<
They will be received by President François Hollande at the Arc de
Triomphe and afterwards for meetings at The Elysée Palace. Garden
Party hosted by His Excellency Sir Peter Ricketts, Her Majesty’s
Ambassador to the French Republic, will be attended by Her Majesty
and Prince Philip.
The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will also visit
France to honour the 70th Anniversary of the D Day Invasion or as
it was name “Operation Overlord.”
The Prince of Wales as Colonel in Chief of the Army Air Corps, and
The Duchess of Cornwall will meet veterans of the Glider Pilot
Regiment, at Pegasus Bridge and lay a wreath at the Glider Pilot
Memorial. The Royal couple will visit 70th Power Boat Squadron and
visit powerboats involved in the Normandy Landings.
The securing of Pegasus Bridge in the initial hours of D-Day was a
key victory for the Allies. The control of Pegasus Bridge gave the
Allies the chance to interrupt the Germans capability to bring in
reinforcements to the Normandy beaches, especially those that the
British and Canadians were landing at: Gold, Juno and Sword.
The Prince of Wales, Colonel in Chief, The Parachute Regiment, and
Camilla will attend a Lunch with veterans at Ranville. The Prince
will present, on behalf of the Parachute Regiment, a bust of Major
Jack Watson MC to the Commune of Ranville, at the Marie of
Ranville.
Watson, a platoon commander serving with 13th (Lancashire)
Battalion, the Parachute Regiment (13 LBPR), landed in Normandy on
D-Day. He was originally deployed at Pegasus Bridge and in the
liberation of Ranville. It was Watson, who under heavy fire led the
assault in 1945 in the Battle of the Ardennes.
The Royal couple will go their separate ways as Camilla who is
Colonel-in-Chief of The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada, will meet
veterans and serving members of the Regiment and afterwards tour
the Juno Beach Centre, Courseulles-sur-Mer.
Charles as Colonel-in-Chief of The Parachute Regiment, will attend
a commemorative parachute drop by representatives of British,
American, French and Canadian Armed Forces, at Ranville. Charles
will also attend a memorial service to commemorate the actions of
Airborne Forces and the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, at Le
Mesnil Bavent, France as well as a reception for veterans at
Breville.
Thursday will see Princess Anne attending a Drumhead Service in
commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings in
Portsmouth. A Drumhead Service originates from the use of a
drumhead as a makeshift altar for religious services, or a
traditional gathering point for a regiment for orders or
decisions.
Friday, 6 June 2014
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be at Gold Beach to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the D Day landings.Photo: Cindy Stockman 2010.
The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will attend the Royal British Legion Service of Remembrance at Bayeux Cathedral.
The event will include:
- an inspection of an Honour Guard of UK Armed Forces personnel drawn from the three Services, supported by a French military band;
- a procession of Royal British Legion and Normandy Veterans Association Standards;
- a short parade of veterans;
- a religious service where The Prince of Wales will read the Lesson; and
- the laying of wreaths at the Cross of Sacrifice by The Prince Of Wales, The Prime Minister of France and others.
The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales and The
Duchess of Cornwall will attend the Service of Remembrance at the
Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery at Bayeux and meet veterans of the
Second World War. Later, the Royal family members will attend the
Commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Normandy Landings at
Sword Beach.
Sword Beach was the furthermost east of the five beaches intended
for D-Day. The beach was about nine miles to the north-east of the
crucial city of Caen and was less than ten miles from Gold Beach
and four miles from the start of Juno Beach. Sword saw the least
amount of resistance. At the end of the day, 29,000 men had been
landed at Sword with 630 casualties. Allied forces had advanced
approximately four miles inland and stabilised the area.
The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will attend the
Canadian National Memorial Service at the Juno Beach Centre,
Courseulles-sur-Mer, to commemorate Canada’s role in the Normandy
Landings.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will attend a veterans’ tea party
in the town of Arromanches. William and Catherine will also attend
the Commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Normandy Landings
at Gold Beach (Arromanches).
Out of the five designated targets for the Normandy landings, Gold
Beach was in the centre. The sector called ‘Gold’ was five miles
wide. At the western end of the beach was Arromanches, the site for
the Mulberry Harbour. The Mulberry Harbour was an artificial harbor
constructed and set up by the British. As Prince Philip’s Uncle,
Lord Mountbatten stated: “As we have no harbour at our disposal, we
shall bring ours.”
The different mechanisms would be built in Britain, towed across
the Channel and constructed off the Normandy coast. The Mulberries
contained floating roadways and pier heads which moved up and down
with the tide. In order to circumvent rough seas, massive hollow
concrete blocks and old hulks were sunk in order to configure a
breakwater.
By midday on 6 June 1944, most of the designated beach was in
British hands.
By evening of the same day, 25,000 men of the 50th Division had
landed and the division had moved six miles inland and had
connected with the Canadian forces that had landed at Juno Beach.
Only 400 casualties had been taken whilst securing the beach, which
may have seen many more.
Later on Friday, The Queen and Prince Philip will attend a lunch
for Heads of State given by the President of the French Republic at
the Château de Bénouville. In the evening, Her Majesty and The Duke
of Edinburgh will attend a State Banquet given in her honour by
President Hollande at the Elysée Palace.
Saturday, 7 June 2014
As part of their visit to France, on Saturday, 7 June 2014, The
Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will call on the Mayor of Paris Mme
Anne Hidalgo at the Hotel de Ville. Her Majesty and Prince Philip
will also visit the Marche aux Fleurs et aux Oiseaux where The
Queen will be received by President Hollande. Later they will make
a ceremonial departure from Villacoublay Airport.
photo Credits: humberpike via photopin
cc and © 2010, Cindy
Stockman.]]>
