Details of Upcoming Royal Visit Announced
All is in readiness for the Royal Visit to Bermuda next week of Prince and Princess Edward, Earl and Countess of Wessex, Government House announced today [Mar.9], saying the two-day visit is primarily intended to celebrate the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award programme on the island.
The Royal Couple will arrive on a BA flight from London on Wednesday, 16 March.
They will be met at the LF Wade International Airport by Governor Sir Richard Gozney and Lady Gozney and Premier Paula Cox and her husband, Germain Nkeuleu. A private dinner will take place at Government House on Wednesday night.
On Thursday 17 March 2011, The Earl of Wessex who is a Trustee of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation and Chairman of the International Council, and The Countess of Wessex will visit The Centre on Angle Street, Hamilton where he will present Gold Awards to young people and meet current and past officials of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards in Bermuda.
Their Royal Highnesses will arrive at The Centre at 9:30 a.m. and the public will have an opportunity to view their arrival from the Dellwood School.
The Royal Highnesses will then travel to Ferry Reach for a tour of the Co-Educational Facility – an approved Duke of Edinburgh Award centre – where he will meet young male offenders who are participating in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award programme.
Afterwards, His Royal Highnesses will visit Somersfield Academy where he will meet the Bermuda Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Council and Award programme participants. Simultaneously, Her Royal Highness will tour Dame Marjorie Bean Hope Academy where she will meet students and faculty.
The Royal Highnesses will then travel to the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club in Hamilton where they will watch a demonstration of Optimist & 420 sailing and meet Club officials and young sailors.
Their Royal Highnesses will then be hosted by the Premier Paula Cox at a reception at Camden in Paget.
At 2:35p.m. Thursday, members of the public will have another opportunity to see the Royal Couple when they visit the Berkeley Institute.
The Royal Couple will meet students participating in the Duke of Edinburgh Award programme; they will watch theatre performances by Berkeley Institute and Warwick Academy students and they will also unveil a commemorative plaque in honour of the first-ever Royal Visit to the school.
Their Royal Highness will then return to Government House where they will plant two trees on the property. On Thursday evening, they will host a Black Tie Fundraising Dinner for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in Bermuda.
Bermuda is one of 132 countries that operate The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award programme that was initially set up in 1956 by The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. This will be the third visit to Bermuda for The Earl of Wessex and the first visit to Bermuda by The Countess of Wessex.
Their Royal Highnesses will head to the Caribbean when they depart Bermuda early on Friday 18 March, 2011.
