THE WEDDING OF
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS
PRINCE WILLIAM OF WALES, K.G.
WITH
MISS CATHERINE MIDDLETON
29th APRIL 2011
A SUMMARY OF INFORMATION
AS OF 23rd APRIL 2011
Contents as of 23/04/11 Page
- The Service 3
- Costs 3
- Timings 4
- Members of the Wedding Party 6
- Invitations 7
- Selected Guest List for the Wedding Service at Westminster Abbey 8
- Seating Plan 17
- The Route 21
- Cars and Carriages 21
- Wedding Musicians 24
- Wedding Ring 26
- Receptions 27
- Wedding Cake 28
- Official Photographer 29
- Westminster Abbey 30
- Ceremonial bodies 34
- Official Souvenir Wedding Programme 36
- New Coat of Arms for Miss Catherine Middleton and her Family 37
- Instrument of Consent 39
- Gifts 40
- Wedding website 48
- The Royal Wedding Online – On the day 49
- Visitors to London 51
- Ministry of Defence briefing notes 52
- The Royal Wedding Policing Operation 83
- Biographies
- Prince William 86
- Catherine Middleton 90
- Prince Harry 91
- Clergy 93
- Organist and Master of the Choristers, Westminster Abbey 95
The Service
The marriage of Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton will take place at Westminster Abbey on Friday 29th April 2011. The Dean of Westminster will conduct the service, the Archbishop of Canterbury will marry Prince William and Miss Middleton, and the Bishop of London will give the address. The Archbishop’s and the Dean’s roles are following precedent. The Bishop of London is a personal friend of The Prince of Wales and his family (as well as being Dean of the Chapels Royal). He has known Prince William personally for many years - he confirmed Prince William and officiated at the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Service.
Costs
The Royal Family, with a private contribution from the Middleton Family, will pay for all those aspects of the day that constitute the wedding (e.g. the Abbey service, flowers, dresses, carriage procession, reception and dinner). The Government and other bodies will pay for costs that are consequential to the wedding.
Timings
The following timings have been confirmed for the Wedding Day.
8.15 -9.45am The general congregation will arrive at the Great
North Door of Westminster Abbey.
From 9.50am Governors-General and Prime Ministers of Realm Countries,
the Diplomatic Corps, and other distinguished guests arrive at the Abbey.
10.10am The Bridegroom and Prince Henry of Wales leave Clarence House for Westminster Abbey. They arrive at the Abbey at 10.15am.
10.20am Members of Foreign Royal Families arrive at Westminster Abbey from Buckingham Palace.
10.20am Mrs. Michael (Carole) Middleton and Mr. James Middleton leave the Goring Hotel for Westminster Abbey. They arrive at the Abbey at 10.27am.
10.25am Members of the Royal Family (except those listed below) leave Buckingham Palace for Westminster Abbey. They arrive at the Abbey at 10.30am.
10.35am The following Members of the Royal Family leave Buckingham Palace for Westminster Abbey. They arrive at the Abbey at 10.40am:
The Duke of York
Princess Beatrice of York
Princess Eugenie or York
The Earl and Countess of Wessex
The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence
10.38am The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall leave Clarence House for Westminster Abbey. They arrive at the Abbey at 10.42am.
10.40am The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh leave Buckingham Palace for Westminster Abbey. They arrive at the Abbey at 10.45am.
10.48am The Bridesmaids and Pages leave the Goring Hotel for Westminster Abbey. They arrive at the Abbey at 10.55am.
10.51am The Bride, accompanied by Mr. Michael Middleton, leaves the Goring Hotel for Westminster Abbey.
11.00am The Marriage Service begins. The Marriage Service will be relayed by audio speakers along the Route.
12.15pm The Carriage Procession of the Bride and Bridegroom with a Captain’s Escort of the Household Cavalry, followed by The Queen’s Procession with a Sovereign’s Escort of the Household Cavalry, leaves Westminster Abbey for Buckingham Palace.
12.30pm The Bride’s Carriage Procession arrives at Buckingham Palace.
12.40pm Members of the Royal Family and Members of Foreign Royal Families arrive at Buckingham Palace.
From 12.40pm Other guests for the Reception arrive at Buckingham Palace.
1.25pm The Queen and the Bride and Bridegroom, together with their Families, appear on the Balcony.
1.30pm Fly Past by the Royal Air Force and Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
Miss Catherine Middleton, accompanied by her immediate family, will spend the night before the wedding at the Goring Hotel. This was the Middleton family’s personal choice.
All arrivals at Westminster Abbey are at the Great West Door unless otherwise indicated.
Members of the Wedding Party
Miss Philippa Middleton, Miss Catherine Middleton’s sister, will be her Maid of Honour.
Prince Harry will be Prince William’s Best Man.
The Bridesmaids and Page Boys will be:
The Lady Louise Windsor
Aged 7 – daughter of The Earl and Countess of Wessex; first cousin of Prince William.
The Hon. Margarita Armstrong-Jones
Aged 8 – daughter of Viscount and Viscountess Linley (née The Hon. Serena Stanhope); second cousin of Prince William.
Miss Grace van Cutsem
Aged 3 – daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh van Cutsem (née Rose Astor); goddaughter of Prince William.
Miss Eliza Lopes
Aged 3 – daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Lopes (née Laura Parker Bowles); granddaughter of The Duchess of Cornwall.
Master William (Billy) Lowther-Pinkerton
Aged 10 – son of Mr. and Mrs. Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton (née Susannah Richards); no relation; son of Prince William and Prince Harry’s Private Secretary.
Master Tom Pettifer
Aged 8 – son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Pettifer (née Alexandra [Tiggy] Legge-Bourke); godson of Prince William.
The ages above are the Bridesmaids’ and Page Boys’ ages on the day of the wedding.
The Bridesmaids and Pages will perform the traditional role of Bridesmaids and Pages on the day. They will be with the Bride on the morning of the wedding, accompany her down the aisle and return with the newly married couple up the aisle. The Bridesmaids and Pages will also have places in the Carriage Procession from the Abbey to Buckingham Palace.
All the Bridesmaids and Pages were chosen jointly by the couple.
Invitations
Invitations to the wedding of Prince William and Miss Middleton have been issued in the name of Her Majesty The Queen.
The following groups of people have been invited to the wedding:
- Members of The Royal Family and their friends
- Members of the Middleton Family and their friends
- Friends of Prince William and Miss Middleton
- Members of Foreign Royal Families
- Representatives from the Defence Services
- Representatives from Prince William’s patronages
- Representatives from the Church and other faiths
- Members of the Government, Parliament and Devolved Administrations
- Members of the Diplomatic Corps
- Governors-General and Prime Ministers from the Realms
- Members of the Royal Household
Around 1,900 people have been invited to the service at Westminster Abbey.
Around 650 people have been invited to the lunchtime reception at Buckingham Palace given by The Queen.
Around 300 people have been invited to the dinner at Buckingham Palace given by The Prince of Wales.
The invitations were posted in February. The EIIR on the invitation is die-stamped in gold and then burnished. The text on the invitation is also die-stamped. The edges of the invitation are bevelled then gilded. The invitations were printed by Barnard and Westwood.
Decisions on invitations were made by the couple jointly. They worked with Members of their own Household, and The Queen’s and The Prince of Wales’s Households to draw up the final list.
A rough breakdown of numbers of guests is as follows (this includes spouses):
- The vast majority of guests are drawn from Prince William and Miss Middleton’s Family and Friends – over 1,000
- Over 50 Members of The Royal Family
- Over 40 Members of Foreign Royal Families
- Over 200 Members of Government, Parliament and Diplomatic Corps
- Approximately 80 guests drawn from Prince William’s charities, including some individuals who are not in senior positions, who the Prince has known for some time
- 60 Governors-General and Realm Prime Ministers
- 30 Members of the Defence Services
Selected Guest List for the Wedding Service at Westminster Abbey
The following are all confirmed attendees at the Royal Wedding as of 23rd April 2011
Members of the British Royal Family
The Queen
The Duke of Edinburgh
The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall
Prince Henry of Wales
The Duke of York
Princess Beatrice of York
Princess Eugenie of York
The Earl and Countess of Wessex
The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Phillips
Miss Zara Phillips with Mr. Mike Tindall
Viscount Linley and Viscountess Linley
And The Hon. Charles Armstrong-Jones
The Lady Sarah Chatto and Mr. Daniel Chatto
And Master Samuel Chatto
And Master Arthur Chatto
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester
The Earl and Countess of Ulster
The Lady Davina and Mr. Gary Lewis
Lady Rose and Mr. George Gilman
The Duke and Duchess of Kent
Earl and Countess of St. Andrews
Lord Downpatrick
The Lady Marina-Charlotte Windsor
The Lady Amelia Windsor
The Lord and Lady Nicholas Windsor
The Lady Helen Taylor and Mr. Timothy Taylor
Prince and Princess Michael of Kent
The Lord and Lady Frederick Windsor
The Lady Gabriella Windsor
Princess Alexandra, the Hon. Lady Ogilvy
Mr. and Mrs. James Ogilvy
Miss Marina Ogilvy
The Lady Saltoun
Members of Foreign Royal Families
The Prince and Princess of the Asturias
The Crown Prince of Bahrain
Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde of Belgium
The Sultan of Brunei and Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha
King Simeon II and Queen Margarita of the Bulgrarian
The Queen of Denmark
King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes
Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece and Prince Constantine of Greece
Sheikh Ahmad Hmoud Al-Sabah of Kuwait
Prince Seeiso Bereng Seeiso and Princess Mabereng Seeiso of Lesotho
The Grand Duke and Duchess of Luxembourg
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Raja Permaisuri Agong of Malaysia
Prince Albert II of Monaco and Miss Charlene Wittstock
Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco
The Crown Prince and Princess of The Netherlands
The King and Queen of Norway
Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said of Oman
The Emir of The State of Qatar and Sheika Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned
King Michael I of Romania and Crown Princess Margarita
Prince Mohamed bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia and Princess Fadwa bint Khalid bin Abdullah bin Abdulrahman
The Queen of Spain
The King of Swaziland
The Crown Princess of Sweden and The Duke of Västergötland
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand
The King of Tonga
The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi
Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine of Yugoslavia
The Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia
Dignitaries
The Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda
The Governor-General of Australia and His Excellency Mr. Michael Bryce
The Governor-General of The Bahamas and Lady Foulkes
The Governor-General of Barbados
The Governor-General of Belize and Lady Young
The Governor-General of Canada and Mrs. David Johnston
The Governor-General of Jamaica
The Governor-General of New Zealand and Lady Satyanand
The Governor-General of Papua New Guinea and Mrs Michael Ogio
The Governor-General of the Solomon Islands and Lady Kabui
The Governor-General of St Christopher and Nevis
The Governor-General of St Lucia
The Governor-General of St Vincent and the Grenadines and Lady Ballantyne
The Prime Minister of Australia and Mr. Tim Matheison
The Prime Minister of The Bahamas and Ms Delores Miller
The Prime Minister of Barbados
The Prime Minister of New Zealand and Mrs. John Key
The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea and Lady Somare
The Prime Minister of Saint Lucia and Mrs. Rosalia Nestor King
The Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and The Grenadines and Mrs. Ralph Gonsalves
The Premier of Bermuda and Mr. Germain Nkeuleu
The Premier of The British Virgin Islands and Mrs. Ralph O’Neal
The Premier of the Cayman Islands and Mrs. Kerry Bush
The Hon. Sharon and Mr. Rodney Halford (Falkland Islands)
The Chief Minister of Gibraltar and Mrs. Peter Caruana
The Chief Minister of Montserrat and the Reverend Doctor Joan Delsol Meade
The Hon. John and Mrs. Vilma Cranfield (St. Helena)
Members of Government, Parliament and Devolved Administrations
The Prime Minister and Mrs. David Cameron
The Deputy Prime Minister and Ms. Miriam Gonzalez Duantez
First Secretary of State, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and Mrs. William Hague
The Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Hon. Mrs. Osborne
The Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor and Mrs. Kenneth Clarke
The Secretary of State for the Home Department and Minister for Women and Equalities, and Mr. Philip May
The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport and Mrs. Jeremy Hunt
The Rt. Hon Ed Miliband, M.P and Ms. Justine Thornton
The Speaker of the House of Commons and Mrs. John Bercow
The Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales and the Lady Elis-Thomas
The Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament and Mrs. Alex Fergusson
The Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Mrs. William Hay
The Lord Speaker and Mr. Martin Hayman
First Minister of Wales and Mrs. Carwyn Jones
First Minister of Northern Ireland and Mrs. Peter Robinson
First Minister of Scotland and Mrs. Alex Salmond
The Mayor of London and Mrs. Boris Johnson
The Rt. Hon. The Lord Mayor and The Lady Mayoress
Sir Gus and Lady O’Donnell
The Rt. Hon. The Lord Mayor of Westminster and Count Paolo Filo della Torre
Mr. and Mrs. Simon Fraser
Representatives from the Church and other Faiths
The Most Reverend Gregorious, Archbishop of the Greek Archdiocese of Thysteira and Great Britain
The Archbishop of Canterbury and Mrs. Rowan Williams
Rabbi Anthony Bayfield
Mr. Anil Bhanot
The Archbishop of Armagh, Cardinal Archbishop Sean Brady
Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, The Most Reverend David Chillingworth
The Right Reverend John Christie, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
Mr. Malcolm Deboo President, Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe
The Rt. Reverend Doctor Norman Hamilton
The Archbishop of Armagh, The Most Reverend Alan Edwin Harper
Monsignor Philip Kerr, The Convener, Action of Churches Together in Scotland
Commissioner Elizabeth Matear, Salvation Army
The Archbishop of Wales, The Most Reverend Doctor Barry Morgan
The Reverend Gareth Morgan Jones, President of the Free Church Council of Wales
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-Connor
The Archbishop of Westminster, The Most Reverend Vincent Nichols
Cardinal Keith Patrick O’Brien, Archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh
Rabbi Alan Plancey
Imam Mohammad Raza
The Chief Rabbi (Lord Sacks)
The Venerable Bogoda Seelawimala, Acting Head Monk, The London Buddhist Vihara
Maulana Syed Raza Shabbarm, Muhammadi Trust
Mr. Natubhai Shah, President, the Jain Academy
Dr Indarjit Singh, Director, Network Sikh Organisations (UK)
Canon Chirstopher Tuckwell
The Reverend Martin Turner
The Archbishop of York and Mrs. John Sentamu
Senior Members of the Defence Services
Major General and Mrs. William Cubitt, Major General Commanding Household Division and GOC London District
Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen and Lady Dalton, Chief of the Air Staff
General Sir Nicholas and Lady Houghton
Air Vice-Marshal the Hon. David and Mrs. Murray, Defence Services Secretary
General Sir David and Lady Richards, Chief of the Defence Staff
Admiral Sir Mark and Lady Stanhope, First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff
General Sir Peter and Lady Wall, Chief of the General Staff
Amongst the guests at The Wedding Service are all Heads of Mission in London representing countries with which the United Kingdom has normal diplomatic relations and Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenants for the United Kingdom. These individuals will not be accompanied by their spouses or partners.
Other guests at The Wedding Service, who may be recognisable to television viewers or whom have an official link to Prince William or Miss Middleton include the names below. Please note that this list is not exhaustive of any of the categories of guests – charitable, military, friends or any other category – invited.
All the following individuals have been invited with their spouses or partners if married or in a civil partnership:
Mr. David Allan
David Allan is the Chairman of Mountain Rescue, England and Wales. Prince William has been Patron of the organisation since 2007.
Major Tom Archer-Burton
Major Archer Burton was Prince William and Prince Harry’s Commanding Officer in the Household Cavalry. He also led the Burnaby Blue expedition to southern Africa – an African community project supported by Sentebale, in which Prince Harry was involved.
Mr. Charlie Mayhew
Charlie Mayhew is Chief Executive of the Conservation Charity, Tusk Trust. Prince William and Prince Harry visited Tusk-funded projects in Botswana last year. The visit to Africa was the first oversees Royal tour that Princes William and Harry undertook together.
Mrs. Alison Moore-Gwyn
Alison Moore Gwyn is Chief Executive of Fields in Trust. In 2010, Prince William became Patron of The Queen Elizabeth II Fields, an initiative to protect and create hundreds of playing fields throughout the UK in honour of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The project is run by Fields in Trust.
Mr. Seyi (pronounced Shay) Obakin
Seyi Obakin is Chief Executive of Centrepoint. Centrepoint became Prince William’s first Patronage in 2005. His mother, Diana, Princess of Wales was also Patron of the Charity. Seyi slept rough with Prince William in London to highlight the issue of homelessness.
Mr. Peter Cross
Peter Cross is Chief Executive of the charity SkillForce, of which Prince William has been Patron since 2009. Earlier this month, Prince William officially launched the SkillForce Prince’s Award, in recognition of the contribution that young people make to their communities.
Miss Amanda Berry
Amanda Berry is Chief Executive of BAFTA. Prince William has been President of BAFTA since 2010.
Mrs. Ann Chalmers
Ann Chalmers is Chief Executive of the Child Bereavement Charity. Prince William has been Patron of the Charity since 2009. The Child Bereavement Charity educates professionals and supports families both when a child dies and when a child is bereaved.
Mrs. Julia Samuel
Julia Samuel is Chair of the Child Bereavement Charity and also a family friend of Prince William. Prince William has been Patron of the Charity since 2009. The Child Bereavement Charity educates professionals and supports families both when a child dies and when a child is bereaved.
Mrs. Tessa Green
Tessa Green is former Chairman of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. Prince William became President of The Royal Marsden in May 2007 having undertaken two days of work experience there in 2005. The Prince helped out in a variety of departments, including medical research, catering and fundraising.
Mr. Simon Johnson
Simon Johnson worked closely with Prince William as Chief Operating Officer of the FA’s 2018 World Cup bid.
Sir Trevor Brooking
Sir Trevor is the Football Association’s Director of Football Development and is responsible for youth-coaching standards in England. Prince William has been President of the FA since 2006 and has met Sir Trevor on several occasions at FA events.
Sir Clive Woodward
Sir Clive Woodward is a former Coach of the England Rugby Team and the British and Irish Lions. Prince William was invited by Sir Clive to join the British and Irish Lions rugby team on their tour to New Zealand in 2005.
Mr. Gareth Thomas
Prince William met Welsh Rugby player Gareth Thomas several times in his role as Vice Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union.
Mr. Ian Thorpe
Australian Prince William met the Olympic swimmer, Ian Thorpe, on a visit to Australia in 2010. The Prince has since supported Mr. Thorpe’s charitable organisation Ian Thorpe’s Fountain for Youth, which focuses on improving health and education for children.
Mr. Barty Pleydell-Bouverie
Barty Pleydell-Bouverie led the Cycle of Life charity bike ride across Africa in 2008, which raised money for the Tusk Trust.
Rear Admiral Ian Corder
Rear Admiral Ian Corder is Rear Admiral of Submarines. Prince William was appointed Commodore-in-Chief of Submarines by The Queen in 2006.
Brigadier Ed Smyth-Osbourne
Brigadier Smyth-Osbourne was Prince William and Prince Harry’s Commanding Officer in the Household Regiment and acted as their military mentor. He was also Prince Harry’s Commanding Officer when The Prince undertook active service in Afghanistan.
Major William Bartle-Jones
Major Bartle-Jones was Prince William’s Squadron Leader in the Household Cavalry Regiment based at Windsor.
Wing Commander Steven Bentley
Wg Cdr Steve Bentley is Prince William’s Search and Rescue Force Squadron Leader at RAF Valley, Anglesey.
Sergeant Keith Best
Sgt Keith Best is a colleague of Prince William’s at RAF Valley, in Anglesey, North Wales. The Winchman was awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Bravery in the Air after playing a major role in the rescue efforts in the Cumbrian floods in 2009.
Squadron Leader Paul Bolton
Sqn Ldr Paul Bolton is a colleague of Prince William’s at RAF Valley in Anglesey, North Wales.
Wing Commander Kevin Marsh
Wing Commander Kevin Marsh met Prince William through his service in the RAF. He will be one of the Path Liners outside Westminster Abbey on the wedding day.
Lance-Corporal Martyn Compton
Martyn is a Lance-Corporal in the Household Cavalry. He was injured in an ambush in Afghanistan in 2006, which put him in a coma for three months and left him with 75 per cent burns.
Miss Holly Dyer
Holly is sister to 2nd Lieutenant Joanna Dyer, who was killed by a bomb in Iraq in 2007. Joanna was a close friend of Prince William’s at Sandhurst. In a statement released by Clarence House at the time, Prince William said he was “deeply saddened to hear the tragic news and he is very much thinking of her family and friends right now and they will remain in his thoughts and prayers.”
Mrs. Susie Roberts
Susie Roberts is the widow of Major Alexis Roberts, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2007. Major Alexis Roberts was Prince William’s Platoon Commander at Sandhurst. In a statement released at the time, Prince William said he was deeply saddened to learn of Major Robert’s Death. The Prince remembers him with ‘great fondness and respect’.
Mr. and Mrs. Bryn Parry
Former soldier Bryn Parry and his wife Emma founded the charity Help for Heroes to assist wounded service men and women. Both Princes William and Harry are supporters of the charity and Prince William previously opened a new swimming pool at Headley Court in 2010, which had been funded by Help for Heroes.
Mr. Edward Gould
Mr. Edward Gould was Master of Marlborough College whilst Miss Middleton was a student.
Dr. Andrew Gailey
Dr Andrew Gailey is the Vice-Provost of Eton College and was Prince William’s Housemaster.
The Hon. Edward Dawson-Damer
Australian Ed Dawson-Damer is an ex-Irish Guards officer, who was Equerry to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in the 1980’s. He hosted Prince William for a section of his visit to Australia in January 2010.
Mr. Sam Stevenson
New Zealander Sam Stevenson was Prince William’s New Zealand equerry during his visit to the country in July 2005. At the time, Sam was a Captain within the New Zealand Defence Forces. During the visit, Prince William undertook official engagements representing The Queen in Wellington and Auckland at events to commemorate the end of the Second World War.
Sir John Major
Following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997, Sir John Major was appointed a Guardian to Prince William and Prince Harry with responsibility for legal and administrative matters.
Mr. Rowan Atkinson
Actor Rowan Atkinson is a close friend of The Prince of Wales.
Mr. Tom Bradby
The journalist and news reporter Tom Bradby has known both Prince William and Miss Middleton for some time. He conducted their first joint interview together on the day their engagement was announced.
Mr. Ben Fogle
Ben Fogle is best known as a travel writer, television presenter and adventurer and has met Prince William on a number of occasions.
Sir Elton John
Sir Elton John is a singer-songwriter, composer and pianist. He performed at the funeral of the late Diana, Princess of Wales.
Mr. and Mrs. David Beckham
Prince William, as President of the Football Association, has met footballer David Beckham on a number of occasions. They recently worked together as Ambassadors of England’s 2018 World Cup Bid.
Mr. Guy Ritchie
Guy Ritchie is a friend of Prince William and Miss Middleton. He is a well-established filmmaker, who directed Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch and Revolver.
Miss Joss Stone
Joss Stone is best known as an English Soul singer and songwriter. She performed at the Concert for Diana at Wembley in 2007 and at City Salute in 2008.
Mr. Mario Testino
Photographer Mario Testino took Prince William and Miss Middleton’s official portrait photographs to mark their engagement.
Miss Tara Palmer-Tomkinson
Tara Palmer Tomkinson is a friend of The Prince of Wales and his family.
Mr. Sam Waley-Cohen
Amateur jockey Sam Waley Cohen is a friend of Prince William and Miss Middleton.
Mr. Galen Weston
Canadians Galen and Hilary Weston are friends of The Prince of Wales and his family.
Westminster Abbey Seating Plan
| North Lantern | · Miss Middleton’s immediate family and friends · Prince William and Miss Middleton’s friends · The Spencer Family
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| South Lantern | · The British Royal Family · Members of Foreign Royal Families
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| North Transept | · Prince William and Miss Middleton’s friends
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| South Transept | · Governors General · Members of the Diplomatic Corps · Middleton Family friends
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| Stalls North
| · Representatives of the Church and other Faiths · Prince William and Miss Middleton’s Friends
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| Stall South | · Members of the Cabinet · Prince William and Miss Middleton’s Friends
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| North Nave | · Guests of the Prince of Wales · Members of the General Congregation
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| South Nave | · Representatives of the Church and other Faiths · Members of the General Congregation
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The following Members of the Royal Family will be seated on the front row (South Lantern), in order starting closest to the Sacrarium:
The Queen
The Duke of Edinburgh
The Prince of Wales
The Duchess of Cornwall
Prince Harry.
The following members of the Middleton Family will be seated on the front row (North Lantern), in order starting closest to the Sacrarium:
Mrs. Carole Middleton
Mr. Michael Middleton
Mr. James Middleton.
(The remaining places on the front row are still TBC).
The following members of the Spencer Family will be seated on the front row of their block (North Lantern), in order starting closest to the Sacrarium:
The Lady Sarah McCorquodale
Mr. Neil McCorquodale
Mrs. Anne Wake-Walker
The Lord Robert Fellowes
The Lady Jane Fellowes
The Earl Spencer
Miss Karen Gordon.
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The Route
The route between Buckingham Palace and the Abbey goes by The Mall, Horse Guards Road, Horse Guards Parade, through Horse Guards Arch, Whitehall, Parliament Square (the south side) and Broad Sanctuary. A full map is available at: www.officialroyalwedding2011.org
The additional route from the Goring Hotel to The Mall goes by way of Grosvenor Place, Buckingham Palace Road and Buckingham Gate to The Mall.
The Wedding Service will be relayed by audio speakers along the Route. This is in addition to the screens already announced at Hyde Park and Trafalgar Square.
Cars and Carriages
Cars
Miss Middleton and Prince William will travel separately to the wedding service using State Cars from the Royal Mews.
Miss Middleton will travel in a Rolls Royce Phantom VI, accompanied by her father. The Rolls Royce was presented to The Queen in 1978 for her Silver Jubilee by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
Prince William will travel in a Bentley, accompanied by Prince Harry. The State Bentleys have been uniquely designed enabling greater use to be made of the vehicle’s interior space. The Bentleys are 6.22 metres long and, at 3.84 meters, their wheelbase is 1.3 metres longer than that of an average family sized saloon.
State cars are painted in Royal claret livery. The Rolls-Royces and Bentleys do not have registration number plates, since they are State vehicles. On processional occasions, the State cars travel at around nine miles per hour, and sometimes as slow as three miles per hour.
The State Car collection includes two Bentleys, three Rolls-Royces and three Daimlers. Members of the Royal Family and Miss Middleton’s parents and siblings will travel to Westminster Abbey in cars and motor coaches organised by the Royal Mews.
Motor-coaches
All the motor coaches used on the day have been supplied on a temporary loan from Volkswagen for the wedding, and will be driven by drivers from Westway Coaches.
Carriages
At the end of their wedding service at Westminster Abbey, Prince William and Miss Middleton will travel in the 1902 State Landau along the Processional Route to Buckingham Palace. The route will include Parliament Square, Whitehall, Horse Guards Parade and The Mall. In the event of severely wet weather, the couple will travel in The Glass Coach.
There will be five horse-drawn carriages in the Carriage Procession from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace. The first carriage will be the 1902 State Landau or Glass Coach carrying the Bride and the Bridegroom. The second and third carriages will be Ascot Landaus carrying the Best Man, Maid of Honour and Bridesmaids. The fourth carriage will be a Semi-State Landau carrying The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh. The fifth carriage will be a Semi-State Landau carrying The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall and Mr. and Mrs. Middleton.
The 1902 State Landau, the Glass Coach, the Ascot and Semi-State Landaus are housed at the Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace.
The 1902 State Landau was specifically built for King Edward VII in 1902 and was intended to be used at his Coronation. It is the carriage in most general use at the Royal Mews and is usually used by The Queen to meet Foreign Heads of State when they arrive on State Visits to Britain. The Prince of Wales travelled to St Paul’s Cathedral in the 1902 State Landau for his wedding in 1981, returning in it with The Princess of Wales after the service. The Duke and Duchess of York also used it for their return to Buckingham Palace at their wedding in 1986.
The 1902 State Landau is painted in a lighter shade of maroon than the other coaches and richly adorned with gold leaf and upholstered in a crimson satin. It is normally used open, and drawn by six horses.
The Glass Coach was built in 1881 and was purchased for use at King George V’s Coronation in 1911. The Glass Coach has carried previous Royal brides to their weddings – Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in 1923, Princess Alexandra in 1963, Princess Anne in 1973, Lady Diana Spencer in 1981 and Miss Sarah Ferguson in 1986. It has also carried the bride and bridegroom from the church, as it did when Princess Elizabeth married The Duke of Edinburgh and again when Princess Anne married Captain Mark Phillips.
The Glass Coach was built by A. Peters and Sons, as a sheriff’s town coach before being purchased shortly before King George V’s coronation. It is driven by a coachman from the box seat with two or four horses, has special interior lighting and is known as the Glass Coach on account of its large glass windows.
There are five Ascot Landaus in the Royal Mews. Two of these will feature in the Procession. Ascot Landaus are always used for The Queen’s procession up the course at the Royal Ascot Race meeting and also for other visits of an official nature. They have been used for The Queen’s coronation visit to Edinburgh, the Investiture of The Prince of Wales at Caernarfon Castle, The Queen’s silver Jubilee visits to Glasgow and Cardiff, and on State Visits following the 1902 State Landau. They are also used to transport new High Commissioners of Republics within the Commonwealth when they are received by The Queen. The Semi-State Landaus are used for a variety of Royal occasions.
The Royal Mews and its horses
The Royal Mews is part of the Lord Chamberlain’s Office and is run by the Crown Equerry. The Royal Mews houses 30 carriage horses and has 38 staff including liveried helpers, coachmen and chauffeurs.
There are two breeds of horses at the Royal Mews: Windsor Greys and Bays (the majority of which are Cleveland Bays). Eighteen horses will be involved in the Carriage Procession.
There are over 100 carriages in the Royal Mews collection, although not all of them are kept at Buckingham Palace.
For the Royal Wedding, 14 sides of State Harness will be used with matching appointments for outriders. All the harness requires regular cleaning and polishing, an activity undertaken by Royal Mews staff in addition to their other duties.
Wedding Musicians
Two choirs, one orchestra and two fanfare teams will perform the music at the Wedding Service of Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey on April 29th. These are:
- The Choir of Westminster Abbey
- The Choir of Her Majesty’s Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace
- The London Chamber Orchestra
- The Fanfare Team from the Central Band of the Royal Air Force
- The State Trumpeters of The Household Cavalry
Both choirs will be under the direction of Mr James O’Donnell, Organist and Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey. The Choir of Westminster Abbey is made up of 20 boys, all of whom attend the Abbey’s dedicated residential Choir School, and 12 professional adult singers, known as Lay Vicars. In addition to singing the daily choral services in the Abbey throughout the year, the choir plays a central role in the many Royal, State and national occasions which take place at the Abbey.
The Abbey’s Sub Organist, Robert Quinney, will play the organ.
The Chapel Royal Choir consists of ten Children of the Chapel, boy choristers who hold scholarships at City of London School, and six Gentlemen-in-Ordinary, who are professional singers. The Chapel Royal Choir has existed since at least the Norman Conquest. The Organist, Choir Master and Composer at Her Majesty’s Chapel Royal is Dr. Andrew Gant. The Choir’s duties are to sing the weekly service in the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace and to perform for the Sovereign on other occasions, including at the weddings of Members of the Royal Family. The distinctive State uniforms worn by the Children date from the reign of Charles II.
The London Chamber Orchestra will be conducted by Mr Christopher Warren-Green, its Music Director and Principal Conductor. The orchestra will comprise 39 musicians located in the organ loft of the Abbey. The LCO is the longest established professional chamber orchestra in the United Kingdom, having been founded in 1921 by Anthony Bernard. The Duchess of Cornwall is a patron of the orchestra. Mr. Warren-Green has conducted numerous concerts for the Royal Family.
A Fanfare Team of seven musicians from the Central Band of the Royal Air Force will perform under the direction of Wing Commander Duncan Stubbs. The Central Band was established in 1920 and provides musical support to the Royal Air Force throughout the UK. In addition to their musical duties, Royal Air Force musicians also serve overseas in support of the broader Defence cause.
The State Trumpeters of The Household Cavalry comprises musicians from both The Band of The Life Guards and The Band of The Blues and Royals. The Fanfare Team of eight Trumpeters will be led by Trumpet Major Grant Sewell-Jones of The Band of The Blues and Royals. In addition to their musical duties, all Army Musicians can be called upon to act as individual augmentee soldiers in support of operations across the world.
Both Prince William and Miss Middleton have taken a great deal of interest and care in choosing the music for their Service, which will include a number of well-known hymns and choral works as well as some specially-commissioned pieces. Prince William has also sought advice from his father, The Prince of Wales.
Following the Wedding Service at Westminster Abbey, Claire Jones, the Official Harpist to The Prince of Wales will perform at the Reception given by The Queen at Buckingham Palace.
Further details will be released about music in due course.
Wedding Ring
The Wedding ring that Catherine Middleton will wear will be made of Welsh Gold. The gold was given to Prince William by The Queen shortly after the couple were engaged. It has been in the family's possession for some years and has been in the care of the Royal Jewellers. There are no further details on which mine the gold was mined from. More information about the ring may be released closer to the Wedding Day.
There will only be one ring, in accordance with the couple's wishes. The ring will be from Prince William for Catherine.
Other Royal Wedding Rings
The wedding rings of The late Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, The Queen, The late Princess Margaret, The Princess Royal and The late Princess of Wales were all made from the same nugget of Welsh Gold, which came from a Welsh mine, Clogau St David’s at Bontddu, North Wales.
In November 1981, the Royal British Legion presented The Queen with 36-grammes of 21 carat Welsh Gold, part of this gold went into the making of the ring worn by Sarah, Duchess of York (1986).
The Wedding rings worn by The Earl and Countess of Wessex are made from Welsh gold, too (possibly from the piece presented in November, 1981).
The Prince of Wales wears his wedding ring under his signet ring.
Receptions
The Queen will give a lunchtime Reception at Buckingham Palace. It will be a private gathering for guests drawn from the congregation who will represent the couple’s official and private lives. During the Reception (see Timings), the couple will appear on the Buckingham Palace Balcony. The Reception is expected to finish mid-afternoon. Guests will be served with canapés at the Reception.
In the evening, The Prince of Wales will give a private dinner, followed by dancing, at Buckingham Palace for the couple and their close friends and family. Prince William and Miss Middleton are immensely grateful to both The Queen and The Prince of Wales for hosting these events.
Wedding Cake
Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton have chosen Leicestershire-based cake designer, Fiona Cairns to create their wedding cake. The wedding cake will be a multi-tiered traditional fruit cake. The cake, which will be decorated with cream and white icing, will have a strong British floral theme using elements of the Joseph Lambeth technique. Ms. Cairns was chosen for her creative style and beautifully crafted handmade cakes using traditional British ingredients. Prince William and Miss Middleton were keen to choose a British cake designer and they had seen and tasted some of Ms. Cairns’ cakes in the past.
Ms. Cairns’ business, which started 25 years ago at her kitchen table, is now based at a state of the art bakery in Leicestershire, in the heart of the English countryside. Ms. Cairns was first contacted by St James’s Palace in early February 2011. Like any bride, Miss Middleton did her own research into the cake’s design and met Ms. Cairns to give her specific guidance on what she would like the cake to look like.
The Lambeth technique is derived from a style of decorating that was popular in England where chefs and decorators would use a lot of intricate piping to create 3-D scrollwork, leaves, flowers, and other decoration. The method is still popular today and is frequently used by wedding cake designers and decorators to create ornate wedding cakes.
In addition, the couple have also asked McVitie’s Cake Company to create a chocolate biscuit cake for the reception at Buckingham Palace. The chocolate biscuit cake will be made from a Royal Family recipe and was specially requested by Prince William.
Further details about the cakes will be released in due course.
Official Photographer
Prince William of Wales and Miss Catherine Middleton have selected Hugo Burnand to be the official photographer at their wedding on the 29th April. Mr Burnand will be take official photographs in the State Apartments at Buckingham Palace following the wedding at Westminster Abbey. He has photographed Prince William a number of times.
Mr Burnand has photographed Prince William privately before and was the official photographer at the wedding of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall in 2005. He also took the official 60th birthday photograph of The Prince of Wales.
Mr Burnand is a well known portrait photographer and has photographed Lucien Freud, Lady Thatcher, Victoria Beckham and John Magnier. He regularly works with Conde Nast Publications including House & Garden Magazine and Tatler.
Born in 1963 Hugo is married to Louisa and they have four children. Hugo learnt the basics of photography from his mother Ursy, who used to turn their kitchen at home into a dark room in the evenings and started with his first camera at age of 7.
Mr Burnand attended Harrow School. He then spent 10 years travelling through America, France and Ireland as a stable hand. Following a brief job at Lloyds of London, Hugo became a photographer's assistant to Julian Calder. He later set up his own studio in Notting Hill.
It is anticipated one official photograph of Prince William and Catherine Middleton will be released through PA. Further details about release time etc. will be revealed on the day of the wedding. There is a possibility that more photographs will be released at a later date. It is hoped that Hugo will give a pooled interview on Friday 29th April after the shoot. Arrangements are still to be put in place.
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, one of Britain’s greatest medieval buildings and among the best-known churches in the world, has a history stretching back over a thousand years. Founded as a Benedictine monastery in the mid-tenth century and with the shrine of its principal royal founder, St Edward the Confessor (died 1066), at its heart, it is also the coronation church where monarchs have been crowned amid great splendour since 1066.
Neither a cathedral nor a parish church, Westminster Abbey was established as a ‘Royal Peculiar’ in 1560 by Queen Elizabeth I. It means that the Abbey is outside the jurisdiction and responsibility of the Church of England and that the Abbey receives no regular funding from the Crown, the Church of England or the government.
The present church, begun by Henry III in 1245 is a treasure house of architectural and artistic achievement on which each succeeding century has left its mark.
Fifteen out of the thirty-nine sovereigns crowned in Westminster Abbey also lie buried within its walls. Their medieval and Renaissance tombs, though among the most important in Europe, form only a small part of the extraordinary collection of gravestones, memorials and monumental sculpture for which the Abbey has long been famous.
Many of the significant individuals in British history are remembered here: royalty and aristocracy, clergy and politicians, writers, scientists and musicians. They include Geoffrey Chaucer, Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Dickens, George Frederick Handel and William Gladstone.
Fifteen royal weddings have taken place in Westminster Abbey since King Henry I and Princess Matilda of Scotland married on 11 November 1100. They include HM The Queen and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten (20 November 1947), King George VI and Lady Elizabeth Bowes later to become the Queen Mother (26 April 1923), Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones (6 May 1960), Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson (23 July 1986) and Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips (14 November 1973).
More than a million people visit Westminster Abbey every year and several hundred thousand come to worship at its daily services.
The Grave of the Unknown Warrior
The Grave of the Unknown Warrior is at the west end of the nave. It is a black marble gravestone encircled by red poppies with an inscription in brass letters which commemorates the many thousands killed in the 1914-18 war who have no grave.
The grave contains the remains of an unidentified serviceman taken from the battlefields of the First World War. The idea came from an army chaplain, David Railton, who had noticed in a garden at Armentieres a grave with a rough cross bearing the words ‘An Unknown British Solider’. In the aftermath of the war the grave became especially symbolic to the bereaved whose husbands, fathers or sons had no known burial place.
The Unknown Warrior was buried on 11 November 1920 in the presence of King George V and other members of the Royal Family, the Prime Minister, members of the Cabinet and the chiefs of the armed forces. A hundred holders of the Victoria Cross formed a guard of honour through the nave. The grave contains soil from France and the Union Flag, known as ‘the Padre’s Flag’, which covered the coffin on its journey from France, hangs in St George’s Chapel. It was presented in 1921 by David Railton, who had used it as a coffin pall and altar cloth during his war service. Other artefacts associated with the Unknown Warrior are near by: the ship’s bell from HMS Verdun, the destroyer that brought the Warrior’s body to England, was presented in 1990 and hangs on a pillar to the south; on a pillar to the north hangs the Congressional Medal of Honor, conferred by the USA in 1921.
The inscription on the grave reads:
BENEATH THIS STONE RESTS THE BODY
OF A BRITISH WARRIOR
UNKNOWN BY NAME OR RANK
BROUGHT FROM FRANCE TO LIE AMONG
THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS OF THE LAND
AND BURIED HERE ON ARMISTICE DAY
11 NOV: 1920, IN THE PRESENCE OF
HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE V
HIS MINISTERS OF STATE
THE CHIEFS OF HIS FORCES
AND A VAST CONCOURSE OF THE NATION
THUS ARE COMMEMORATED THE MANY
MULTITUDES WHO DURING THE GREAT
WAR OF 1914-1918 GAVE THE MOST THAT
MAN CAN GIVE LIFE ITSELF
FOR GOD
FOR KING AND COUNTRY
FOR LOVED ONES HOME AND EMPIRE
FOR THE SACRED CAUSE OF JUSTICE AND
THE FREEDOM OF THE WORLD
THEY BURIED HIM AMONG THE KINGS BECAUSE HE
HAD DONE GOOD TOWARD GOD AND TOWARD
HIS HOUSE
St Edward the Confessor’s Chapel and the Shrine of St Edward
At the heart of Henry III’s rebuilding of Westminster Abbey was the magnificent shrine of St Edward the Confessor, whose patronage of the monastery was largely responsible for its wealth and importance.
The shrine stands in its own chapel behind the high altar and occupies the lofty, apsidal east end of the Gothic church. Its importance is emphasised architecturally by the processional ambulatory surrounding it and by the radiating chapels beyond. The original lavish decoration included a Cosmati-work pavement, laid at the same time as the great pavement in the sacrarium, though in a different style. Originally the shrine could be seen from the crossing and quire, and only when the altar screen was built in the mid-fifteenth century did St Edward’s Chapel become the enclosed space it is today.
Saints’ shrines were found in many medieval churches, but in Britain most were destroyed at the Reformation, and Edward is the only major English saint whose body still rests in its medieval shrine. Henry III’s devotion to the Confessor led him to choose burial close to the shrine. Several of his successors followed his example and five kings (Henry III, Edward I, Edward III, Richard II and Henry V) and four queens (Eleanor, Consort of Edward I, Philippa of Hainault, Anne of Bohemia and Catherine de Valois) now lie here in some of the most artistically important medieval tombs in the country.
The Shrine was in medieval times an important place of pilgrimage. In recent years, some elements of pilgrimage have been restored. Twice a day, some of the Abbey’s community and visitors assemble in the Shrine for prayer, in addition to parish pilgrim groups each week and a national pilgrimage in October, an important element in the Abbey’s annual rhythm of prayer and devotion.
The Cosmati Pavement
The Cosmati Pavement is a remarkable floor in front of the High Altar, nearly 25 feet square, composed of more than 30,000 pieces of porphyry, onyx and glass, cut to different sizes and shapes and set in geometric designs. The materials were brought from Rome and assembled here in 1268 as part of the decoration of Henry III’s church. The name ‘Cosmati’ refers to the Italian family who specialised in this technique, and the idea of laying such a pavement in the Abbey probably came from Abbot Richard Ware, who went to Rome in 1258 to have his election confirmed by the pope and would have seen similar pavements in the churches there.
There are thought to be only three of these pavements left in the UK, and Westminster Abbey has two of them, the one on the High Altar and the other in the Shrine of St Edward the Confessor. The third is in Canterbury, but it is a fragment and almost entirely restored – the Abbey has the only two complete pavements in their original positions and never to have been wholly re-laid.
The Cosmati Pavement was covered by carpet to protect is fragile surface for most of the last 150 years. It was not visible at either HM The Queen’s wedding or her Coronation. A two-year conservation project completed in May 2010 means that it is now on permanent display to the public.
St Edmund’s Chapel
St Edmund’s Chapel off the South Ambulatory is dedicated to Edmund, king of East Anglia. It has a number of monuments and floorstones, the most significant is the tomb of King Henry III’s half-brother, William de Valence, Earl of Pembroke (d. 1296).
The chapel windows are plain except for three pieces of heraldic glass, placed here in 1938 which depict the three lions of England for Henry III, the red pallets of Provence for his queen, Eleanor, and the red lion rampant crowned for Richard, earl of Cornwall, Henry’s brother-in-law.
Westminster Abbey Bells
The Abbey’s ten bells will be rung prior to the wedding for up to half an hour. After the service a full peal of 5,000 changes will be rung that will take in excess of three hours. Full peals are rung on the Abbey’s bells only for significant occasions. The ringers do this without a break and need to concentrate throughout.
In change ringing the sequence in which the bells sound alters continually. No sequence is repeated. The peal commences and concludes with ‘rounds’, which is the ringing of the bells in order from the highest to the lowest note. A rhythmical and flowing effect is the objective.
The changes to be rung are determined by ringing methods (similar to scripts or scores) which the ringers commit to memory. The Royal Wedding peal will combine two methods, London and Bristol, resulting in a peal of Spliced Surprise Royal.
The conductor, while ringing one of the bells, announces frequently which method is to be followed. He also provides other instructions to achieve the peal length of 5,000 changes.
Abbey Ringers
Members are elected to the Westminster Abbey Company of Ringers, a voluntary group, and are able bell ringers. They come from all professions and past members of the Company have included a train driver, a school teacher and a medical consultant. The current membership includes architects, bankers, civil servants, a lawyer, IT workers, a supply chain manager and management consultants.
Ceremonial Bodies
Her Majesty Body Guard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms
Her Majesty's Body Guard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms provides a bodyguard to The Queen at many ceremonial occasions. Members attend the Sovereign at State arrivals of foreign Heads of State, the Garter service at Windsor, the State Opening of Parliament, and the evening reception held by the Sovereign for the Diplomatic Corps.
In addition, the Corps is on duty when the Sovereign attends services of the Orders of Chivalry. The Gentlemen at Arms also attend The Queen's garden parties, where their task is to form the lanes through which the members of the Royal Family walk. The Honourable Corps consists of five Officers (the Captain, the Lieutenant, the Standard Bearer, the Clerk of the Cheque and the Harbinger) and 27 Gentlemen. The senior Officer is the Captain, a political appointment who is now always the Government Chief Whip in the House of Lords.
The uniform is that of a Heavy Dragoon Guards officer of the 1840s. It has a skirted red coat with Garter blue velvet cuffs and facings embroidered with the Tudor royal badge of the Portcullis. Helmets with white swan feather plumes are worn when on duty, even in church. Officers wear gold aiguillettes and carry sticks of office which they receive from the Sovereign on appointment. Cavalry swords are worn, and long ceremonial battle-axes, over 300 years old, are carried by all the Gentlemen.
Since 1856, when the award was instituted, twelve Gentlemen at Arms have been holders of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry and conspicuous bravery in the field. The Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms was instituted by King Henry VIII in 1509 and celebrated its 500th anniversary in 2009. At a parade and luncheon to mark the anniversary, The Queen paid tribute to her 'nearest guard': 'The evils against which the Sovereign required protection in 1509 have I expect changed a little over the years but the loyalty of the Body Guard remains undimmed.'
The Bodyguard's original role was to provide a mounted escort, armed with spear and lance, to protect the Sovereign in battle or on progress around the country. After 1526 the Corps began to do duty at court on foot, carrying a battle-axe, as they still do today. The Gentlemen at Arms last acted as a Royal bodyguard in battle in the Civil War of 1642-9.
The Queen’s Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard
Dressed in their distinctive Tudor uniforms of red, white and gold, The Queen's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard has a ceremonial role at many Royal events. Yeomen of the Guard take part in the annual Royal Maundy Service; the State Opening of Parliament; the Epiphany Service in the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace; all Investitures and summer Garden Parties at Buckingham Palace; the installation of Knights of the Garter at Windsor Castle; the Investiture of The Prince of Wales (1969); and at the Coronations, Lying-in-State, and State funeral of the Sovereign.
There are 71 Yeomen of the Guard, all of whom are former Warrant Officers of the Armed Services. There are also six officers: Captain, Lieutenant, Clerk of the Cheque, the Ensign and two Exons. The senior officer is the Captain, which is also a political appointment.
Yeomen of the Guard are not the same as the Yeomen Warders who guard the Tower of London, although their uniforms are almost identical. The Yeomen of the Guard can be distinguished by their cross belts, worn from the left shoulder. They carry a sword, which is not drawn, and a halberd known as a 'partisan'.
The Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard was created by Henry VII in 1485 at the battle of Bosworth. It is the oldest of the Royal bodyguards and the oldest military corps in existence in Britain.
Gentlemen Ushers to The Queen
Gentlemen Ushers have been in existence since the fifteenth century. They are retired, senior members of the Armed Forces and receive a small honorarium. Nowadays their duty is to assist in the marshalling of Her Majesty’s guests at State Functions, and generally carry out the duties implied by their title. Such occasions include Investitures (at which four Gentlemen Ushers are on duty) and Garden Parties.
Whilst on duty Gentlemen Ushers wear military uniform, as well as armbands carrying Her Majesty’s Cipher on their left arms. Formerly Gentlemen Ushers were required to live in or near London with each having his monthly tour of duty, but they are now called upon as required and their place of residence is not specified.
There are ten Gentlemen Ushers, as well as an additional twenty one Extra Gentlemen Ushers. When a Gentleman Usher retires, they become an Extra Gentleman Usher, and can be called upon to assist the Gentlemen Ushers at occasions where required. The post of Extra Gentleman Usher is honorary. On the occasion of a Gentleman Usher retiring, they are replaced by a retired senior military officer from the same Service (Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force).
Ten Gentlemen Ushers and two Extra Gentlemen Ushers will be on duty for the Royal Wedding, working with the Westminster Abbey Stewards to assist guests. On the day of the Wedding the Gentlemen Ushers’ duties will primarily involve escorting Members of the Royal Family and Members of Foreign Royal Families to their seats for the Service.
Official Souvenir Wedding Programme
A souvenir Official Programme will be published to mark the marriage of Prince William with Miss Catherine Middleton. Official Programmes have long been a Royal tradition, and they were produced to mark the weddings of The Prince and Princess of Wales in 1981 and The Duke and Duchess of York in 1986.
The Programme will include the full Order of Service (as used by guests in the Abbey), a personal message of thanks from Prince William and Catherine Middleton, and a never-before-seen photo of the couple taken by photographer Mario Testino. The Official Programme will feature Prince William’s Coat of Arms on the front cover and Catherine Middleton’s new Coat of Arms on the back.
The Programme will be sold by 60 Explorer Scouts and 80 Cadets (supervised by adults) for £2 per copy at various locations along the wedding route and surrounding area on the 29th April. Proceeds from the sale of the Official Programme will go to benefit the Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry.
The Programme will also be available to download for free from the Official Royal Wedding website, www.officialroyalwedding2011.org, from 24 hours before the Wedding.
Haymarket Network was chosen to design and produce the official programme on behalf of the Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry.
Cadets and Scouts
Cadets from the Greater London Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association representing the Combined Cadet Force, Sea Cadet Corps, Army Cadet Force, and Air Training Corps, will be selling the programmes alongside Explorer Scouts aged 14 to 18 years old from across London. In addition to Explorer Scouts supplying programmes to the public 250 Beaver Scouts, Cub Scouts and Scouts from as far as Manchester, Bradford, Carmarthen, Warwickshire and Cardiff will also be travelling to London to take part in the celebrations for the Royal Wedding.
The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry
The Foundation’s mission is to fund projects and organisations that create opportunities so all can achieve their full potential, especially those who are vulnerable or damaged by their circumstances or experiences. The Foundation aims to create lasting change in targeted focus areas and geographies, based on need and the passions and interests of Prince William and Prince Harry. Early priorities for the Foundation are young people in society, sustainable development at home and overseas and the welfare of veterans and their families.
New Coat of Arms for Miss Catherine Middleton and her Family
Miss Catherine Middleton has a new Coat of Arms in advance of her wedding to Prince William. Miss Middleton’s Coat of Arms derives from one which is being granted to her father, Mr. Michael Middleton. The design of the Arms was agreed and approved by Mr. Thomas Woodcock (Garter King of Arms and Senior Herald in England), who is based at the College of Arms in London.
The Middleton Family worked closely with the College of Arms throughout the design process to create a Coat of Arms that was personal to them and visually identified them as a family.
The three acorns represent Mr. and Mrs. Middleton’s three children (Catherine, Philippa and James). Acorns were chosen because the area in which the children were brought up – West Berkshire, England – is surrounded by oak trees. Additionally, oak is a long-established symbol of both ‘England’ and ‘Strength.’
The gold chevron, which sits at the centre of the design, represents Mrs. Middleton, whose maiden name is Goldsmith. The two thinner chevrons, which sit either side of the gold chevron, allude to hills and mountains and represent outdoor pursuits that the family enjoy together. The colours blue and red were chosen as they are the principle colours from the flag of the United Kingdom.
Miss Middleton’s Coat of Arms has been presented in the form of a ‘lozenge’ and is shown suspended from a ribbon, which indicates that she is an unmarried daughter.
Mr. Thomas Woodcock, Garter King of Arms said:
“Mr. and Mrs. Middleton and their children took enormous interest in this design and, while its purpose is to provide a traditional heraldic identity for Catherine, as she marries into the Royal Family, the intent was to represent the whole Middleton family together, their home and aspects of what they enjoy.
“Every Coat of Arms has been designed to identify a person, school or organisation, and to last forever: heraldry is Europe's oldest, most visual and strictly regulated form of identity and it surrounds us in Britain, giving clues to our history and surroundings. After her marriage, Catherine Middleton will place her father’s Arms beside those of her husband in what is known as an impaled Coat of Arms. This will require a Royal Warrant from The Queen."
The Grant of Arms has been made to Mr. Michael Middleton and his descendants in accordance with the laws of Arms, so all of his three children, including Catherine, are entitled to the Arms. Mr. James Middleton (Catherine’s brother) will pass the right on to his descendants.
The technical heraldic description of the Middleton Coat of Arms, known as a ‘blazon’ is Per pale Azure and Gules a Chevron Or cotised Argent between three Acorns slipped and leaved Or. Per Pale means that the Shield is divided vertically with one half blue (Azure) and the other half red (Gules). A Chevron Or means the gold chevron across the centre of the Shield. There are cotises either side of the chevron which are white (Argent). Slipped means ‘with a stalk,’ so the final part of the blazon – and distinguishing feature of the Shield – means three acorns with gold stalks and leaves.
Coats of Arms are granted under the Sovereign’s authority. Since the fifteenth century, this has been delegated to three Kings of Arms in England. They now have jurisdiction over England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, Coats of Arms are granted by Lord Lyon King of Arms.
Like all applicants, Mr. Middleton started the process by submitting his request to England’s Earl Marshal, The Duke of Norfolk, who issued a warrant to the Kings of Arms agreeing to the granting of new Arms. In this case it fell to Garter and Clarenceux Kings of Arms (two of the three Kings of Arms) to grant the Middleton Coat of Arms by Letters Patent, as the Middleton Family live south of the River Trent, the historic division between north and south in England.
An image of Catherine Middleton’s Coat of Arms is available from the Press Association.
Instrument of Consent
Under the terms of the Royal Marriages Act 1772 the Monarch is required to formally approve the marriage of her children and most direct descendents of King George II before their marriage. The formal approval is evidenced by a legal Instrument called an Instrument of Consent. The process involved is for The Queen to make a formal Declaration of Consent at a meeting of the Privy Council at which she also signs the Instrument of Consent and a Warrant directing the Lord Chancellor to pass that Instrument under (seal with) the Great Seal of the Realm. The Warrant is drawn up by The Crown Office. This sets out the text of the Instrument of Consent and contains a direction to the Lord Chancellor that a document in those terms be sealed. Her Majesty formally gave her consent to the marriage of Prince William to Catherine Middleton under the 1772 Act by making the Declaration at the meeting of the Privy Council on the 9th February 2011.
The Instrument of Consent is drafted by the Crown Office and is in the case of Prince William's marriage hand written and illuminated on vellum by one of a panel of scrivener/artists retained by the Crown Office. Vellum is only used for the most important State documents and there are only a small numbers of vellum suppliers in the United Kingdom. In this instance the vellum has been supplied by William Cowley, a company based in Newport Pagnell.
The Instrument of Consent is sealed with the Great Seal of the Realm and is attached or suspended from the foot of the document by woven cords sealed within the Great Seal itself. The Queen signs the Warrant and it is countersigned by the Lord Chancellor, whose counter-signature is his approval that the terms of the Instrument of Consent correspond with the text contained within the Warrant. The Instrument of Consent is one of the very few Instruments that pass under the Great Seal which actually bear The Queen’s signature. The Instrument of Consent will be given to the Couple after they are married, but is currently stored at the Crown Office.
The Instrument of Consent is given to Prince William and Catherine Middleton after the wedding.
Background re artwork
The "E" for Elizabeth and the lion are in raised gold and this design is one of a number currently used on the most important Letters Patent (of which the Instrument of Consent is one). “Elizabeth The Second By The Grace of God” is in RAF Blue. The design in the left margin shows Prince William’s Coronet, the United Kingdom Floral emblems - the rose, thistle and shamrock and the Garter belt. In the right margin the white Lily represents St Catherine of Siena, who is commemorated on the 29th April. Prince William’s Coronet, a cipher (but not the official cipher, which will remain a private symbol for the Couple) – an intertwined ‘C’ and ‘W’ and the Welsh leek surrounded by Prince William's label, taken from the Spencer Family Arms. The red dragon at the end of the text is a well-known heraldic symbol of Wales and the principal device on the Welsh flag.
Gifts
Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton have set up a charitable gift fund for those who very generously may wish to donate to charity to help the couple celebrate their wedding.
Having been touched by the goodwill shown them since the announcement of their engagement, Prince William and Miss Middleton have asked that anyone who might wish to give them a wedding gift consider giving instead to a charitable fund.
Donations can be made through the website www.royalweddingcharityfund.org which includes a full list of the charities to benefit, personally chosen by Prince William and Miss Middleton.
Many of the charities are little known, without existing Royal Patronage, and undertake excellent work within specific communities. They are charities that have a particular resonance with Prince William and Miss Middleton and reflect issues in which the couple have been particularly interested in their lives to date. The issues are also ones where Prince William and Miss Middleton feel that maximum impact can be achieved through this support.
The charities are grouped into particular areas, depending on the work they do, and individuals can donate to the group they particularly wish to support. The areas are: Changing Lives through Arts and Sport; Children Fulfilling Their Potential; Help and Care at Home; Support for Service Personnel and Their Families; and Conservation for Future Generations.
The 26 charities include some based in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, to reflect the couple’s close ties to and affection for the three countries following visits by Prince William in the past.
Donations, via the website, are possible in six currencies. Donations can also be made by telephone, by text message or by sending a cheque. The donations will be held in a dedicated account by the Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry and grants will be distributed in partnership with the benefitting charities to ensure maximum impact.
The website is hosted by BT, which is also providing the online, telephone and text services as well as the processing platform for charitable donations. The site was designed and built by GGMR. It will remain open for a short while after the wedding. All major mobile operators have waived fees for processing donations.
Donations may be received via the website, via text message to the short code 70294, and via telephone by calling 0300 123 2904. Cheques can also be sent to The Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton Charitable Gift Fund, c/o St. James’s Palace, London SW1A 1BS.
The full list of charities that will benefit from the fund is as follows:
Inspirational Arts and Sports
Peace Players:
PeacePlayers International–Northern Ireland is a cross-community charity that uses sport, specifically the game of basketball, to unite young people from the Protestant and Catholic communities.
Gareth Harper
02890240550
gpharper@hotmail.co.uk
Ocean Youth Trust:
Ocean Youth Trust UK is committed to inspiring positive change in young people through the challenge of adventure under sail.
Ocean Youth Trust South
Mark Todd
02392602278
Mob: 07771771864
Ocean Youth Trust Scotland
Nick Fleming
01475722722
Ocean Youth Trust Northern Ireland
Bronagh Cappa
02890454472
Ocean Youth Trust North East
Steve Lennon
01912571212
Rachel (PA)
office@sailjamescook.com
Greenhouse Schools:
Greenhouse empowers young people in London's disadvantaged communities to realise their potential through high quality, intensive sport and dance programmes delivered by inspirational coaches.
Michael di Giorgio
020 8576 6118
Mob: 07802825554
Oily Cart:
Oily Cart creates accessible theatre for two often neglected audiences; very young children and children with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities and/or an Autistic Spectrum Disorder.
Kathy Everett (General Manager)
020 8672 6329
(Natasha Evans (Administrator), Roger Lang (General Manager) 020 86726329)
Dance United:
Dance United offers contemporary dance training for troubled young people. Young people often excel at the training and their achievement can be life-changing.
Andrew Coggins (CE)
07799644199
Disadvantaged Young People
Into University:
Children in Britain's toughest neighbourhoods often underperform at school and face unemployment as adults. Into University runs learning centres, inspiring these children to succeed against the odds.
Dr. Rachel Carr (CE)
020 7243 0242
Rachel@intouniversity.org
Venture Trust:
Venture Trust supports young people who are struggling with complex life circumstances such as leaving care, offending, caring responsibilities, homelessness, drug/alcohol misuse & difficult relationships.
Greg Barton
01312287700
Beat Bullying:
Beat Bullying provides intensive therapeutic intervention to young people and their families - supporting those being bullied, as well as working with those who bully to help change their behaviour.
Emma Jane Cross
020 8771 3377
Keyfund:
Keyfund invests in ideas. Young people design and deliver their own projects, building confidence, self esteem and our 12 Keyfund skills.
Hannah Eyres (CEO)
01912614029
A National Voice:
Since 1999, A National Voice have been working to make Care better by listening to what young people say about being in Care and then acting on their behalf.
Maxine Wrigley (CEO) (mob: 07749 564436)
01612375577
info@anationalvoice.org
Help and Care at Home
Association for Children’s Palliative Care (ACT):
ACT is a UK charity working to achieve the best possible quality of life and care for terminally ill children and young people and their families.
Lizzie Chambers (CE)
01179221556
Youth Access:
Youth Access supports a national network of local young people's information, advice and counselling services. Each year, they help over 1 million young people with a wide range of mental health and social welfare problems, including depression and anxiety, as well as housing and financial worries.
Barbara Rayment
020 8772 9900 ext. 23
Barbara@YouthAccess.org.uk
Community Foundation in Wales:
The Community Foundation in Wales channels charitable giving to projects which make a real difference to people's lives in communities across Wales. Grants support, enable and help carers across communities in Wales, recognising the specific challenges they face and the value of their commitment.
Liza Kellett
02920536590
Community Foundation in Scotland:
The Community Foundation in Scotland helps people and companies direct their charitable giving to Scotland's lesser known charities and community groups. These small organisations bring communities together and support Scotland's most vulnerable people.
Giles Ruck
01315240300
Nick Addington
Nick@scottishcf.org
Community Foundation in Berkshire:
Berkshire Community Foundation provides grants for local projects that change the lives of people in Berkshire's communities.
Andrew Middleton
01189303021
Andrew.middleton@berkshirecf.org
Returning Servicemen and their Families
Combat Stress:
Combat Stress is the UK's leading military charity specializing in Veterans' mental health.
Commodore Andrew Cameron
01372587102
Andrew.cameron@combatstress.org.uk
Neil Cox – Communications Manager
07850209138
Neil.Cox@combatstress.org.uk
Cruse Bereavement Care for Children of Forces’ Families:
Those in the Armed Services and their families who face bereavement deserve exceptional care. For over 50 years Cruse has been somewhere to turn when someone dies. Last year volunteers responded to nearly 100,000 requests for support.
Debbie Kerslake
01214296266
Household Cavalry Central Charitable Fund:
The Household Cavalry co-ordinates help for Operational Casualties and their dependants, providing welfare and support to soldiers and their families, on training and operations. The Fund also cares for retired soldiers needing support. The Fund supports all Household Cavalry members: veterans of the Falklands, Iraq, Afghanistan, and of the Hyde Park bombing. Prince William was commissioned into The Blues and Royals, a Regiment of the Household Cavalry, and served in the Household Cavalry Regiment as a junior officer.
Harry Scott
020 7414 2392
Mob: 07717766049
Harry.scott414@mod.uk
Irish Guards Appeal:
The Irish Guards, known as 'The Micks', were formed in 1900 to commemorate the bravery of Irish Regiments in the Boer War. They have fought with distinction in every major campaign undertaken by the British Army ever since. The Appeal aims to benefit all serving and retired 'Micks' and their families, now and in the future: the wounded, the aged and the bereaved, who have given so much for us all. Prince William is Colonel of the Irish Guards.
Captain Robbie Wilmont
020 7414 3295
Mob: 07824557916
Army Widows Association:
The Army Widows' Association offers support, friendship and advice to Widows, Widowers and recognised Partners of service men and women who have died since 1981.
Christine Gemmell (Chair)
01722501885 (home – no voicemail)
Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund:
The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund is the RAF's leading welfare charity providing financial, practical and emotional support to RAF personnel, past and present. The Fund’s role is to make sure that those who have served their country have access to the best possible support in their hour of need: disability support for injured servicemen and veterans; bespoke debt advice; relationship counselling and a range of innovative support for RAF children. Prince William is currently on operational service with the RAF's Search and Rescue Force.
Air Marshal Sir Robert Wright
020 7307 3301
Ann-Mari Freebairn
020 7307 3352
Annmari.Freebairn@rafbf.org.uk
Conservation
ZSL:
The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is a charity devoted to the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats.
Professor Jonathan Baillie (Conservation Programmes Director)
020 7449 6632
Mob@ 07711929436
Jonathan.Baillie.zsl.org
Karolyn Upham (Project Co-ordinator)
020 7449 6455
Karolyn.Upham@zsl.org
EarthWatch:
Earthwatch brings together a global community of leading scientists and members of the public to undertake hands-on environmental research that builds knowledge, and inspires action within communities worldwide.
Nigel Winser
01865318838
nwinser@earthwatch.org.uk
Support Internationally
The Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary:
The Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary provides permanent day and night search and rescue to cover marine requirements in Canada. In doing so it prevents injury, promotes safe boating and saves over two hundred lives each year.
Malcolm Dunderdale
1-250-559 8034
1-250-888 6556
Malcolm.dunderdale@ccga-gcac.ca
New Zealand Government’s Christchurch Earthquake Appeal:
The New Zealand Christchurch Earthquake Appeal has been launched to help the people of Christchurch and the Canterbury region during their time of great need.
Christine Langdon (Department of Internal Affairs)
Mob: +64 21 448 428
Christine.Langdon@dia.govt.nz
Royal Flying Doctor Service – Australia:
The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia is one of the largest and most comprehensive aeromedical organisation in the world. Using the latest in aviation, medical and communications technology, it delivers extensive 24-hour emergency and primary health care services to those who live, work and travel throughout Australia.
Robert Williams (Acting CEO)
Russell Ousley
03860 1113
Janice Hoogeveen (National Marketing Director)
Janice.Hoogeveen@rfdsno.com
Wedding Website
The official Royal Wedding website celebrates the marriage of Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton. The website, www.officialroyalwedding2011.org, is the official information service for anyone interested in the forthcoming Royal Wedding. Regular announcements of wedding details in the run up to the wedding day will appear on the site.
The website will be regularly updated with exclusive content, including photo galleries, features, videos and links to important information for visitors on the day. Since its launch, more than eight million pages have been viewed so far (15th April figure).
The website will bring together all of the official social media around the event, including the Clarence House and Buckingham Palace Flickr account, Twitter (@Clarence House), The Royal Channel on YouTube and the British Monarchy Facebook page, providing direct easy access to all channels of communication.
As well as regular updates on the wedding details ahead of the event, on the day itself the site will be the first place to view information such as the details of Miss Middleton’s wedding dress.
The website is hosted by Google App Engine, which is designed to handle large, global peaks in web traffic, and was built by Accenture. Design and creative advice was offered by Reading Room.
Another specific Royal Wedding site, www.direct.gov.uk/RoyalWedding, contains practical information for members of the public whether they’re planning to visit London to take part in the celebrations or organising their own event within the local community.
The Royal Wedding Online – On the day
Live updates and unique material from the wedding of Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton will be released through a range of online platforms, providing the most digital and interactive coverage of a Royal Wedding to date.
The range of social media around the event will include the Official Royal Wedding website, the British Monarchy Flickr account, Twitter (@ClarenceHouse), The Royal Channel on YouTube and the British Monarchy Facebook page. This is in line with the Couple’s wishes to make the wedding as accessible as possible for as many people as want to participate.
Watching the Wedding
Live streaming on The Royal Channel
For the first time, broadcast footage of a royal wedding will be live streamed on The Royal Channel on YouTube (www.youtube.com/theroyalchannel), accompanied by a live multi-media blog put together by St James’s Palace.
The Royal Channel will host a live stream 'gadget', produced by Google, which will stream the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton live on the day from 10am until 2pm. This will include the couple’s journey to and from Westminster Abbey, the Wedding Service, balcony appearance and fly past.
The feed will be taken from the BBC without a broadcaster's commentary. Staff at Clarence House and St James’s Palace will provide a live commentary with historical information, interesting links, additional photographs and video footage as well as an integrated Twitter feed. This will be the first time a live blog has run alongside a live stream on YouTube for any occasion.
Flickr
Additional photographs related to the Royal Wedding will be released in the coming week and on the day. These will include landmarks on the processional route, hidden corners of Westminster Abbey and unusual views from inside and outside Buckingham Palace.
Interacting with the Wedding
Official “Video wedding book”
An official video "Wedding Book" on YouTube invites anyone to submit their own video of congratulations to Prince William and Miss Middleton. The video messages will provide a unique reminder of the day for the couple.
The @Clarence House Twitter account will provide live updates on the day of the wedding, and will be integrated into the live blog on the live stream and the wedding website. Alongside the video message option, anyone wanting to send the couple a message of congratulations on Twitter may do so using the hashtag #rw2011.
The British Monarchy’s Facebook page
The British Monarchy page on Facebook www.facebook.com/TheBritishMonarchy
has been redesigned to provide followers with reliable and up-to-date information about the Royal Wedding, and will be updated hourly on the day.
The British Monarchy’s Facebook page has created a Facebook ‘event’ of which anyone can be part. Facebook users can click the ‘I’m attending’ button on ‘The Royal Wedding’ event to show their interest in the event. Those attending will also receive updates on wedding news direct from Clarence House, and will become part of a community of Facebook users celebrating the wedding across the world.
A ‘Stories’ app will also launch approximately a week before the wedding, asking people to describe how they are preparing for the event and then, on the day itself, how they are celebrating. Whether they are joining the crowds in central London, or having a house party in Canada, the Stories project will allow people to be part of this historic event by sharing their experiences with others on Facebook. To access the facility, Facebook users will need to go to www.facebook.com/TheBritishMonarchy and then select the ‘Wedding Stories’ tab. Users will be able to access the facility until 6 May 2011.
The Wider Picture
According to Google the Royal Wedding 2011 is already mentioned on 162 million web pages which demonstrates the level of interest. Twitter has said it may need to bring in extra servers to cope with the anticipated demand on the day.
Visitors to London
The Royal Wedding is likely to attract thousands of visitors to London. In 1981, the wedding of The Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer attracted 600, 000 additional visitors to the capital. The following year, there were 184,000 extra tourists. In 1987, the year after The Duke of York and Miss Sarah Ferguson married, there were 1.7 million more visitors.*
All visitor information can be found at www.direct.gov.uk/royalwedding
* Source: Visit Britain
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
ROYAL WEDDING COMMENTARY NOTES
SENIOR ATTENDEES
MILITARY CHIEFS
Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir David Richards KCB CBE DSO ADC Gen
Born in 1952 and educated at Eastbourne College, David Richards was commissioned into the Royal Artillery (RA) in 1971 prior to studying international relations at University College Cardiff. Graduating in 1974 he spent the next nine years at regimental duty in the Far East, Germany and the UK (principally with 29 Commando Regiment RA and C Anti-Tank Battery Royal Horse Artillery) and on the staff of 11th Armoured Brigade in Germany. This period included three tours in Northern Ireland.
After attending the Staff College in 1984, he returned to 11th Armoured Brigade to command a field battery in 47th Field Regiment. From there he spent two years in Berlin as the Chief of Staff of the Berlin Infantry Brigade. Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, he spent the next three years as an instructor at the Staff College, Camberley, before being appointed to command 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery. This period included another operational tour in Northern Ireland. In 1994 he was promoted and appointed Colonel Army Plans in the MOD, responsible for the shape and size of the Army.
Promoted to Brigadier in 1996, and after attending the Higher Command and Staff course, he became Commander 4th Armoured Brigade in Germany. In 1998 he was posted to the Permanent Joint Headquarters as Chief Joint Force Operations, the UK's default one star commander for short notice expeditionary operations. In this role he was involved in a number of operations, including commanding the UK Contingent in East Timor in 1999, and twice commanding a UK Joint Task Force in Sierra Leone in 2000.
Promoted to Major General, he was appointed Chief of Staff of the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) in April 2001 before becoming Assistant Chief of the General Staff in September 2002. Appointed to command the ARRC in January 2005, he served as Commander of the International Stabilisation and Assistance Force Afghanistan between May 2006 and February 2007, a period that included NATO/ISAF expansion across the south and east of Afghanistan.
Given substantive promotion in January 2008, he took over as Commander-in-Chief UK Land Forces before assuming the appointment of Chief of the General Staff in August 2009. His operational awards include a Mention in Despatches, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, the Distinguished Service Order and Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.
General Sir David Richards is Honorary Colonel 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, Colonel Commandant Royal Artillery, Colonel Commandant Brigade of Gurkhas, Chairman Gurkha Welfare Trust, Colonel Commandant Media Operations Group (Volunteers), President of Army Skiing, President of Army Tennis, and Admiral of the Army Sailing Association and the British Kiel Yacht Club
First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope GCB OBE ADC
As the First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, a position he took up in July 2009, Mark Stanhope is the Royal Navy's professional head and Chairman of the Navy Board.
Joining the Royal Navy in 1970, his career has included command of submarines and surface ships as well as broad experience in Whitehall and the NATO Alliance. During the Cold War he commanded the conventional submarine HMS Orpheus (1981-1983) and the nuclear powered submarine HMS Splendid (1986-1989).
Utilising his experience in the submarine Flotilla he was the “Teacher” of prospective submarine Commanding Officers on the unique “Perisher” course (1989-1990) and commanded the Submarine Sea Training Organisation (1993-1994). A shift to the surface Flotilla in 1991, in command of the frigate HMS London, broadened his portfolio and included the first UK warship visit to Northern Russia in nearly 50 years and operational patrols in the Caribbean and Arabian Gulf. His final sea command was the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious (1998-2000) which included combined exercises and operational patrols again in the Gulf, but also off Sierra Leone.
In between sea appointments he has worked in the Ministry of Defence for the Naval Staff and as a personal Staff Officer to the Chief of Defence staff (1994-1996). His experience of Whitehall was expanded in 2002 by a short secondment to the Cabinet Office. His initial NATO assignment was in the Regional Headquarters of Allied Forces North, based in Holland. Following this he served as the Deputy Commander-in-Chief Fleet before returning to NATO, this time in Norfolk, Virginia, USA as the Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, a four star post leading on the military transformation of the Alliance. His most recent appointment as Commander-in-Chief Fleet combined both his operational and alliance experience exercising full command over all deployable Fleet units, including the Royal Marines whilst also holding the post of Allied Maritime Component Commander at Northwood responsible for ensuring that NATO maritime forces were ready for operations as required by the North Atlantic Council.
As a junior Officer Admiral Stanhope read Physics at Oxford. He conducted formal staff training at Greenwich, attended the Royal College of Defence Studies in 1997 and Higher Command and Staff Course in 1998. Awarded the OBE in 1990, he was knighted in 2004 and is a recipient of the US Legion of Merit (Officer). A Freeman of the City of London and the Guild of Freemen, he is a Younger Brother of Trinity House, a Fellow of the Nautical Institute, a Liveryman of the Upholders Company and an Honorary Fellow of St Peter’s College Oxford.
Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Peter Wall KCB CBE ADC Gen
Peter Wall was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1974 then read Engineering at Cambridge. His early service was spent in Belize and Rhodesia, in Germany, as a platoon instructor at Sandhurst, and in Hong Kong.
He has commanded 9 Parachute Squadron Royal Engineers, 32 Engineer Regiment in Hohne - including time in Bosnia, 16 Air Assault Brigade in the UK, the Joint Force Headquarters, and 1st (UK) Armoured Division in Iraq and Germany.
Staff posts have included Chief of Staff of 5 Airborne Brigade, a Military Adviser post in MOD, Project Manager in Abbey Wood, Chief of Staff of the UK National Contingent HQ for Operation Telic 1, and Deputy Chief of Joint Operations (Ops) in the Permanent Joint Headquarters.
In July 2009 he moved from Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Operations) in MOD to become Commander-in-Chief Land Forces in Wilton.
He is Chief Royal Engineer and president of Army Rugby, Association Football, modern pentathlon and sport parachuting.
Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton KCB, BSc, FRAeS, RAF
Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton joined the RAF in 1976 after graduating with an honours degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Bath University. During the height of the Cold War, he flew the Jaguar on three tours, both in Germany and the UK, in the tactical reconnaissance and ground attack roles. After completing the Advanced Staff Course, he trained to fly the Tornado GR1A and went on to command No 13 Squadron.
During this tour he deployed to the Middle East on Operation Jural where he flew armed reconnaissance missions over Iraq in support of the United Nations sanctions.
For part of this period he was also the Commander British Forces Jural, the UK's contribution to the coalition Operation Southern Watch.
Air Chief Marshal Dalton commanded Royal Air Force Coltishall and the RAF's Jaguar Force for 2 years from September 1997. On promotion to Air Commodore he was appointed as Director of the Eurofighter (Typhoon) Programme Assurance Group in the Ministry of Defence with responsibility for ensuring that all elements of this key defence programme resulted in an effective and safe introduction of service of Typhoon.
After attending the Higher Command Staff Course in 2002, he was appointed the Director of Air Operations in Ministry of Defence, a period which was dominated by the preparation for and conduct of Operation Telic - the UK contribution to the multi-national operations in Iraq in 2003.
On promotion to Air Vice-Marshal he took over the post of Capability Manager for Information Superiority, with defence-wide responsibility for reconnaissance and communications capability requirements. In April 2004 he was appointed Controller Aircraft, a post which carried with it a place on the Air Force Board and which he carried with him into his next position when, in May 2006, he took up the appointment of Director General Typhoon in the Ministry of Defence.
In May 2007, Air Chief Marshal Dalton became Deputy Commander in Chief Personnel and Air Member for Personnel, based at HQ Air Command, RAF High Wycombe. He was promoted to Air Chief Marshal in April 2009 and was appointed Chief of the Air Staff on 31 July 2009. He was made a Knight Commander of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath in the 2009 Queen's Birthday Honours List.
Headquarters Household Division – Role and Key Staff
Headquarters Household Division
HQ Household Division is the Military Headquarters charged with planning and executing the military element of State Ceremonial in the Capital. As such it plans, co-ordinates and commands all Public Duties in London (such as Changing of the Guard) and parades such as The Queens Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour) State Visits and the State Opening of Parliament. As well as the Wedding today, it was the Headquarters responsible for the military component supporting all previous Royal Weddings.
It is based at Horse Guards which was, in the Duke of Wellington’s day, the Headquarters for the whole Army. Today’s procession passes under the Headquarters and in particular the Major General Commanding the Household Division’s office – once Wellington’s - with its spectacular views of Horse Guards Parade and St James’s Park. The Arch and Gateway marks the ceremonial gateway to Buckingham Palace and St James’s Palace.
Household Division
The Household Division comprises the two Household Cavalry Regiments, The Life Guards and the Blues and Royals, and the five Foot Guard Regiments: the Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards, Scots Guards, Irish Guards and Welsh Guards. They enjoy a dual role and are both operational and ceremonial soldiers. In the Grenadier, Coldstream and Scots Guards the Division boasts some of the oldest Regiments in the British Army, all harking back to the time of the English Civil War in the mid 17th Century. Men of the Division have fought in some the most famous battles: Blenheim, Talavera, Waterloo, the Alma, Ypres, the Somme, Anzio and Mount Tumbledown in the Falkland Islands, and continue to play an important part in contemporary operations.
Battalions and Regiments of the Household Division have been permanently deployed on operations in Iraq or Afghanistan since operations in those theatres began. Most recently the 1st Battalion Irish Guards and D Squadron, Household Cavalry returned from Afghanistan in April of this year. They replaced 1st Battalion Scots Guards who left there in October 2010, who in turn replaced 1st Battalions of both the Grenadier and Coldstream Guards and the Household Cavalry Regiment, and before them 1st Battalion Welsh Guards. The fighting has at times been fierce and there has been a steady stream of casualties. Nevertheless the Officers and Guardsmen have been magnificent and the Household Division is justly proud of their courage, their fortitude and all that they have achieved.
Key staff
Major General Commanding the Household Division, Major General William G Cubitt CBE Late Irish Guards
Commanding all troops on parade and Regimental Lieutenant Colonel Irish Guards. Located as a guest in Abbey. Wearing scarlet General Officer’s tunic.
Major General Bill Cubitt was educated at Stowe School and Edinburgh University, and was commissioned into the Coldstream Guards in 1977. During the 1980s, he served in various regimental appointments in London, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, the Falkland Islands and Hong Kong. He was Adjutant of the Guards Depot at Pirbright and was a member of the Mozambique Training Team in Zimbabwe.
He attended the Army Command and Staff Course at Shrivenham and Camberley in 1991 and 1992 and was appointed Military Assistant 2 to the Chief of the General Staff until 1994. Major General Cubitt commanded an armoured infantry company in Germany, Bosnia and Canada and then became Battalion Second in Command. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 1996 and was seconded to the Cabinet Office in London.
In 1998 he transferred to the Irish Guards and commanded 1st Battalion Irish Guards until 2001 as armoured infantry in Macedonia, Kosovo, Germany and Poland. Promoted to Colonel in 2001, he commanded the Land Warfare School in Warminster. Following attending the Higher Command and Staff Course, Major General Cubitt was promoted to Brigadier in 2002. He commanded 8th Infantry Brigade in Northern Ireland until September 2004 when he was appointed Director of the General Staff in the Ministry of Defence. In June 2007 he assumed command of London District and the Household Division.
Major General Cubitt was made an OBE after the KFOR entry into Kosovo in 1998, and CBE in 2005 following brigade command in Northern Ireland.
Field Officer in Brigade Waiting, Colonel Alastair Mathewson.
Colonel Mathewson will be located outside Abbey on Victoria St/Broad Sanctuary for the arrival phase at Westminster Abbey, then riding along the processional route from 1135 to the Forecourt of Buckingham Palace next to the Guard of Honour for the return Procession.)
· Field Officer in Brigade Waiting. The officer of the Queen’s Household charged since the reign of Queen Anne with “preserving good order and discipline near the Royal Person” and “taking the Queen’s commands for her Guards”. He is dressed in the scarlet tunic and bearskin cap of a Foot Guards officer (Scots Guards) with Royal Household insignia.
· Colonel Alastair Mathewson is also Regimental Lieutenant Colonel Scots Guards and will today deputise for the Major General Commanding the Household Division by riding or “proving” the route from the Abbey to Buckingham Palace in advance of the Royal carriage processions, once the members of the three Services who will be lining it are in place. He is riding Burniston.
· Burniston will have a starring role in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Parade as the charger of the Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion Scots Guards. She is in Scots Guards State horse-furniture today.
He is accompanied by:
- The Commander London Central Garrison, Lieutenant Colonel Tim Jalland, Grenadier Guards. Riding Remus.
- Aide-de-Camp to the Major General Commanding the Household Division, Captain Sam O’Gorman, Irish Guards. Riding Sarajevo.
Brigade Major, Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Speed Scots Guards.
This is Lieutenant Colonel Speed’s first day in the job, having taken over from Lieutenant Colonel Jeremy Bagshaw on the morning of the Wedding. He will be located initially in the Forecourt at Buckingham Palace as The Queen’s Guard turns out, and then in Broad Sanctuary in the area of the West Door of Westminster Abbey for The Royal Family’s departure.
Staff Captain, Captain Alexander (Ali) Spry, Welsh Guards.
Captain Spry is a previous Temporary Equerry to HRH The Prince Of Wales.
He will be located at the West Door of Westminster Abbey, and will assist the Crown Equerry with greeting guests.
Adjutant London Central Garrison, Captain Howard Cordle, Grenadier Guards. Captain Cordle will be located at the West Door of Westminster Abbey, and will assist the Crown Equerry with greeting guests.
Garrison Sergeant Major London District, Warrant Officer Class 1 Bill Mott Welsh Guards. (Known as the Garrison Sergeant Major)
Bill Mott is in his tenth year in post as Garrison Sergeant Major, and is an absolutely key figure in translating ceremonial plans into reality. He is the foremost expert on the military aspects of State Ceremonial, and one of the most influential Sergeant Majors in the Army and Defence.
Planning Team
Lieutenant Colonel Michael Vernon Coldstream Guards
Lieutenant Colonel Vernon is from Defence Services Secretariat in the Ministry of Defence, and the Defence lead on Wedding planning. Michael will be dressed in a scarlet Guards Tunic.
Lieutenant Colonel Jeremy Bagshaw Coldstream Guards
Lieutenant Colonel Bagshaw was until this morning the Brigade Major Household Division, a post he has held for the last three years. As such, was the lead HQ Household Division Officer for all the Royal Wedding planning. He deploys to the NATO Training Mission in Kabul, Afghanistan in three weeks. Jeremy will be dressed in a scarlet Guards Tunic.
Major (retired) Andrew Chatburn
Major Chatburn is the key Ceremonial Planning Officer in Headquarters Household Division. He will be dressed in a Morning Coat.
All three are located in the Abbey as guests.
Abbey Staff/Orderlies/Ushers in support of the Lord Chamberlain’s Office:
Academy Sergeant Major Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Warrant Officer Class 1 Ross Martin, Irish Guards. (Known as the Academy Sergeant Major) Together with the Garrsion Sergeant Major, Ross Martin is one of the most senior and influential Sergeant Majors in the Army.
Superintending Clerk Household Division, Warrant Officer Class 1 David Lochrie. (known as Sergeant Major).
Another key member of the planning staff, today Sergeant Major Lochrie will act as an usher.
Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant Scots Guards (pronounced Regimental Cor’ma’sarnt) Warrant Officer Class 2 F (Frankie) Watt, Scots Guards. From Arbroath in Scotland.
Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant Grenadier Guards, Warrant Officer Class 2 A Walker, Grenadier Guards (predictably known as ‘Johnny’).
TIMETABLE
0910
The following military bands will depart from Wellington Barracks from 0910 and make their way to points along the processional route, playing as they go. They will arrive by 0930 and begin playing music in the following order:
0910 – The Band of the Scots Guards will make their way from Wellington Barracks to the North side of Horse Guards Parade
Director of Music – Major Duggie Robertson
Drum Major – Drum Major Stephen Staite Grenadier Guards
The Scots Guards were originally established by Archibald, 1st Marquis of Argyll in 1642, after King Charles I commissioned the raising of the Regiment for service in Ireland.
The precise origins of the Band of the Scots Guards however are unclear, although it is known that in 1716 a small band of Hautbois (the forerunner of the oboe) existed. During the early part of the 19th Century the band grew in strength and by 1838 had 32 members. By 1888, this had grown to 44. Today it is the same as the other Foot Guards band with 48 musicians plus the Director of Music.
In recent years the band has performed in countries as far away as Australia and China as well as throughout the United Kingdom. In 1990, the Scots Guards were the only Foot Guards Band to be deployed on active service during the Gulf War. They provided a range of medical support services to the military hospital in Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia.
0912 – The Central Band of the Royal Air Force will make their way from Wellington Barracks to Horse Guards Avenue.
Director of Music – Flight Lieutenant Piers L Morrell LRSM LTCL DipTCL RAF
Music has been a part of the Royal Air Force since 1912, when the Service existed as the Royal Flying Corps. In 1918 the Royal Air Force was formed and by 1920 The Central Band of the Royal Air Force was established.
The Central Band has several notable achievements in its history. In 1922 it was the first military band to broadcast on BBC radio, remaining to this day the most frequently featured military band in that medium. It was also the first military band to make a long-playing record. In April 1955, HMV released a recording of what is to this day the most requested piece in their repertoire; Eric Coates' music for the film ‘The Dambusters’. The band also ended a 155-year tradition by including women in its ranks whilst taking part in the ceremony of Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.
The band is internationally renowned, having the distinction of being the first band outside the USA to be awarded the 'John Philip Sousa Citation for Musical Excellence'. More recently the band has forged links with the Royal Northern College of Music, the Guildhall School of Music, the London College of Music and Thames Valley University.
The Central Band was heavily involved in the 2008 celebrations for the 90th Anniversary of the Royal Air Force. Aside from the normal busy schedule the band performed an Anniversary Concert Tour throughout the UK, carried out public duties at Buckingham Palace alongside The Queen’s Colour Squadron and provided musical support to the Royal Standard and Colour presentation by Her Majesty, The Queen at Royal Air Force Fairford.
As with all members of the Royal Air Force Music Services, Central Band musicians are required to support British forces on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Musicians continue to be deployed as ‘force protection’, guarding installations and supporting helicopter and air transportation squadrons.
0915 – The Band of the Coldstream Guards will make their way from Wellington Barracks to Duke of York’s Steps, The Mall
Director of Music (Senior Director of Music Household Division) –
Lieutenant Colonel Graham Jones
Drum Major – Drum Major Scott Fitzgerald, Coldstream Guards
The Band of the Coldstream Guards has now been in existence for over 200 years of continuous military service. From 1742, it had eight civilian musicians who were hired to provide music for the Changing of the Guard. In 1785, the Officers asked the Colonel of the Regiment for a proper band. He agreed and twelve musicians were recruited from Germany. Their instruments consisted of two oboes, four clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, a trumpet and a “serpent”. Today, the band has 44 members plus a Director of Music.
0917 – The Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines, Collingwood will make their way from Wellington Barracks to Parliament Square
Director of Music - Major J Burcham MMus PGDip TCM LRSM Royal Marines
Drum Major - Drum Major Gavin Moxworthy Cert GSMD (P) Royal Marines
The Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines Collingwood was formed on 16 June 2009 as a direct result of the closure of the Band based at the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth. Since its inception the band has performed at many events including high profile occasions such as the Lord Mayor’s Show in London, the Windsor Castle Royal Tattoo, the Mountbatten Festival of Music with the Massed Bands of the Royal Marines at the Royal Albert Hall, the South Coast Proms and Bournemouth Air Show. It was the first Royal Marines Band to march into the Palace of Westminster and has visited Guernsey, Walcheren, Shanghai and the Falkland Islands. In addition to its musical commitments the RM Band Collingwood has deployed on RFA Argus to exercise its operational roles.
The Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines, Collingwood continues to make its contribution to the Naval Service and wider UK interests. It provides musical support to commemorative events and veteran’s parades. The band’s concerts raise funds for Service charities, and it performs for events at a national level and for local communities.
0920 – The Band of the Grenadier Guards will make their way from Wellington Barracks to Marlborough Road
Director of Music – Major Kevin Roberts
Drum Major – Senior Drum Major Household Division Ben Roberts, Coldstream Guards
The 1st Regiment of Foot Guards was formed in 1656 to protect the exiled King Charles II at Bruges, and has loyally served every Sovereign until the present day. From the time of its formation, Drums and Fifes alone provided the Regiment’s music, but in 1685 Charles II signed a Royal Warrant authorising the maintenance of twelve Hautbois and the foundations of the band were laid. Mr Handel, the Master of the King’s Music, was an admirer of the band and presented the March from “Scipio” to the Regiment in 1726.
0950
The Band of the Welsh Guards will make their way from Wellington Barracks to St James’s Palace, in readiness to provide musical support to the St James’s Palace Detachment of The Queen’s Guard, as it marches to Buckingham Palace to turn out for the departure of The Queen and other members of The Royal Family.
Director of Music – Major Stephen Barnwell
Drum Major – Major Neil Lawman, Welsh Guards
The Welsh Guards were formed in 1915 by order of King George V and their first active service was during the First World War. The Regiment provided three battalions during the Second World War. Like the Irish and Scots Guards, Welsh Guardsmen have strong links with Wales, with more than 95 per cent of its soldiers recruited from there.
The Band of the Welsh Guards was formed in the same year as the Regiment, and consisted of 44 musicians plus a Warrant Officer. With instruments presented by the City of Cardiff, they played at their first King’s Guard Mounting on St David’s Day 1916. On the same day, they also gave their first concert at the London Opera House. Both occasions were great successes.
The band has toured extensively in recent years, visiting Europe, Egypt and North America. It regularly plays at the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace as well as at other State and Ceremonial occasions. The band performs frequently with major London orchestras and like other Guards bands, they frequently appear on television and play at prestigious sporting events. The band is joined today by the Corps of Drums from the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.
1005 – 1052 approx
The Queen’s Life Guard will turn out in the Front Yard of Horse Guards in order to pay compliments to Her Majesty The Queen and members of The Royal Family as they make their way from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey. Further information on the Life Guards can be found below in the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment section.
Captain of The Queen’s Life Guard: Captain Anton Lin, Royal Horse Guards/1st Dragoons (RHG/D)
Commissioned in 2008 into the Blues and Royals as a Troop Leader, Captain Lin deployed to Afghanistan in 2009/10 where he was in command of armoured vehicles in tandem with the Afghan National Army. The highlight of his tour was capturing a piece of ground and establishing a base there, which for want of a better name ended up being called Panda Ridge after his nickname, the ‘Kung Fu Panda’. That base still exists and is now operated by the US Marine Corps. He is currently also in charge of the Household Cavalry Musical Ride.
Standard Bearer for The Queen’s Life Guard: Staff Corporal Craig Walker RHG/D. Staff Corporal Walker joined the Blues and Royals in 1994 as a Trooper at Hyde Park Barracks in London. Since then he has qualified as a Riding Instructor and Saddler. In 2009, he was appointed the Regiment’s Master Saddler. Staff Corporal Walker lives in Windsor with his wife Fiona; they have a daughter called Ella who is 11 months old.
1020
The Queen’s Guard found by the 1st Battalion the Irish Guards will turn out in the Forecourt of Buckingham Palace. The Buckingham Palace Detachment will be joined by the St James’s Palace Detachment who will leave St James’s Palace at 1012, shortly after the TRH Princes William and Harry leave. The Guard will remain in the Forecourt until after the departures of The Royal Family to Westminster Abbey. They will return to their respective Guardrooms at both locations once the Processions have left.
Prince William assumed the appointment of Colonel of the Irish Guards on 10 February 2011.
The Captain of the Guard is the Commanding Officer of 1st Battalion Irish Guards, Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Ghika.
The Subaltern is the Second in Command of 1st Battalion Irish Guards, Major Fabian Roberts, who commanded the bearer party at the funeral of HM Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother.
The Ensign is the Adjutant of 1st Battalion Irish Guards, Captain George Murphy.
The Regimental Sergeant Major 1st Battalion Irish Guards, Warrant Officer Class 1 Stephen McMichael (known as the Sergeant Major) is also on parade.
The men have just returned (mid April) from a six-month Operational tour in Helmand Province.
1st Battalion Irish Guards
The Irish Guards were formed on 1 April 1901 in recognition of the bravery shown by the Irish Regiments on operations in South Africa. The first Irish Guards troops arrived in Cape Town in December 1901 and the Regiment mounted their first King’s Guard on 3 March 1901. They received their first Colours from King Edward VII on 30 May 1902. Since then they have fought with great distinction in the First World War, Second World War and more recently in Kosovo and Iraq.
They recruit primarily from Ireland and Northern Ireland, but also from Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and London. Like the other Guards Regiments, the Home Service Dress of the Irish Guards is a scarlet tunic and bearskin. Buttons are worn in two rows of four, reflecting the Regiment’s position as the fourth most senior Guards Regiment, and the collar is adorned with a shamrock on either side.
A blue, rather than an Irish green, plume was selected because blue is the colour of the mantle and sash of the Knights of the Order of St Patrick, Ireland’s highest Order of Chivalry, from which the Regiment draws its capstar and motto. Also, the uniform of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, which was still in existence at the time the Irish Guards were formed, was a scarlet tunic and bearskin with a green plume. To prevent confusion, the Irish Guards opted for a ‘St Patrick’s’ blue plume.
The 1st Battalion Irish Guards currently stationed in Windsor have just returned from an Operational tour in Helmand, Afghanistan as part of 16 Air Assault Brigade. The Battalion provided ground holding companies and training and advisory teams to the Afghan Army.
The Irish Guards motto is “Quis Separabit” (Who shall separate us).
1100 – 1210
WEDDING SERVICE
State Trumpeters of the Household Cavalry
Band of the Life Guards
Trumpet Major Tim West
Staff Corporal Cpl G W Wheeler
Lance Corporal E J Sills
Lance Corporal M J Sinclair
Band of the Blues and Royals
Trumpet Major Grant Sewell-Jones
Lance Corporal of Horse Philip Bishop
Musician Matthew Wrighton
Musician Simon Gray
Leading the State Trumpeters in Westminster Abbey:
Trumpet Major Grant Sewell-Jones
Grant Sewell-Jones joined the Army in January 1990 and commenced his service at the Guards Depot, Pirbright, Surrey. On completion of 16 months training he graduated from the Junior School of Music and was posted to the Band of the Blues and Royals.
Shortly after arriving at the Band, he commenced the gruelling five months Household Cavalry Mounted Dutymans’ Equitation course, held at both Windsor and Knightsbridge. He successfully completed this course in February of 1992 and returned to the Band to commence his duties. Grant has served with the band worldwide in countries such as Egypt, Bosnia, Germany and the USA. He has toured extensively UK wide and his duties as Trumpet Major encompass all State Ceremonial in London and beyond. Trumpet Major Sewell-Jones’s primary instrument is the French Horn of which he is Principal in the Band, and further, he is a cellist in the Orchestra and plays Tenor Horn when on Mounted Ceremonial Duty in London and Windsor. Trumpet Major Sewell-Jones has been a member of the State Trumpet Team for the majority of his career and has been Trumpet Major since September 2005.
Royal Air Force Fanfare Trumpeters
Wing Commander Duncan Stubbs
Sergeant Kevin Miles
Senior Air Crew Andrew Lofthouse
Senior Air Crew Ben Godfrey
Senior Air Crew Mike McGowan
Sergeant Paul Sutton
Senior Air Crew Jonathan Pippen
Senior Air Crew Adam Smith
Corporal Hamish Dean
Leading the Royal Air Force Fanfare Trumpeters in Westminster Abbey:
Wing Commander Duncan Stubbs
Born in Stoke on Trent Duncan Stubbs began playing bassoon at the age of 14 gaining early experience in local orchestras and shows. He studied music at York University, specialising in performance. This was followed by a year's postgraduate study in Birmingham in music education. During his time as a student he studied Bassoon with Michael Chapmann, Andrew Barnell and John Orford.
He joined the Royal Air Force in 1983 as a member of the Central Band of the Royal Air Force. His interest in conducting led to work with several Community Bands in the West London area and in his hometown of Stoke on Trent. Following studies with Colin Metter, Duncan was commissioned as Director of Music Royal Air Force in March 1990.
He has served as Director of Music of both the Western Band of the Royal Air Force and the Band of the Royal Air Force College, during which time he achieved an unprecedented six consecutive wins in the Boosey and Hawkes RAF Inter-Band Competitions, as well as winning the much coveted Cassel Cup on four occasions. In November 2000 he was appointed as Director of Music of the Central Band of the Royal Air Force.
In November 2006 he was appointed as Director of Music, Headquarters Music Services, where he had responsibility for all aspects of training, budgets, allocations and administration within Royal Air Force Music Services.
Duncan was appointed Principal Director of Music for the Royal Air Force on 7 November 2009 and assumed responsibility for all aspects of Royal Air Force Music Services operations.
After the Bride and Bridegroom have signed the register, the RAF Trumpeters will sound a brand new, 30-second piece of fanfare music has been especially composed for the occasion by Wing Commander Stubbs. The music, entitled ‘Valiant and Brave’, is the motto of 22 Squadron, in which Prince William is serving as a Search and Rescue pilot at RAF Valley in North Wales.
1100 – 1110
Street Liners
The Processional Route will be lined by members of the Armed Forces for the return journey from the Abbey. The route is divided into two sectors:
Sector 1 will consist of The Mall, Horse Guards Road and Horse Guards Parade, and is commanded by Commanding Officer 1st Battalion Welsh Guards. The troops lining the route will come from the Foot Guards: Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots and Welsh Guards.
Sector 2 will consist of Whitehall and Parliament Square and is commanded by the Commanding Officer of 2nd Battalion, Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment. Troops lining the route come from the Three Services: the Royal Navy, the Army and the Royal Air Force.
The Street Liners will move out from Wellington Barracks in stages to take up their positions along the processional route. From Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace the order will be:
Royal Navy
Six Officers and 120 Royal Navy and Royal Marine Other Ranks from the establishments listed below. For further information please visit www.royalnavy.mod.uk:
HMS Astute
HMS Campbeltown
HMS Chatham
HMS Cumberland
HMS Daring
HMS Dauntless
HMS Diamond
HMS Edinburgh
HMS Gloucester
HMS Illustrious
HMS Liverpool
HMS Monmouth
HMS Montrose
HMS Neptune
HMS Northumberland
HMS Vanguard
HMS York
Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose
Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton
Elements from Fleet Headquarters and Defence Equipment and Support, Bristol.
Army
The 2nd Battalion The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment
Seven Officers and 140 Other Ranks
Lieutenant Colonel Adam Crawley Commanding Officer – Sector 2 Commander (Whitehall). Riding Wellington.
Captain Lachlan Bucknall, Adjutant – Sector 2 Adjutant (Whitehall).
Riding Tarnish.
Regimental Sergeant Major, Warrant Officer Class 1 Andrew Lingham. He is known as the RSM.
The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment was formed in 1992 by an amalgamation of The Queen's Regiment and The Royal Hampshire Regiment. It is the proud inheritor of a history extending back to the very earliest beginnings of the British Army. The examples of valour, adherence to duty, and fortitude continue to inspire the current Officers and soldiers of the modern Regiment, who are proud to belong to the oldest and most senior English Regiment of the Line.
Any brief history is complicated by the diverse nature of the Regiment's forebears. These are the great line regiments of Surrey, Kent, Sussex, Middlesex and Hampshire. The names of these regiments have changed over the centuries and have included The Queen's Royal Regiment (2nd Foot), The Buffs (3rd Foot), The East Surrey Regiment (31st and 70th Foot), The Royal Sussex Regiment (35th and 107th Foot), The Royal Hampshire Regiment (37th and 67th Foot), The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment (50th and 97th Foot) and The Middlesex Regiment (57th and 77th Foot).
The Regiment has been represented in virtually every campaign of the British Army and provided a significant contribution to many famous battles. This has included Blenheim, Quebec, Minden, Albuhera, Sobraon, Sevastopol, Gallipoli, Ypres, Kohima, Salerno and many more. In more recent years, the Regiment has helped bring the Cold War to a successful conclusion and was represented in the campaigns in Korea, Malaya, Kenya, Cyprus, Aden, Borneo and Northern Ireland. The inherited traditions of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, which include the reputation for courage, endurance, determination, loyalty and good humour, are second to none.
The Regiment has two Battalions, one Armoured Infantry and one light role. It is the light role battalion, based at Woolwich, who are on parade today.
The Regiment’s nickname is the Tigers, and they count the only serving recipient of the Victoria Cross, Britain’s highest and very rarely awarded honour for gallantry; Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry VC, among their number. The Colonel-in-Chief of the Regiment is Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II, The Queen of Denmark, who will be attending the Royal Wedding as a guest.
Royal Air Force
Six Officers and 128 RAF Other Ranks from the following establishments. For information on all RAF Stations and establishments, please visit www.raf.mod.uk:
RAF Benson
RAF Boulmer
RAF Chicksands
RAF Coningsby
RAF Cosford
RAF Cottesmore
RAF Cranwell
RAF Digby
RAF Fylingdales
RAF Halton
RAF High Wycombe
RAF Honington
RAF Kinloss
RAF Leeming
RAF Lossiemouth
RAF Lyneham
RAF Marham
RAF Odiham
RAF personnel from Permanent Joint Headquarters Northwood
RAF Scampton
RAF Shawbury
MOD St Athan
RAF Swanwick
RAF Valley
RAF Waddington
RAF Wittering
The Queen's Colour Squadron
The Queen’s Colour Squadron is the custodian of The Queen’s Colour for the Royal Air Force and has the honour of providing the Escort Squadron whenever the Colour is paraded, in addition to representing the Royal Air Force at all State and Service Ceremonial. Along with these ceremonial responsibilities the Squadron maintains an operational role as No 63 Squadron Royal Air Force Regiment, providing first-rate worldwide Force Protection to United Kingdom air assets.
63 Squadron Royal Air Force Regiment has a distinguished pedigree, having served operationally in Algeria, Northwest Europe, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Falkland Islands, Bosnia, Cyprus, Kuwait, Iraq and most recently in Afghanistan in 2009. 2010 marked not only the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain but also the 50th anniversary of The Queen’s Colour Squadron (the Royal Air Force Drill Unit was re-named The Queen’s Colour Squadron on 1 November 1960 and ever since has been manned exclusively by the Officers and Airmen of the Royal Air Force Regiment).
The tone for that 50th anniversary year was set with relocation from Royal Air Force Uxbridge to purpose-built accommodation at Royal Air Force Northolt and the award of the Higginson Trophy having ‘shown the greatest achievement, leadership and exceptional standards and endeavours’ of any Royal Air Force Regiment unit during the previous calendar year.
Having played a leading role in the closure ceremonies of Royal Air Force Uxbridge on 31 March 2010, The Queen’s Colour Squadron had a busy season of ceremonial commitments including mounting the Windsor Castle Guard and a stint as The Queen’s Guard at the London Palaces. It has also played a leading role in the repatriation and service funerals of Royal Air Force Regiment personnel killed in action. Following some well earned summer leave, the Squadron commenced pre-deployment training last October for operations this year, once again, in Afghanistan.
Defence School of Languages Beaconsfield
Joint Service Unit Cheltenham
Ministry of Defence Hospital Unit Northallerton
MOD Hospital Unit Peterborough
MOD Abbeywood
RAF personnel from the Defence College of Policing and Guarding, Southwick Park
Army
Nijmegen Company Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards were formed in 1656 when King Charles II was in exile from the loyal men who had followed their King. The Regiment, later termed “The First Regiment of Foot Guards” and now called ”The First or Grenadier Regiment of Foot Guards”, has fought in almost every major campaign of the British Army. The regiment has been awarded 74 battle Honours and has 13 Victoria Crosses.
The 1st Battalion is currently preparing for its third tour of Afghanistan next year. The Regiment recruits from all over England but a number of soldiers on parade today are from Commonwealth countries.
Nijmegen Company is an independent company of the Regiment and carries the traditions and Colours of the 2nd Battalion, which is in suspended animation. All new Guardsmen go to Nijmegen Company after their initial training and focus on Public Duties and further development. The Company has recently taken part in the 20th Anniversary Parade in Kuwait to mark its liberation in the Gulf War. Also, a large team have cycled from Lands End to John O’Groats to raise money to support wounded Grenadiers.
Buttons are worn singly reflecting the Regiment’s position as the most senior of the Foot Guards Regiments, and the collar is adorned with a “Grenade fired proper”. Grenadier Guardsmen wear a white plume on the left hand side of their bearskins. The regiment adopted the bearskin and were awarded the name ‘Grenadier’ by Royal Proclamation in 1815 after the defeat of the Grenadiers of the French Imperial Guard at Waterloo. Many people believe the tunic is scarlet to hide blood, whilst in fact it is an early form of camouflage. When ‘en masse’ it is harder to count the number of troops if they are in red than any other colour.
7 Company Coldstream Guards
The Regiment was formed at Berwick-on-Tweed in 1650 by Colonel George Monck from regiments of the New Model Army. Its early years were spent on garrison duty in Coldstream on the Scottish border. After the death of Oliver Cromwell in 1658, Monck’s soldiers helped to restore law and order during the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660. The need for special troops to protect the Sovereign led to the Regiment forming one of the first units in the army of King Charles II. These events allow the Regiment to claim the distinction of having the longest record of unbroken service of any regular regiment or corps in the British Army.
In 1670, the Regiment was officially titled the Coldstream Guards. 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards returned from Afghanistan in May 2010, their most gruelling tour of duty in recent years. Four members of the Battalion were awarded the Military Cross (one posthumous) for gallantry under fire.
The Battalion are now stationed in Aldershot and have undertaken a variety of sports, adventure training and low-level exercises over the last year. The Battalion’s Corps of Drums, normally machine-gunners by trade, are on Parade today with the Massed Bands.
Number 7 Company, which is stationed in Wellington Barracks, London, is permanently assigned to Public Duties and the men within are rotated through after six months to a year in the role. The Coldstream Guards’ motto is: “Nulli Secundus” (Second to None). Coldstream Guardsmen have a red plume in their bearskins, worn on the right side, and buttons in twos.
F Company Scots Guards
The Third, or Scots, Regiment of Foot Guards was formed in 1642 by Archibald, 1st Marquis of Argyll on orders from King Charles I. The Regiment has taken part in nearly every major campaign since. These include Egypt (1801), when it received the first battle honour to be awarded to any British Army unit; Waterloo; the Crimea, where a Scots Guardsman was the first soldier to be awarded a Victoria Cross; the Boer War; and the First and Second World Wars. More recently the Regiment served with distinction in the Falklands conflict (1982), the first Gulf War (1991) and in Operation Telic in Iraq.
The Scots Guards prides itself on being a strong family Regiment of tough fighting men. The Scots Guards have a fierce and proud history, gaining 93 Battle Honours during its 368 years of loyal service to the Crown. Eleven Scots Guardsmen have been awarded the Victoria Cross – the highest honour to be bestowed upon a soldier for gallantry in the field. This is clearly reflected in its Regimental Motto, Nemo Me Impune Laccessit –‘No one provokes me with impunity’!
All new Scots Guardsmen passing out of training are posted to F Company which is based in London. 1st Battalion Scots Guards is one of the Army’s six armoured infantry battalions operating with Warrior fighting vehicles and is part of the 4th Mechanised Brigade – “The Black Rats”. The Scots Guards Battle Group deployed last year to Helmand province in Afghanistan, where Lance Corporal Stephen Monkhouse of the Pipes and Drums won a posthumous Military Cross. Scots Guardsmen’s’ bearskin caps have no plume and their tunic buttons are grouped in threes.
1st Battalion Welsh Guards
Lieutenant Colonel Charlie Antelme, Commanding Officer and Sector 2 Commander (The Mall). Riding Wellesley.
Captain Niam Moukarzel Adjutant – Sector 2 Adjutant (The Mall).
Riding Seamus.
Regimental Sergeant Major – Warrant Officer 1st Class Andrew Roberts (known as the Sergeant Major).
The Welsh Guards were formed in 1915 by order of King George V. The Regiment saw active service in the trenches of World War One and in Europe and North Africa during World War Two. Since 1945 the Welsh Guards have served in Palestine, Egypt, Aden, Cyprus, Germany and Northern Ireland, and fought in the 1982 Falklands Campaign. In recent times the 1st Battalion has completed tours of Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq.
The Battalion’s most recent deployment was to Helmand Province, Afghanistan in 2009, where they conducted patrols, built schools and mentored the Afghanistan Security Forces. The Battalion were central to Operation Panchai Palang (Panther’s Claw) where they were tasked to clear and hold the Shamalan Canal. Seven members of the 1st Battalion were sadly killed during the tour, including the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe MBE.
Since returning from Afghanistan in October 2009 life has continued to be busy and varied. In May 2010 Number Two Company flew to Moscow to take part in the 65th Victory Parade on Red Square, whilst Number Three Company deployed to the Falkands for a three month tour.
In November 2010 the 1st Battalion travelled to Kenya for a 7-week training exercise.
The Regiment has consistently maintained strong links with Wales with more than 90 per cent of its soldiers coming from the Principality. Welsh Guardsmen wear a very distinctive white and green plume in their bearskins. The Regiment’s motto is “Cymru am Byth” (Wales for ever).
HRH The Prince of Wales is the Colonel of the Welsh Guards.
1205-1240 approx
The Queen’s Life Guard will once again turn out in the Front Yard of Horse Guards in order to pay compliments to Her Majesty The Queen and members of The Royal Family as they make their way by return procession from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace. Further information on the Life Guards can be found below in the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment section.
1210
Wedding Service ends. The Bride and Bridegroom will leave Westminster Abbey through a path-lining party made up of specially selected members of the Armed Forces. Details on the path-lining party will be announced nearer the date of the Royal Wedding.
1215
Carriage Processions from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace of
The Bride and Bridegroom
HM The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh
The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment will provide a Sovereign’s Escort for the procession of HM The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, and a Captain’s Escort for the procession of the Bride and Bridegroom.
The Household Cavalry consists of two regiments, The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons). They are the two senior Regiments of the British Army.
The Life Guards (LG)
Formed in 1660, the Life Guards celebrated their 350th anniversary in 2010. The Regiment has its origins in a group of loyal gentlemen who accompanied King Charles II to the continent during his exile (1652-59) and formed themselves into a military bodyguard to protect the Sovereign. They escorted His Majesty back to England at the Restoration in 1660. Since then the Regiment has undergone many changes in title and establishment but has always remained the senior Regiment of the British Army. As gentlemen served in all ranks, they rejected the term Sergeant (associated with ‘servant’) in favour of Corporal of Horse, a tradition which persists. The troops were re-organised in 1788 into the 1st and 2nd Regiments of Life Guards, and remained as such until 1922, when they were amalgamated into one regiment known as The Life Guards.
The Blues and Royals – Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons (RHG/D)
The Regiment was created in 1969 by the amalgamation of two famous cavalry regiments, the Royal Horse Guards and The Royal Dragoons, both of which celebrate their 350th anniversary this year. The Royal Horse Guards (The Blues) were descended from a Parliamentary Regiment of Horse, which King Charles II re-raised when founding the Regular British Army in 1661. Always known as The Blues from the colour of their tunics, the Regiment became a favourite of King George III. They were promoted to Household Cavalry status in 1813, although since their formation they had carried out duties similar to those of The Life Guards. The 1st Dragoons (Royals) were originally raised in London in 1661 to form part of the Garrison of Tangiers and were formerly known as the Tangier Horse. On their return to England in 1683, they were re-designated by Charles II as “Our Own Regiment of Dragoon” and granted precedence over all other cavalry regiments of the Line. The Royals also played a distinguished part in the Battle of Waterloo when they captured the Colour of Napoleon’s 105th Infantry Regiment surmounted by an Eagle. This is commemorated today in the uniform of the amalgamated Regiment, by the wearing of an Eagle on the left sleeve of their tunics, and in the Regimental emblem.
Union to form the Household Cavalry
In 1992, The Life Guards formed a ‘union’ with The Blues and Royals as part of the overall reduction in the size of the Army as part of Options for Change. The Household Cavalry now consists of an operational armoured reconnaissance regiment, stationed in Windsor (the Household Cavalry Regiment or HCR) and a mounted ceremonial regiment, stationed in London (the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment or HCMR). Each regiment is manned equally by soldiers of The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals. This was also the case during WWII when combined Household Cavalry Regiments were formed.
All Household Cavalrymen alternate their Service between the operational and ceremonial regiments, meaning that many of those on parade today have seen service in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, the Gulf (1991), Iraq and Afghanistan. This career pattern is unique in the British Army and what sets them apart from other Regiments.
Both The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals have a regimental band, each of 35 musicians, who play either on foot or mounted. Drawn from these are the State Trumpeters who are playing fanfares and salutes today (see ‘Key Historical Events’ below).
The Household Cavalry Regiment (Operational)
As a formation reconnaissance (FR) regiment, the Household Cavalry Regiment (HCR) based in Combermere Barracks in Windsor is at the forefront of the British Army’s operational capability. The Regiment is trained and equipped to operate forward of main forces, to gain information on the enemy and ground, to protect our own forces from enemy reconnaissance and to exploit opportunities as they occur. HCR is part of 1st Mechanised Brigade and is also tasked to provide a squadron at high readiness to 16 Air Assault Brigade. Many Household Cavalrymen are parachute trained, an illustration of the versatility and operational focus of the soldiers of the Household Cavalry. Equipped with CVR (T) light reconnaissance tanks and a variety of wheeled vehicles, HCR is capable of operating over long distances in difficult terrain with minimal support. Air transportable in the C130 Hercules aircraft, CVR (T) are especially suitable for rapid deployment by air to all operational theatres.
Current Operations
D Squadron is currently deployed in Afghanistan as part of 16 Air Assault Brigade. This is the Squadron’s third tour of Afghanistan, having been among the Army’s first soldiers to deploy in 2006, and returning in 2008. They are deployed in a mixture of wheeled Jackal and tracked Scimitar reconnaissance vehicles. Their principle tasks are based around the critical route of Highway One, providing security and enabling Afghan security forces to take the lead in the area. The Highway is a vital part of Afghanistan’s present and future, as the chief economic artery linking the capital, Kabul, with the regions. During this tour, the Squadron has prevented the planting of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), deterred and, on occasion, fought off attempted ambushes meant for local contractors and traffic, and developed the capacity of local forces.
The remainder of the Regiment deployed to Afghanistan in 2009/10 as part of Operation Herrick 11. The Battlegroup Headquarters and C Squadron were deployed to Musa Qal’eh in Northern Helmand, where they worked with the Afghan National Security Forces in continuing to improve significantly the levels of security in the area. Since the Headquarters and C Squadron played a major role in the town’s initial capture from the insurgency in 2007, the area has seen remarkable progress, including the opening of schools and clinics, building of roads and mosques and the development of the bazaar (which increased by 100 per cent in terms of attendance during the Regiment’s last tour). Local governance has improved significantly, with the HCR Officer playing a critical role in the setting up of the Helmand Police Training Centre, and soldiers at all levels mentoring and assisting their Afghan counterparts in the Army and Police.
C Squadron operated in Mastiff Armoured Vehicles and Scimitars, as well as operating in the infantry role with the Afghan National Army. They were at the forefront of fighting to clear areas of insurgent resistance, including the notorious Haji Rashid Gardens (made famous by the programme Ross Kemp in Afghanistan). A Squadron was deployed independently as a Formation Recce Squadron, based in Jackal and Scimitar vehicles, working in Central Helmand with the Coldstream and Grenadier Guards. The Sqn played a prominent role in Operation Moshtarak (meaning ‘together’), taking and consolidating the Government’s hold on complex terrain. B Squadron was deployed as the Brigade Reconnaissance Force, which was used across the Province, operating mostly in the infantry role. The Regiment paid a heavy price during the deployment, losing Lance Corporal of Horse Jo Woodgate, The Blues and Royals, on his last patrol of the tour. They also sustained a number of very serious injuries. An Operational Casualties Fund has been set up to support them.
The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (Ceremonial)
The Mounted Regiment is based in Hyde Park Barracks in Knightsbridge, London, and provides ceremonial troops for all state occasions, including State Visits, The Queen’s Birthday Parade, the State Opening of Parliament and the Garter Ceremony. It has three squadrons; The Life Guards Mounted Squadron in red tunics and white plumes, the Blues and Royals Mounted Squadron in blue tunics and red plumes and a Headquarters Squadron which commands all the specialists such as Farriers and Saddlers. The Regiment performs the daily Queen’s Life Guard at Horse Guards. The Regiment is commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel and has about 375 Officers and Other Ranks. Nearly all new Household Cavalry recruits go first to the Mounted Regiment, where they learn to ride and spend about a year on ceremonial duties before going to the operational Regiment in Windsor. Many, if not most, have never ridden a horse before.
HCMR soldiers and horses can be seen every day travelling to and from Horse Guards to furnish The Queen’s Life Guard (QLG). If Her Majesty The Queen is in residence, the 15-strong column is led by a Trumpeter on a grey horse, an Officer rides in the middle of the column, just to the right of a Warrant Officer who will be carrying the richly adorned Sovereign’s Standard. When The Queen is not in residence, the guard reduces to 12, commanded by a Corporal of Horse. For larger State Ceremonial parades, HCMR will be organised into ‘divisions’, blocks of 24 soldiers and horses (riding four abreast as today) with the Officer riding front left. A ‘March-Out’ for HCMR could include as many as 6 x mounted divisions (approx 200 men and horses including standard parties, the command element, and regalia escorts). We also provide the horses for the two Household Cavalry Mounted Bands (the Band of the Life Guards and the Band of the Blues & Royals).
History of Gold and Silver Sticks
This appointment was vested in the Colonels of the Regiments of Household Cavalry in 1678. The Gold Stick-in-Waiting was ordered "to be in attendance on the King's person from his rising to going to bed, who waits immediately before all others, carrying an ebony staff with gold head". This Court appointment is still held by the Colonels of the two Regiments of Household Cavalry who are "In Waiting" in alternative months. At the institution of the appointment of Gold Stick, another senior Officer of the Household Cavalry was appointed Silver Stick-in-Waiting, whose duty it is to stand in for Gold Stick whenever necessary. Nowadays, the Silver Stick is normally the senior serving Colonel in the Household Cavalry and his military title is Commander Household Cavalry (see below). The current Gold Sticks are:
· Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal: Gold Stick and Colonel of The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons), an appointment she assumed in 1998.
· General the Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank: Gold Stick and Colonel The Life Guards. Commissioned into the Welsh Guards in 1959, he went on to have a long and distinguished military career. He retired 9 years ago from being Chief of the Defence Staff.
· Colonel Stuart Cowen RHG/D: Silver Stick and Commander Household Cavalry. Riding today with the Sovereign’s Escort. Recently returned from a six month tour in Afghanistan.
· Lieutenant Colonel (Retd) Harry Scott LG: Silver Stick Adjutant and Regimental Adjutant
The Household Cavalry Regiments (Life Guards and Blues and Royals) carry standards, and in the case of the Royals, a Guidon. Each year on Trooping the Colour, the standard alternates. Today the standard being carried is that of the Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards & 1st Dragoons), which has the Royal Cipher and the Regimental Battle Honours embroidered on it. This standard was presented by Her Majesty The Queen on 21 May 2003. It is carried by WO2 Ireland (see personalities).
Captain’s Escort (escorting the Bride and Bridegroom)
Escort Commander: Maj Nicholas van Cutsem LG
Uncle of one of the bridesmaids, Major van Cutsem is riding his charger Darcy (who he also had as his charger on his first tour at HCMR in 2005). He was serving in Afghanistan at this time last year on his second tour of duty there, before being posted to HCMR as the commander of the Life Guards Mounted Squadron. He deployed to Afghanistan with D Squadron in 2008, and returned as the Battle Group Operations Officer in 2009/10.
Carriage Officers: All four Carriage Officers were requested by name by the Bridegroom following his service in the Household Cavalry Regiment.
Escort Senior Non-Commissioned Officer: Staff Corporal Steve Chinn LG
Staff Corporal Chinn joined the Life Guards in March 1994, and has served at both ceremonial and armoured duty, deploying to Kosovo in June 1999 and the invasion of Iraq in March 2003, as well as tours of Bosnia and Northern Ireland. He is currently the Squadron Quartermaster Corporal of the Life Guard Squadron.
Sovereign’s Escort
Field Officer of the Escort: Lieutenant Colonel Dan Hughes RHG/D
The Field Officer of the Escort will command it. He rides on that side of the carriage occupied by Her Majesty The Queen. Lieutenant Colonel Hughes is also the Commanding Officer of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, which he started in December 2010, and he commands all the horses and soldiers you see on parade today. Lieutenant Colonel Hughes joined the Household Cavalry in 1991 and has since deployed on operations in Bosnia, Iraq and more recently two tours in Afghanistan (in 2006 and 2008). He has also been a Staff Officer in the Ministry of Defence and Headquarters Land Forces.
Escort Commander: Maj Tata Twumasi-Ankrah (pronounced ‘Chumasi-Ankra’) RHG/D
The Escort Commander rides on the other side of the carriage to the Field Officer. Major Twumasi-Ankrah joined the Household Cavalry in 2003, having moved to the UK from Ghana in 1982. He has completed operational tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition to being RHG/D Mounted Squadron Leader he is also the Regimental Community Engagement Officer, in which he actively supports and mentors youth and community groups. In November he will be retuning to Afghanistan to mentor elements of the Afghan National Army.
Standard Party
Standard Bearer: WO2 M “Paddy” IRELAND RHG/D
RHG/D Mounted Squadron Corporal Major. He shares his birthday with the day of the wedding, 29th April, when he will turn 32. He is originally from Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire and is married to Kellie and has one son called Henry who will be six months old at the time of the wedding. He joined the Army in September 1994, served at the Mounted Regiment as a Trooper, and has completed tours of Bosnia and three tours to Afghanistan. He was awarded a Joint Commander’s Commendation for his most recent tour.
Standard Cover: Staff Corporal Chris Bonham RHG/D
The Blues and Royals Mounted Squadron Corporal Major. Staff Corporal Bonham joined the Army after leaving school in Bedfordshire at the age of 16. In 1993 he joined the Royal Signals and completed various postings in the UK before transferring to the Household Cavalry in 2004. He deployed as a vehicle commander on D Squadron’s first tour of Afghanistan in 2006, and returned to Afghanistan as a Corporal of Horse in 2009/10.
Other Officers, in order on the parade:
1st Division Commander: Captain Tom Davie LG
Captain Davie has just returned from his second tour of Afghanistan where he was Aide-de-Camp to Brigadier Norton, the UK Deputy Commander to the US Marine Corps Regional HQ in Helmand. On his first tour he was a Troop Leader with D Squadron, who deployed as part of 16 Air Assault Brigade, in Garmsir in the south of Helmand, operating in some difficult conditions over the Summer Period. He only recently qualified to ride on this parade, passing out of Riding School in mid-March 2011.
2nd Division Commander: Lieutenant Archie Horne LG
Archie is due to move to HCR later this year in preparation for the next Household Cavalry Regiment’s operational tour to Afghanistan in 2013. He is riding Elizabeth, which also happens to be the charger that the Princess Royal as Colonel of the Blues and Royals, rides on The Queen’s Birthday Parade.
Serrefile Captain: Capt Anton Wallis LG
The Serrefile Captain is responsible for seeing that the pace of the leading Division is taken from the carriage, and that the intervals and spacing are correctly kept. Captain Anton Wallis, riding Fortress, is on his first tour of the Mounted Regiment. He returned from Afghanistan this time last year, having spent six months based mainly in the Maysan desert area with A Squadron HCR.
HM The Queen’s Carriage Officers
Standard Party
Silver Stick and Silver Stick Adjt
3rd Division Commander: Captain James Hulme RHG/D
James has been in the Army for five years and recently deployed to Afghanistan in the infamous Babaji district of Helmand Province, Afghanistan as an armoured Troop Commander. He is riding William.
4th Division Commander Capt Simon Lukas RHG/D
Riding Empress, Simon has also recently returned from service in Afghanistan with A Squadron HCR, where he was a Troop Leader in Central Helmand, including on Operation Moshtarak in 2010.
Horses of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment
The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment employs about 235 Cavalry Black Horses, 14 Greys and 3 Drum horses. The Army Horse Purchasing Commission buys the Black and Grey horses annually in the Republic of Ireland. Their breeding is normally part-bred Irish Draught, ideally standing at a minimum of 16.2 hands in height with plenty of bone and substance.
This is necessary when one considers the weight of soldiers in state kit with their horse ‘furniture’. The horses arrive in Windsor during the latter part of the year as unbroken 4 year-olds. The new horses are given the collective name of "remounts", which is the military term for untrained horses, and are subsequently backed and ridden away by the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment's Riding Staff, who are responsible for training all horses and men at mounted duty. Once they have been trained and have acquired the relevant skills, the horses will be handed over to the Mounted Squadrons for use on State Occasions and daily ceremonial. Remounts are ridden on parade by the Riding Staff, who can be recognised by the gold spur worn on the right shoulder.
Horses of particular interest today are:
William and Catherine. William is being ridden by Capt James Hulme, the Commander of No 3 Division of the Sovereign’s Escort. Catherine is a horse in the same Troop.
Connery. Each horse has a Regimental number, and the first letter of the name is dictated (like car registration plates) by the year of their passing out, so when horse number 007 passed out with other ‘C Reg’ horses, he could only be called Connery. He is ridden today by Capt Rufus Gordon-Dean, and is alongside the carriage containing the Bride and Bridegroom.
Goliath is the biggest ‘Cav Black’ in service with the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment standing at 18.2 hands tall. A loveable horse, a gentle giant with great manners, that is, until he is in sight of the feed stall, when he will most certainly escape and get his fill!
Valerian and Viper are the oldest horses in One Troop at 20 years old. Valerian is named after the current Duke of Wellington who once commanded the Blues and Royals, and Viper is named after one of the characters is the 1980’s film Top Gun.
St Valentine was born on St Valentine’s Day, hence the name, he is an ex-flat race horse, who had 3 races in 2006 but never came to much and was donated to the HCMR by his owners.
Beatrice is named after Princess Beatrice, and is trained as a ‘lie-down’ horse for the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment’s Musical Ride. This highly skilled manoeuvre was once used by soldiers to take cover from the enemy, and to aim over the horses when skirmishing.
Guard of Honour at Buckingham Palace
A Guard of Honour comprising three Officers and 101 Other Ranks from Number 2 Company 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, together with the Band of the Welsh Guards will be positioned in the Forecourt of Buckingham Palace for the return processions of The Royal Family.
They will be carrying the Battalion’s Queen’s Colour.
The Guard of Honour is commanded by Major Dai Bevan, Welsh Guards who shortly assumes the appointment of Academy Adjutant at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
The Ensign is 2nd Lieutenant Ben Bardsley.
Also present:
Field Officer in Brigade Waiting, Colonel Alastair Mathewson. Mounted, by the entrance to the Quadrangle. See above for further details.
Adjutant in Brigade Waiting, Colonel Tom Bonas, Regimental Adjutant Welsh Guards
1330
FLYPAST
The flypast will consist of:
1. A Lancaster, a Spitfire and a Hurricane aircraft from The Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
Since 2008 HRH Prince William has been Patron of The Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
2. Two Tornado and Two Typhoon fast jets, flying in Windsor Formation.
Please see below for map and biographies. A map of the flypast route will be issued on Wednesday 27 April.
Aircraft – Tornado GR4 Squadron – 41(R) Sqn Pilot – Flt Lt Paul Beevers WSO – Flt Lt Jim Harkin WINDSOR FORMATION DEPUTY LEADER Aircraft - Typhoon Sqn Ldr Matt Peterson OC A Flight Aircraft – Tornado GR4 Squadron – 41(R) Sqn Pilot – Wg Cdr Rich Davies OC 41(R) Sqn WSO – Flt Lt Dave Wilson Aircraft - Lancaster Pilot – Flt Lt Ernie Taylor Co-pilot – Sqn Ldr Jamie Watson Navigator – Flt Lt Bill Williams Flight Engineer – MAcr Brendon O’Sullivan Aircraft – Spitfire Flt Lt Antony Parkinson Aircraft - Hurricane Sqn Ldr Dunc Mason WINDSOR FORMATION LEADER Aircraft – Typhoon Wg Cdr Roderick Dennis OC 6 Sqn
ROYAL WEDDING FLYPAST FORMAT – 29 APRIL 2011 (Viewed from ABOVE)
Crew Biographies
Windsor Formation - RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
Aircraft – Spitfire
Pilot: Flight Lieutenant Antony Parkinson (known as Parky) joined the RAF at 18 and has been flying ever since. He was privileged to be the first pilot to gain 1,000 hours flying the RAF's latest fighter, the Euro Fighter Typhoon, and has also flown over 1,000 hours on 3 other types: Phantom F4, Tornado F3 and Hawk with the Red Arrows. Flight Lieutenant Parkinson also flew the F16 for three years with the Royal Netherlands Air Force and has over 6,000 flying hours in total. This is his 4th year with the Flight.
Aircraft – Hurricane
Pilot: Squadron Leader Dunc Mason joined the Royal Air Force in 1991 and after flying training completed tours on 3(F) Squadron[1] RAF Laarbruch flying the Harrier GR7, and on 19(F) Squadron[2] RAF Valley as a Flying and Weapons Instructor, flying the Hawk T1. In 2002, Dunc was selected for the Royal Air Force Aerobatic team, The Red Arrows, remaining with them until 2005. He was then posted back to the Harrier as a Flight Commander on 1(F) Squadron[3] and subsequently to 800 Naval Air Squadron, both based at RAF Cottesmore. Dunc undertook operations in the Balkans and Afghanistan with the Harrier GR9 and numerous exercises globally on land and at sea.
Aircraft – Lancaster
Pilot: Flight Lieutenant Ernie Taylor joined the RAF in 1986, and following flying training was posted to fly the Puma HC1. He flew operational sorties in Northern Ireland and during the Gulf War with 33 and 230 Squadrons. Following a tour as a Qualified Pilot Navigator Instructor he remained on the Tucano as a Qualified Flying Instructor (QFI) at RAF Linton on Ouse. He was the RAF's last Canberra pilot. Serving on 39 (1 PRU) [4] Squadron, he flew many operational sorties over Afghanistan in support of Operation Herrick (Afghanistan). Ernie is now a QFI on the Sentinel R1 of 5(AC)[5] Squadron based at RAF Waddington. This is Ernie’s fourth season with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight as a Dakota captain and his second as a Lancaster captain.
Co-pilot: Squadron Leader Jamie Watson joined the RAF in 1990 as an Air Loadmaster. Following training he was posted to 72 Sqn, on Wessex HC2 aircraft. He was accepted for aircrew in 1996 and after training was posted to RAF Lyneham, where he flew Hercules C130K on 47 Squadron. Currently, a Flight Commander on LXX Sqn[6], RAF Lyneham, Squadron Leader Watson has seen extensive operational service in Iraq, Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, the Balkans and other theatres. This is his second season with Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
Navigator: Flight Lieutenant Bill Williams joined the RAF as a direct-entrant navigator in 1980. Following training with 268 Air Navigation Course at RAF Finningley, he joined 55 Squadron at RAF Marham in early 1982, flying the Victor K2 in the Air to Air Refueling role. He moved to the Tornado GR1 in 1985 and flew tours in the ground-attack role at RAF Laarbruch, RAF Marham and RAF Lossiemouth. In 1997 he became a Qualified Navigator Instructor (QFI) with 55(R) Squadron[7].
CONTACT DETAILS
Ministry of Defence PR and Events Team:
Victoria Beacon
Telephone 020 7218 6162
Mobile 07876 477793
Email vicky.beacon625@mod.uk
Tom Callagher
Telephone 020 7218 0341
Mobile 07500 121264
Email tom.callagher880@mod.uk
The Royal Wedding Policing Operation
The Metropolitan Police’s policing operation aims to maintain the security of this important event whilst ensuring that thousands of well wishers planning to line the route are able to show their support. The challenge for the Met will be striking the right balance between ensuring the security and safety of the event, while taking nothing away from the festive and celebratory atmosphere of the day.
Approximately 900 officers will be lining the route of the procession between Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace. Our Mounted Branch will also escort the Royal procession.
The policing operation for the Royal Wedding draws together a range of skills and expertise from officers and specialist units across the Met:
Public Order Planning Unit
A ceremonial team at the Public Order Planning Unit is responsible for planning the policing of the Royal Wedding. The unit works closely with the Command Team and is responsible for planning the appropriate resources and logistical support for the entire policing operation.
Planning for the policing of the Royal Wedding is carried out by the ceremonial team within the Public Order Planning Unit. Comprising two officers and one member of police staff, the team is responsible for making sure the entire policing operation is appropriately resourced and provided with logistical support.
This involves providing advice and support for the Command Team and working closely with specialist units and other colleagues to make sure the operation, from traffic management to operational briefings, is planned and coordinated across the different parts of the Met.
They also liaise with partners including the Royal Household, Government, Royal Parks and other event organisers.
The team has a vast amount of experience, with responsibility for planning over 15 state and ceremonial events every year. This includes the Trooping of the Colour, State Opening of Parliament and the Remembrance Sunday Memorial Service.
They are one of four dedicated teams within the Public Order Planning Unit, which is responsible for the planning of approximately 450 large scale complex events every year, ranging from demonstrations, festivals, spontaneous gatherings and other pan-London operations.
Air Support Unit
The Metropolitan Police Service Air Support Unit has a fleet of three Eurocopter 145 helicopters with recording and imagery devices. In the run up to the Royal Wedding, helicopters will make aerial assessments of central London and source detailed imagery of the landscape which is crucial in the planning stages of the police operation.
For more information visit http://www.met.police.uk/asu/index.htm
Traffic Unit
As with other major events that take place regularly in the Capital, the role of the Met’s Traffic Unit will be to put in place a Traffic Exclusion Zone (TEZ) to allow the event and the policing operation to take place in a safe and traffic free zone, while trying to minimise any disruption to road users wishing to travel around central London.
For the Royal Wedding, the TEZ will be implemented around the ceremonial route, venue and adjoining roads and areas. A number of diversions and road closures will be place and officers will be on hand to redirect traffic.
In closing roads, officers will direct traffic onto a suitable diversion which allows vehicles to circumnavigate the event and eventually rejoin their original route. In addition, officers will be available on motorcycle to respond to congestion on the periphery of the event, and endeavour to keep London's roads running smoothly.
For more information on the Met’s Traffic Unit visit http://www.met.police.uk/traffic/index.htm
Special Escort Group
The Metropolitan Police Service Special Escort Group (SEG) is part of the Royalty Protection Operational Command Unit (SO14). This is a unit of specially trained police officers who has responsibility for providing mobile protection and security for visiting Heads of State, Government Ministers and members of the Royal Family. On 29th April it will be their duty to look after the Royal convoy along the ceremonial route.
Dogs Support Unit
Approximately 35 specially trained search dogs will be on duty throughout the day of the Royal Wedding. Alongside their handlers, their duties will be searching for security risks, and supporting the wider policing operation. The experience of the unit is vast - a large number of handlers and their dogs are regularly involved in public order events ranging from Notting Hill Carnival to football matches. The unit often patrol key London landmarks to keep them secure and provide reassurance to the public.
The Mounted Branch and Royal Grey Escort
The Mounted Branch will escort the royal carriage of Prince William and his wife on their return from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace. This is one of several high profile ceremonial events where the Mounted Branch acts as the Sovereign's Escorts.
The Royal Escort on the day will be led by Mounted Inspector Chris Turner who rides as the “Pointer”. This role involves leading the procession, made up of the Calvary, Prince William, Catherine Middleton and other members of the Royal Family.
Behind the Pointer there will be one mounted sergeant and three constables, all of which make up the front of the Grey Escort.
One mounted sergeant and three mounted constables make up the Rear Escort, with each group of four mounted officers and their horses referred to as a “Section”.
In total there will be nine escorts used in the procession.
On the day the mounted officers on the grey escorts will wear a ceremonial uniform consisting of a silver lanyard and silver striped breaches.
The Mounted Branch led the processions for the marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke of York’s wedding and the funerals of the Queen Mother and Princess Diana. They also participate in the Trooping of the Colour and some state visits.
Today the Mounted Branch has 110 horses, 140 officers plus support staff.
Policing in Numbers: facts and figures:
Number of officers deployed - approx 5000
Number of officers lining the route of the Royal Procession - 911
Number of barriers used - 11,000
Number of sniffer dogs on duty - 35
Number of horses making up the Grey Escort - 9
Number of weeks in planning - 22
Number of ceremonial events per year - 15 annual events, plus additional state and diplomatic events
Number of officers deployed for 1981 Royal Wedding – 5213
Biographies
Prince William
Prince William is the elder son of The Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales.
He was born at 9.03pm on 21st June 1982, at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, London. A bulletin announced that the Royal baby weighed 7lb 1 1/2oz.
On 4th August 1982, Prince William Arthur Philip Louis was christened by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Robert Runcie, in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace.
After attending Mrs Mynors School, Prince William became a pupil at Wetherby School in London, from 15th January 1987 until 5th July 1990.
From September 1990, The Prince attended Ludgrove School in Berkshire, for five years until 5th July 1995. He then attended Eton College from July 1995 and studied Geography, Biology and History of Art at A Level.
Prince William was 15-years-old when Diana, Princess of Wales was killed in a car crash in Paris on 31st August 1997. Prince William and Prince Harry walked behind their mother’s cortege at her funeral which was held at Westminster Abbey on 6th September 1997.
After a gap year in which he visited Chile, Belize, worked on British dairy farms and visited countries in Africa, Prince William chose to study at St Andrews University in Fife, Scotland. He graduated with a 2:1 in Geography in 2005.
After a period of work experience, Prince William joined the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as an Officer Cadet.
He was commissioned as an army officer in front of The Queen at Sandhurst in December 2006 and joined the Household Cavalry (Blues and Royals) as a Second Lieutenant.
On 11th April 2008, Prince William received his Royal Air Force (RAF) wings from his father The Prince of Wales at RAF Cranwell after completing an intensive 12 week flying course, becoming the fourth generation of the Royal Family to become an RAF Pilot.
On St George's Day (23rd April 2008) The Queen appointed Prince William to be a Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. . He was installed at The Annual Garter ceremony held at Windsor Castle.
In January 2010, Prince William successfully completed advanced helicopter flying training at the Defence Helicopter Flying School based at RAF Shawbury and moved to RAF Valley in Wales, to carry out the Search and Rescue Conversion Course.
Prince William graduated as a fully operational RAF Search and Rescue Pilot on 17th September 2010. The Prince continues to undertake operational service as Co-Pilot of a Sea King Mk3 helicopter acting as part of a four-person crew. The usual length of time officers serve is 30-36 months after successful completion of training.
The Prince is known as Flight Lieutenant Wales in the RAF. Owing to the fact that Prince William will one day become Head of the Armed Forces, he retains his commissions as an officer in the Royal Navy and the Army, within the Household Cavalry.
Honorary Armed Forces positions
In August 2006 Prince William was appointed Commodore-in-Chief of Scotland and Commodore-in-Chief of Submarines.
In October 2008, The Prince was appointed Honorary Air Commandant of Royal Air Force Coningsby.
In February 2011, The Queen gave her formal approval to the appointment of Prince William as Colonel of the Irish Guards, marking Prince William’s first honorary appointment in the Army, and the Irish Guards’ first Royal Colonel.
Charities
Although Prince William is currently focusing on his military career, he also wants to show his support for organisations that reflect issues he cares about both in the UK and abroad.
To further their charitable work, Prince William and Prince Harry created their own Foundation in 2009 which focuses on issues that they both care about.
The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry has three main aims: helping young people in society; raising awareness and support for servicemen and women; and developing sustainable models of living in the light of climate change and dwindling natural resources.
Patronages
Prince William is Patron or President of the following organisations:
100 Women in Hedge Funds' Philanthropic Initiatives
Patron (from 1/1/2010)
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA)
President (from 21/02/2010)
Centrepoint
Patron (from 13/09/2005)
The Child Bereavement Charity
Patron (12/03/2009)
The English Schools’ Swimming Association (ESSA)
Patron (from 16/05/2007)
The Foundation of the College of St. George
Vice President (from 22/08/2008)
The Football Association
President (from 01/05/2006)
Henry Van Straubenzee Memorial Fund
Joint Patron (with Prince Harry, from 08/01/2009)
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple
Royal Master of the Bench (from 06/07/2009)
HMS Alliance Conservation Appeal
Patron (from 10/06/2008)
Mountain Rescue (England and Wales)
Patron (from 16/05/2007)
National Memorial Arboretum Future Foundations Appeal
Patron (from 24/04/2009)
Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge (Fields in Trust)
Patron (from 07/06/2010)
Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
Patron (from 10/09/2008)
The Royal Marsden Hospital
President (from 16/05/2007)
The Royal Society
Fellow (from 02/07/2010)
Scott-Amundsen Centenery Race 2011/2012
Patron (from 20/11/2010)
Skill Force
Patron (from 26/02/2009)
The Tusk Trust
Patron (from 19/12/2005)
The University of St. Andrews 600th Appeal
Patron (from 25/02/2011)
The Welsh Rugby Union
Vice Royal Patron (from 04/02/2007)
Catherine Middleton
Catherine Elizabeth Middleton was born to Michael and Carole Middleton at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading, on 9th January 1982. Catherine is the eldest of three children.
Catherine was christened at the parish church of St Andrew’s Bradfield in Berkshire on 20th June 1982.
In May 1984, at the age of two, Catherine moved with her family to Amman in Jordan, where her father worked for two and a half years. Catherine attended a nursery school in Amman from the age of three.
In September 1986, the Middletons returned to their home in West Berkshire, and Catherine started at St Andrew’s School in Pangbourne, where she remained until July 1995. Catherine went on to Marlborough College in Wiltshire, where she studied Chemistry, Biology and Art at A-level. Catherine also took part in sport on behalf of the school, playing tennis, hockey and netball and participating in athletics, particularly high jump. Catherine completed her Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award at Marlborough.
Leaving Marlborough College in July 2000, Catherine undertook a gap year in which she studied at the British Institute in Florence, undertook a Raleigh International programme in Chile, and crewed on Round the World Challenge boats in the Solent.
In 2001, Catherine enrolled at the University of St Andrews, Fife, from where she graduated in 2005 with a 2:1 in History of Art. Catherine continued with her interest in sport at University, playing hockey for the University team. Catherine first met Prince William when studying at the University.
Since completing her degree, Catherine has worked for Party Pieces, a company owned and run by her parents. Alongside her work for the family business, Catherine worked in London as a part-time buyer for the clothing company Jigsaw Junior.
In 2008, Catherine launched First Birthdays, a junior brand to Party Pieces. Her role within the family business included catalogue design and production, marketing and photography.
Catherine’s hobbies include recreational sports such as hill walking, tennis, swimming, sailing, and the arts such as photography and painting.
Prince Harry
Prince Harry is the younger son of The Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales.
He was born at 4.20pm on 15th September, 1984 at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, in central London. He weighed 6lb 14oz.
On 21st December 1984, Prince Henry Charles Albert David was christened by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Robert Runcie, in St George’s Chapel, Windsor. After attending Mrs Mynors School, Prince Harry became a pupil at Wetherby School in London, from September 1987. In September 1992, Harry joined his older brother William at Ludgrove School in Berkshire where he stayed for five years. He then attended Eton College from September 1998 where he took his GCSE’s and A Levels.
After completing his A Levels, Prince Harry took a gap year during which he visited Australia, Argentina and Africa, where he made a documentary about the plight of orphans in Lesotho.
Prince Harry entered the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in May 2005. He successfully completed a 44-week training course as an Officer Cadet, before being commissioned in April 2006 as a Second Lieutenant in the Household Cavalry (Blues and Royals).
During this period, Prince Harry co-founded the charity Sentebale with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in memory of their mothers (Sentebale means ‘Forget me not’) to support orphans and vulnerable children in Lesotho.
In February 2008, Prince Harry completed more than two months service with the British Army in Helmand province, Afghanistan, as a ‘Forward Air Controller’ for NATO forces.
On 13th April 2008, Prince Harry was promoted from Second Lieutenant to Lieutenant and in January 2009, he began training to become a fully-operational Army Air Corps Pilot.
He received his provisional wings from his father The Prince of Wales, who is Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps (AAC) on 7th May 2010. Prince Harry went on to complete the first part of his Apache training course in April 2011 and was also promoted to Captain at the same time.
Prince Harry is currently involved in the second part of his Apache training course, which he is due to complete at the end of 2011. The Prince holds two honorary military appointments: Commodore-in-Chief of Small Ships and Diving and Honorary Air Commandant of RAF Honnington.
Although Prince Harry is currently focusing on his military career, he also wants to show his support for a few organisations that reflect issues he cares about both in the UK and abroad. He is Patron of ten charities and organisations (including Sentebale) and focuses much of his charitable activity around the Princes’ Charities Forum - a grouping of organisations with which he and his brother have close links and which assists in promoting ideas and joint initiatives to the benefit of all the members.
The Archbishop of Canterbury
Rowan Douglas Williams was born in Swansea, south Wales on 14 June 1950, into a Welsh-speaking family, and was educated at Dynevor School in Swansea and Christ's College Cambridge where he studied theology. He studied for his doctorate at Wadham College Oxford, taking his DPhil in 1975. After two years as a lecturer at the College of the Resurrection, near Leeds, he was ordained deacon in Ely Cathedral before returning to Cambridge.
From 1977, he spent nine years in academic and parish work in Cambridge: first at Westcott House, being ordained priest in 1978, and from 1980 as curate at St George's, Chesterton. In 1983 he was appointed as a lecturer in Divinity in the university, and the following year became dean and chaplain of Clare College. 1986 saw a return to Oxford now as Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity and Canon of Christ Church; he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Divinity in 1989, and became a fellow of the British Academy in 1990. He is also an accomplished poet and translator.
In 1991 Professor Williams accepted election and consecration as Bishop of Monmouth, a diocese on the Welsh borders, and in 1999 on the retirement of Archbishop Alwyn Rice Jones he was elected Archbishop of Wales, one of the 38 primates of the Anglican Communion. On 23rd July 2002, with eleven years experience as a diocesan bishop and three as a leading primate in the Communion, Archbishop Williams was elected as the 104th bishop of the See of Canterbury, the first Welsh successor to St Augustine of Canterbury and the first since the mid-thirteenth century to be appointed from beyond the English Church. The Archbishop was confirmed as the Archbishop of Canterbury on 2nd December 2002 in St. Paul’s Cathedral, London and enthroned on 27th February 2003 in Canterbury Cathedral.
Dr Williams is acknowledged internationally for his work as a theological writer, scholar and teacher. He has been involved in many theological, ecumenical and educational commissions. He has written extensively across a very wide range of related fields of professional study – philosophy, theology (especially early and patristic Christianity), spirituality and religious aesthetics. He has also written throughout his career on moral, ethical and social topics and, since becoming archbishop, has turned his attention increasingly towards contemporary cultural and interfaith issues.
As Archbishop of Canterbury his principal responsibilities are pastoral – leading the life and witness of the Church of England in general and his own diocese in particular by his teaching and oversight, and promoting and guiding the communion of the world-wide Anglican Church by the globally recognized ministry of unity that attaches to the office of bishop of the see of Canterbury.
In 1981 Dr Williams married Jane Paul, a lecturer in theology, whom he met while living and working in Cambridge. They have a daughter and a son.
The Bishop of London
Richard John Carew Chartres became the 132nd Bishop of London in November 1995. The Bishop of London is responsible for the Church of England Diocese of London. Today, the Diocese covers 277 square miles of Greater London north of the Thames, serving a population of 3.9 million. The Bishop of London is the third most senior bishop, after the Archbishops of Canterbury and York.
He was educated at Hertford Grammar School and studied history at Trinity College Cambridge. Before ordination he taught Ancient History at the International School in Seville. He was ordained in 1973 and served as a curate in St Andrew’s Bedford. In 1975 he was appointed Chaplain to Robert Runcie, then Bishop of St Albans, and from 1980-84 he served as the Archbishop’s Chaplain at Lambeth and Canterbury.
He moved to St Stephen’s Rochester Row in the Diocese of London in 1984. During eight years in the parish he also served as Director of Ordinands for the Central Area and as Gresham Professor of Divinity. He was consecrated Bishop of Stepney in 1992.
After his move to the see of London, he was appointed Dean of Her Majesty’s Chapels Royal in 1996 and a Privy Counsellor (an advisor to the British Sovereign). This accounts for the curious fact that the Bishop of London is the only bishop who bears the title ‘Right Honourable’ in addition to the usual ‘Right Reverend’. He is an ex officio member of the House of Lords.
The Bishop is an Honorary Bencher of the Middle Temple, Chairman of the Ecumenical “London Church Leaders” and a director of Coexist Foundation - a charity promoting interfaith understanding. In 2010 Her Majesty The Queen made him Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order.
He is also Chairman of the Church Buildings Division of the Church of England and the C of E Shrinking the Footprint campaign; and deputises for the Archbishop of Canterbury as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Church Commissioners. He is responsible on behalf of the Archbishop for relations with the Orthodox Churches.
Dr Chartres founded St Ethelburga’s Centre for Reconciliation and Peace and is currently the Chairman of the Trustees. His publications include ‘The History of Gresham College 1597-1997’ (with David Vermont) and ‘Tree of Knowledge, Tree of Life’ [2005] and many articles and essays especially on religion and the environment.
He is married to Caroline, a freelance writer, and they have four children – Alexander, Sophie, Louis and Clio.
The Very Reverend John R Hall
John Hall was installed as the 38th Dean of Westminster on 2nd December 2006. He is Dean of the Order of the Bath and chairman of governors of Westminster School. He was brought up in South London, read theology at Durham and, after two years teaching RE, was ordained in 1975 and served in parishes in South London. From 1992 he was Director of Education for the church in Lancashire, becoming in 1998 the Church of England's Chief Education Officer, responsible for the Church’s strategy for 5,000 church schools, negotiation with Government over education policy, and the support of parish-based and voluntary education. He has been a school and university governor and a member of the General Teaching Council for England. He has written widely and debated publicly on educational matters and was instrumental in the Dearing Report in 2001, which led to a significant expansion in the number of Church of England secondary schools. He has been a trustee of the King James Bible Trust (formerly 2011 Trust) since its inception in 2007. He chairs the Standards Committee of the City of Westminster. In March 2011 he was installed as a Pro-Chancellor of Roehampton University.
James O’Donnell
James O’Donnell is Organist and Master of the Choristers of Westminster Abbey. He is internationally recognised as a conductor and organ recitalist and has appeared in concert all over the world.
Following studies at the Royal College of Music and Cambridge University, James O’Donnell established his reputation as a leading choral conductor during his twelve-year tenure as Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral. His many recordings with the Cathedral Choir included the winner of the ‘Gramophone Record of the Year’ and ‘Best choral recording’ awards in 1998.
In January 2000, James O’Donnell took up his present appointment at Westminster Abbey. He is responsible for the direction of the music both at the daily choral services and at the many significant national occasions which take place there. He also conducts the Choir of Westminster Abbey in its programme of concerts, broadcasts, recordings and tours, which in recent years have included visits to the Far East, the United States, Australia, Denmark, Germany, Russia and Spain. The Choir’s celebrated series of Hyperion recordings has attracted much critical acclaim, and its latest disc, ‘Music from the Reign of King James I’, was released in February 2011.
FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT SOME OF THE ABOVE TOPICS, AND OTHER TOPICS, WILL BE RELEASED IN DUE COURSE.
[1] Pronounced 3 Fighter Squadron
[2] Pronounced 19 Fighter Squadron
[3] Pronounced 1 Fighter Squadron
[4] Pronounced Photographic Reconnaissance Unit
[5] Pronounced Army Co-operation
[6] Pronounced 70 Squadron
[7] Pronounced 55 Reserve Squadron
(http://www.officialroyalwedding2011.org/blog/2011/April/20/The-Band-of-the-Coldstream-Guards-set-to-entertain-crowds-along-the-procession-route)
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