallen servicemen and William will present them with posthumous Elizabeth Cross medals.

It is the first time that the couple have visited the regiment since William became Colonel of the Irish Guards in February.

He also wore the regiment's striking red uniform on his wedding day. William is the Irish Guards' first royal colonel and its Colonel-in-Chief is the Queen. The regiment was formed on April 1, 1900, by order of Queen Victoria is response to the courageous actions of Irish regiments in the Second Boer War.

The unit was heavily involved in the ceremonial duties but its servicemen are also fighting soldiers.

She seems to be wearing a military coated, very similar to this one found on Net-a-porter.

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Trooping the Colour 2011 - Part 1/8

[United Kingdom] Duke of Cambridge takes to The Mall on horseback

The Duke of Cambridge rode down The Mall from Buckingham Palace on a horse as he took part in a rehearsal for Trooping the Colour.

One day he will reign as King but today he was holding the reins of a distinctive mottled grey horse called Wellesley.

(...)

Most of the tourists and onlookers will not have recognised the Duke, whose eyes were shaded by his

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Prince Josef-Emanuel of Liechtenstein turned 22

Today, May 7th, Prince Josef-Emanuel of Liechtenstein - son of Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg and Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein - celebrated his 22th birthday. As I have never really spoken about him here, I am sharing last years' news, when he lead the Trooping the Colour ceremony of 2010.

Changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace under the orders of Lt. Josef von Liechtenstein on the occasion of the Trooping the Colour ceremony for the Queen of the United Kingdom.

Josef had the prestigious honor and responsibility to raise the guard at Buckingham Palace and presented the flag of his regiment to Her Majesty Queen of the United Kingdom, on the occasion of the anniversary parade in his honor, Saturday, June 12 in London.

After the ceremony, Prince Josef was joined by his parents Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg and Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein and his two sisters who attended the event at Wellington Barracks, headquarters of the regiment, to share this memorable day with the Prince.

Josef with his parents and sisters, Marie-Astrid and Maria-Anunciata

As Grand Duke Jean then Hereditary Grand Duke Henri did before him, Prince Josef received military training in preparation for the prestigious Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the UK. After just one year of training and despite his young age, he was appointed an Officer before being admitted some time later in the regiment of Irish Guards. 

Promoted to lieutenant at age 21, Prince Josef is perpetuating a tradition that connects the Grand Ducal Court with the Irish Guards and that goes back more than 67 years. In serving the British army during the 2nd World War, his grandfather, Grand Duke Jean has indeed been himself the rank of Lieutenant in the same regiment before Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II gives the according to Colonel of the Irish Guards.

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[United Kingdom] [VIDEO] British troops rehearsing for the royal wedding

[Norway] Royal guards apologize to King Harald

A few members of Norway’s elite military unit known as the King’s Guards had some explaining to do this week, after they hid during an emergency drill to avoid reporting for duty. They have since apologized to both the king and the country.

The alarm rang at the end of the day on Monday, and Dagbladet.no reported that the guards didn’t know it was a drill. They thought it was the real thing, that something was threatening the life of a member of the royal family. Instead of spurring them into action, though, the alarm prompted some of the guards living at the royal guards’ barracks at Huseby in Oslo to hide in the bathroom and even under some beds.

“I must stress that double the number of guards who needed to show up, did so,” Major Roy Tore Ottesen confirmed to Dagbladet. “But there were several who tried to get away. There were some guards who hid under the beds.”

Ottesen made it clear that commanding officers know who was involved in the dereliction of duty, and that they were being questioned. He said the emergency drill such as the one carried out on Monday evening “is something we need to do, to uncover weaknesses in our routines.”

The alarm rang just past 7pm on Monday, when the guards involved thought they were off duty. It was over by 9pm and results left many officers upset, also those among the ranks of the retired.

“This is just horrible,” a royal guards veteran and head of their association Gardistforbund, Nils Egelien, told Dagbladet. “If they (those who hid from duty) are really part of the preparedness troop, they should have nothing to do with it.”

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Prince William helps saving a life just 48 hours after engagement announcement

Prince William went back to work after announcing his engagement to Kate Middleton on 16 November - and saved a man's life. The Prince, a flight lieutenant with the RAF Search and Rescue Force, co-piloted a Sea King helicopter through a storm and thick fog to save dad-of-two Greg Watkins, who suffered a heart attack 3,000ft up Mount Snowdon in North Wales. ‘If it wasn't for him and the rest of his crew, I'd be dead,' says Greg.

On Thursday, just 48 hours after facing the cameras with his bride-to-be, Wills helped perform the daring manoeuvre so that a member of the crew could be winched down to help the 45-year-old walker.

‘The winchman helped me out and on to a stretcher and whispered, "Prince William's just flown you here",' Greg tells the Sunday Mirror.

‘I looked up at him and just said: "Oh. Tell him thank you."'

Prince William and Kate's wedding is expected to be as early as March, after which Wills plans to continue serving with the Royal Air Force.

from Nowmagazine.co.uk

Prince William attended Remembrance day in Afghanistan while his family was back home

As the Last Post sounded at the Remembrance Day service in London, Prince William was thousands of miles away in Afghanistan remembering those killed in combat there. In what was described by the Royal Legion as a "huge gesture of respect and fellowship" he joined a military congregation in Helmand Province.

The Prince, a search and rescue pilot, laid a wreath at Camp Bastion. Attached was a note reading: "For Jo, Lex and all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country". He was a personal friend of 2nd Lt Joanna Dyer who was killed in the Afghan conflict three years ago. Major Lex Roberts, his platoon commander, died in Iraq in May 2007.

Back in Britain, under skies heavy with rain, the Queen led the nation's tributes to past and present servicemen, leaving her wreath at the Cenotaph in Whitehall. Young and old joined medalled war veterans, as well as political leaders and their wives, in the traditional two-minute silence that began at 11am on the first stroke of Big Ben.

They watched as 8,000 soldiers, sailors and airmen paraded solemnly through the streets in honour of their fallen comrades.

from Hellomagazine.com

[United-Kingdom] Prince Harry honours fallen comrades

Opening the first ever remembrance field dedicated to the men and women killed in the Afghan war, Prince Harry, was joined by a four-year-old called Melanie. The little girl was there with her father Lance Corporal Ram Patten, 31, who devised the March for Honour, which Harry launched following the Wiltshire ceremony. This involves servicemen walking a mile for every life lost in Afghanistan, eventually converging on London's Royal Albert Hall on Remembrance Day.

The march began on November 4, and included a stop at the Field of Remembrance in Lydiard Park, Wootton Bassett so that the Prince could launch it officially. Melanie hadn't seen her father since he set out on last week and jumped into his arms, refusing to leave his side all day. To her excitement, this meant she got to spend lots of time with the dashing royal who told her: "You look pretty" and complimented her on her coat.

Among those that Harry was there to remember was L/Cpl Jonathan Woodgate, 26, of the Household Cavalry, the Prince's own regiment, who was killed in Helmand province in March this year.

His father Tony said the Queen's grandson told him his son would be remembered as a "special chap". "I shall remember this moment forever," said Mr Woodgate. "It was very emotional."

from Hellomagazine.com

New Thai army chief takes helm with royal pledge

Thailand's powerful new military chief -- thought to take a hardline view of anti-government "Red Shirts" -- vowed to protect the country's monarchy in a ceremony Thursday to mark his appointment.

General Prayut Chan-O-Cha, who officially starts work on Friday, is the Thai army's 37th commander-in-chief and takes the helm at a crucial juncture for the country following the deadliest political unrest in decades.

"I am ready to govern my subordinates fairly and will strive to develop the army to be prepared to maintain Thailand's sovereignty and protect the monarchy," he told soldiers at army headquarters in Bangkok.

Thailand remains deeply divided after deadly April and May protests, while a recent string of grenade blasts in Bangkok and the brief return of thousands of Red Shirts to the streets have stoked fears of continuing political crisis.

Revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej, seen by some Thais as a demigod, has been a stabilising force for the country but he turns 83 in December and has been hospitalised for a year.

Prayut, 56, is seen as a strong opponent of the Red movement, whose protests descended into clashes between demonstrators and troops that left 91 people dead, mostly civilians.

He is reported to have overseen the deadly military assault on the protesters' fortified encampment in the retail heart of Bangkok in May.

Prayut, who could serve up to four years, said he would carry on the policies of his predecessor, General Anupong Paojinda, whose three-year term saw four prime ministers govern in a period of turmoil in Thailand.

Both men were central to the 2006 coup that ousted tycoon-turned-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who is hailed by the Reds for his policies for the masses but seen by the establishment as corrupt and a threat to the monarchy.

During the Red crisis, Anupong appeared reluctant to use force to disperse the demonstrators, calling for a political solution in a country that has seen 18 coups or attempted coups since 1932.

Anupong, who appeared at the ceremony to officially hand over power, said that while he had faced "several complicated missions" during his tenure, cooperation from the army had made "all of those missions a success".

from AFP

[United-Kingdom] The sky's the limit for Prince William as he is presented with search and rescue wings

It was a proud day for Flt Lt William Wales. After 20 months of hard work and dedication, Prince William graduated as a search and rescue pilot in an informal ceremony held at his base, RAF Valley, in Anglesey on Friday. Far from the pomp one might associate with royalty, the 28-year-old was honoured, along six fellow trainees, in a low-key affair, during which the officers each received a certificate and squadron badge from their unit commander. Wills said earlier that he was "really delighted" to become a fully-fledged search and rescue pilot.

"The course has been challenging but I have enjoyed it immensely.

"I absolutely love flying, so it will be an honour to serve operationally with the search and rescue force, helping to provide such a vital emergency service."

And his happiness at becoming a fully qualified pilot was evident at the 'wings ceremony'. He smiled broadly as he shook hands with his commander, who congratulated him on passing the tough training course. St James Palace stressed beforehand that he wouldn't have guests. So his girlfriend Kate Middleton wasn't present and the popular royal celebrated with his peers.

With the training programme behind him, William will now join 22 Squadron, C Flight as a fully operational Sea King co-pilot in a team of four, and will spend the next three years in Wales flying rescue missions. While he is on duty, the Prince – who will embark on his first 24-hour shift in a matter of weeks - will live on the base in readiness for any emergencies.

"You are exposed to your weaknesses and therefore have to adapt to them," said Wing Commander Peter Lloyd at RAF Valley.

"The crews have to work with you as a team – there is nowhere to hide in the crew of a helicopter."

The Queen's grandson completed 70 hours of live flying and 50 hours of simulator training in order to learn how to manoeuvre the Sea King helicopter to the high standards expected.

Friday's graduation was the culmination of seven-months of training with the Search and Rescue Training Unit and the Sea King Operational Unit.

William - whose younger brother Harry is learning to fly Apache helicopters - began training to become an S&R pilot back in January 2009.

from hellomagazine.com

[United-Kingdom] Prince William becomes a Search and Rescue pilot

Prince William graduated from his Search and Rescue training this past September 17th, Prince William joins an elite group of heroes prepared to carry out rescue missions to come to the aid of both military personnel and civilians in the UK.

Known as Flight Lieutenant Wales in the RAF, Prince William is eager to take on his new role, saying:

“I am really delighted to have completed the training course with my fellow students. The course has been challenging, but I have enjoyed it immensely. I absolutely love flying, so it will be an honour to serve operationally with the Search and Rescue Force, helping to provide such a vital emergency service.”

from hellomagazine.com

Congratulations, Prince Harry, it's your 26th birthday!

Prince Harry is 26 — and like many 20-somethings, he is working on his birthday. The redheaded prince, known in the military as Lt. Harry Wales, is in training to become an Apache attack helicopter pilot in Britain's Army Air Corps. He began an eight-month course in July and has repeatedly said he hopes to get back to the front lines in Afghanistan.

Harry served as a battlefield air controller in the country's restive southern Helmand province during a secret 10-week tour in 2007 and 2008.

A spokeswoman in Harry's office at St. James' Palace said Wednesday the prince would be continuing his training on his birthday.

Harry is the younger son of Prince Charles and Diana, the late Princess of Wales, and third in line to the British throne.

from The Associated Press

Prince Harry & stars hit the right notes for Help for Heroes

British musicians showed their support for the armed forces charity with a very special concert.

The recently-reunited duo - Robbie Williams & Gary Barlow - sang their new single, Shame, to the delight of the excited crowd. Introducing his friend, Robbie, who also sang a number of his own tracks, said: "Have I got a treat for you, this is one of the most amazing moments in my professional career so far.

"It's been 15 years in the making. My wife calls him my boyfriend, I call him my captain, you call him Gary Barlow"

**

Proving to be just as popular as the musical entertainment was Prince Harry - known for his tireless support of the charity. The kind-hearted 25-year-old, who serves in the Blues and Royals regiment, gave up his place in the royal box to allow 25 wounded troops and their families to take the seats instead. He also refused free tickets for the concert, choosing to spend £2,000 on entry for him and his friends.

from Hellomagazine.com

Infanta Elena at a military ceremony in Spain last week

New official photos for Crown Princess Letizia and Crown Prince Felipe released

There was a treat for royal fans this week with the release of new official photographs of Princess Letizia and Prince Felipe to celebrate the crown prince rising to the ranks of lieutenant colonel in the army and air force and to frigate captain in the navy.
The man responsible for the captivating snaps is photographer Dany Virgili, who also took the last official portraits of the prince and princess in 2007.
Felipe can be seen in a dark blue suit and the different uniforms of the three branches of the armed forces. Meanwhile 37-year-old Letizia – just like in her first portrait – wears an elegant white suit.
The renowned photographer, who won the Golden Portrait Award of Montreux in 1994, took the pictures at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid.

from Hellomagazine.com

Frederik hears from soldiers serving their country in the Afghan conflict

Eating field rations and getting his shut-eye in a military-issue sleeping bag, Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik experienced for himself how his country's troops are faring in Afghanistan. On a secret visit to soldiers in the southern province of Helmand, the royal fulfilled a long-standing wish to see conditions in the war zone. With his wife Mary at home in Copenhagen caring for their two small children, the heir to the Danish throne toured two bases where he heard from some of the 690 soldiers the Scandinavian country has stationed on the front line. A trained officer, who spent much of his early career in the military, Frederik could empathise more than most with the men's situation. He served in the infantry regiment of the Royal Life Guards and the Royal Frogmen Corps, an elite special forces unit within the Danish navy.

Harry sets his sights on pilot training as a way to return to front line

Prince Harry is aiming to follow in the footsteps of his father Prince Charles, his uncle Andrew, and his elder brother William by applying to become a military helicopter pilot.
After completing initial aptitude tests earlier this month, the 24-year-old royal - who spent ten weeks serving in Afghanistan last December - will undergo a four week course in November to assess his suitability for a 16-month full flight training programme in January.

While it remains to be seen whether the Prince will make the grade - standards at the Army Air Corps are notoriously high - Harry is keen to get back to serving in Afghanistan, and he believes he's more likely to be sent back in the air than on the ground.
"He is desperate to get back to the front line," a senior royal source revealed. "That is what he joined the Army for."
Among the transport Harry - who referred to his time in Afghanistan as the closest he has come to ordinary life - may end up flying are Apache attack helicopters.