OHMYGOSSIP — Prince Harry has visited an AIDS charity to help raise awareness of the illness.
The 32-year-old made the trip to the Leicester Aids Support Service (LASS) on Tuesday (21.03.17), 26 years after his mother, the late Princess Diana, visited the charity where she launched a wall of tributes honouring those who had died from the disease.
Speaking about AIDS – which is an infection that occurs when your immune system is badly damaged by an untreated HIV illness – to the campaigners at the charity headquarters, Harry said: “It cannot be acceptable that the first time young people know what HIV is is when they catch it. Even if you are nowhere near an at-risk group you should get tested, to show everyone it’s OK.”
Whilst visiting the charity, Prince Harry was shown a photo of his late mother – who died in a fatal car crash in Paris in 1997 – taken during her visit to the same centre in 1991.
One volunteer, who recalled the Princess’ visit, said of Prince Harry’s appearance: “It shows he’s got a good heart, like his mum.”
Prince Harry also met with LASS service users in a private meeting, before heading upstairs where he was able to sit in and observe workshops about the charity’s work.
Amdani Juma, who works for the African Institute for Social Development, said: “This visit is very important in raising awareness. He’s a royal and he can help bring these messages to the places we cannot reach.
“Princess Diana was here in 1991 and then Harry was here: it’s very special, it’s very important and emotional.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Prince Charles has enjoyed the food on offer at Clitheroe Food Festival.
The 68-year-old royal visited the Lancashire town on Tuesday (21.03.17) to sample food and drink including a Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment sausage and Hen Harrier golden ale as part of his tour of the Ribble Valley.
Prince Charles met with local food producers and traders who were showcasing their goods as part of a special promotional event for the festival, which regularly attracts thousands of people from the UK.
The royal seemed particularly taken by the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment sausage, as he quipped: “I think I will have another of those. It’s not even lunchtime!”
During his visit, Prince Charles – who is the patron of the Specialist Cheesemakers Association – also paid a visit to the family run Delway Cheesemakers in the town of Garstang.
Whilst there, he was given a tour of the dairy and also met with the firm’s local suppliers, as well as agricultural students from the nearby Myerscough College.
Prince Charles’ visit to the cheesemakers – which is in its 60th year of business – was commemorated with a plaque, which he unveiled outside the firm’s building.
Cheesemaker Nick Kenyon said: “Today is an incredible honour. It makes you feel proud and privileged to have had the opportunity to have met him.”
And Prince Charles wasn’t the only royal sampling culinary delicacies on Tuesday either, as his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, attended a banquet for “everyday heroes” which was held by celebrity chefs including Jamie Oliver.
Camilla was given a cooking master class by Jamie, as part of the event hosted by food waste charity UKHarvest and the Jamie Oliver Food Foundation.

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OHMYGOSSIP — A piece of cake from the wedding between Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip is to go up for auction.
The 90-year-old monarch tied the knot with her husband 70 years ago in 1947, and now an original piece of the wedding cake from their special day is set to go under the hammer at Hansons Auctioneers in Etwall, South Derbyshire.
The sweet treat has been kept for the last seven decades in a small box decorated with wedding bells, and features the inscription “Presented to Mr C. Dickman by Princess Elizabeth, Nov 20th 1947.”
Jim Spencer, of Hansons Auctioneers, told Burton Mail: “It’s undeniably a very sweet thing. As soon as I saw it I thought ‘crumbs, what a piece of history!’ I expect it to make a tasty price at auction. There’s no Best Before date here, it can only improve with age in terms of historic importance and value.”
The unique slice of history will go to auction as part of Hansons’ Antiques and Collectors Auction which runs until March 22, and is expected to fetch between £100 and £150.
It’s not the first time a piece of wedding cake from Queen Elizabeth’s ceremony has gone up for auction either, as in January another piece was uncovered.
Hansons Auctioneers will also be auctioning Royal items as part of their Spring Fine Arts auction which runs from March 30 to April 1, including a visitor’s book bearing the signature of multiple royals including Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, and the Queen Mother.
Also up for auction is a 1887 Queen Victoria Golden Jubilee Westminster Abbey admittance ticket and a July 5, 1866, Windsor Castle paper lace programme.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Prince Harry met with his old Gurkha comrades at the Nepali embassy ceremony.
The 32-year-old royal made the trip to the London embassy of the small Himalayan country on Monday (20.03.17) to celebrate 200 years of co-operation between Nepal and the United Kingdom.
Whilst at the ceremony, Harry met with some of the Gurkha soldiers whom he met whilst he was battling in Afghanistan alongside the Royal Gurkha Rifles in 2007 and 2008.
Vinod Budhathoki, 32, who lost both his legs in an accident in May 2010, remembered Harry as very down to earth during his tour of Afghanistan.
He said: “He just never let us feel like he was from the Royal Family. We just treated him as a normal officer. He was so nice, and just made us work quite easy with him.”
Harry’s meeting with the Gurkha soldiers comes after he attended an event last week with his father Prince Charles, in which they awarded operational service medals to the soldiers.
The Prince said during his speech at the embassy: “Last week, I joined my Father in presenting operational service medals to officers and men from 2nd Battalion of the Royal Gurkha Rifles, some of whom are with us here today.
“My father spoke of how important his 40 year association to the Gurkhas is to him. Even though my association hasn’t been quite as long, I also draw a great deal of pride and joy from my association with the Gurkhas.
“Your courage, selfless dedication and professionalism are legendary; but your warmth and hospitality in welcoming me as a fellow soldier and friend means a great deal to me personally – even though certain people took great enjoyment from watching me sweat in freezing temperatures in Afghanistan while trying to get through a very spicy Goat Curry; some of you are probably here.”
And Prince Harry closed his speech by thanking those in attendance, saying he hoped Nepal and the United Kingdom would continue their “close bond” for “centuries to come”.
He said: “I will close by saying thank you to everyone for joining us today to celebrate our 200 year-long friendship between the United Kingdom and Nepal, and we look forward to our continued close bond of friendship for centuries to come, and now that my tika has finally faded it’s probably about time to go back!”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Prince Harry has visited the Nepali embassy in London for a ceremony marking “200 years of friendship” between Nepal and the United Kingdom.
The 32-year-old royal made the trip to the embassy of the small Himalayan country on Monday (20.03.17) on behalf of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, where he gave a speech praising the “warmth and hospitality” of the Nepali people.
He said at the ceremony: “I am delighted to join you on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen, to bring to a close our year of joint celebrations, marking 200 years of friendship and cooperation between Nepal and the United Kingdom. The Queen has asked me to pass on her best wishes to you all.
“I had the pleasure of visiting Nepal exactly a year ago. I experienced first-hand the true meaning of Nepal’s slogan ‘I am in Nepal Now’.
“The warmth of the welcome and hospitality from everyone I met, particularly from Mrs Mangali Tamang and her family, who I stayed with in Lorani, is something that I will never forget.”
And Prince Harry also praised the residents for their “unbreakable spirit and resilience” after the country was rocked by a devastating earthquake in 2015.
Speaking about the aftermath of the quake, Harry said: “I was very pleased to see how effective the disaster response measures, supported by the British Government and others, had been in getting support to those who needed it very quickly.
“Reconstruction and building back more resiliently from such a disaster can take a long time. But I saw first-hand the unbreakable spirit and resilience of the Nepali people as they set about it – I hope you and they can continue to draw comfort from the fact the British people stand with you on that journey.”
The royal also touched on the area of “empowering girls” to reach their full potential, where he said he was “encouraged” by the steps taken by the Nepali people to end “gender-based violence”.
He said: “Another area in which our countries share a common aim is the commitment to empowering girls and young women to fulfil their potential.
“I was delighted to have the opportunity of joining President Bhandari for the opening of the joint Girl’s Summit.
“I have been encouraged to hear that so much has been done over the past year to raise awareness about child marriage and gender-based violence. I look forward to keeping up with Nepal’s progressive work to empower women and girls, the example you set is one that others will draw inspiration from.”
Prince Harry closed his speech by thanking those in attendance, and said he hoped Nepal and the United Kingdom would continue their “close bond” for “centuries to come”.
He said: “I will close by saying thank you to everyone for joining us today to celebrate our 200 year-long friendship between the United Kingdom and Nepal, and we look forward to our continued close bond of friendship for centuries to come, and now that my tika has finally faded it’s probably about time to go back!”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Princess Anne has opened the new Princess Royal Jetty in Portsmouth.
The 66-year-old royal made a visit to the coastal city on Monday (20.03.17) to officially name and open the berth that will become home to the Royal Navy’s giant new aircraft carriers.
The Princess Royal Jetty is named as such after Anne herself, who bares the title of Princess Royal as she is the only daughter of the monarch, Queen Elizabeth.
The dockside area has been strengthened and upgraded in order to support the whopping 65,000 tonne weight of the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers.
During her visit, Princess Anne also unveiled a plaque at Portsmouth Naval Base to commemorate the opening of the jetty, which was previously known as the Middle Ship Jetty before undergoing its redevelopment.
Princess Anne also met with some of the workers involved in the two-year refurbishment project, as well as Navy bomb disposal experts responsible for safely disposing of historic ordnance.
The need for the bomb disposal experts came after a number of World War II bombs were found in the waters below the harbour.
Over three million cubic metres of clay, sand, and gravel were moved from the sea floor as part of the dredging work carried out to deepen the harbour in preparation for the first of the new aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth, to dock at the jetty later this year.
Commodore Jeremy Rigby, Portsmouth Naval Base Commander, told the Daily Mail newspaper: “Work continues at a pace to get our naval base ready for the arrival of HMS Queen Elizabeth later this year and the excitement builds as we now enter the final stages of work, testing and training ahead of her arrival.”
Meanwhile, the HMS Queen Elizabeth – which is expected to cost around £3 billion to make – is being completed in Rosyth, Scotland.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Prince Harry has treated his girlfriend Meghan Markle to a trip to the Natural History Museum.
The 32-year-old royal took his girlfriend on a romantic trip around the London museum after closing time on Sunday (19.03.17), as the ‘Suits’ actress had reportedly “always wanted” to visit the historical building.
A source said: “Meg had always wanted to go so Harry arranged a private visit. It’s quite romantic after dark as all the exhibits, including the dinosaurs, are all still lit up. And of course, they had it to themselves.”
Their trip comes as Meghan, 35, is due back in Canada for “filming commitments” over the spring and summer, and wants to spend as much time with her royal beau as she can before then.
The insider added to The Sun newspaper: “They’re trying to spend as much time together as possible as Meg has filming commitments over the spring and summer. But she feels that a move to London is inevitable as their relationship becomes more serious.
“They spend a lot of time watching movies at Harry’s and cooking new dishes. Meg is a great cook and sends Harry out to posh food shops. She has even added a few feminine touches such as scented candles and soft furnishings.”
Meanwhile, it was recently reported Prince Harry is planning on fashioning his late mother’s tiara into an engagement ring to propose to the American actress.
A source claimed: “Diana’s jewellery collection was left in trust for the boys and Meghan apparently loves emeralds. For Harry, like Wills before him, using his mother’s gems means the two loves of his life will forever be linked.
“After Diana died, the boys both chose a keepsake from Kensington Palace when they moved to Charles’ rooms in St James’s Palace. Prince William picked his mum’s Cartier watch, and Harry picked her sapphire and diamond engagement ring.
“But they had an agreement that whoever got engaged first would have Diana’s ring – and of course that was William and Kate. Harry wants the same sentiment when he proposes to Meghan, so he is working with the jewellers to design something incredible.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Princess Diana used her honeymoon with Prince Charles to “catch up on sleep”.
The late royal – who passed away in 1997 after she was involved in a fatal car crash in Paris aged 36 – was married to the 68-year-old Prince from 1981 until their divorce in 1996, and newly uncovered letters written by Diana state that she spent most of their romantic time away sleeping.
One letter, written to Diana’s personal secretary Jane Parsons and dated August 15 1981, states: “The honeymoon was a perfect opportunity to catch up on sleep.”
The newly discovered collection of letters, obtained by the Daily Telegraph newspaper, also include correspondence to Jane Parsons saying how pleased she was to see her son Prince William, who was one at the time, when she returned from her Royal tour of Australia in 1983.
She wrote: “William recognised us instantly, which was a relief as sometimes children resent their parents leaving them! It’s marvellous to be home again and hopefully we won’t have to do any more travelling this year… Wishful thinking!”
Princess Diana’s letters will be sold at auction on April 12 at Stroud Auction Rooms in Gloucestershire, as part of the year-long celebrations of her life, in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of her death.
It’s not the first time letters from the late royal have been uncovered either, as a letter written to her close friend and late interior designer Dudley Poplak in 1991, in which she described herself as feeling “extremely isolated”, was released in January.
The letter read: “Dearest Dudley, I did so enjoy our lunch today – it was special for many reasons and in particular our conversation towards the end of our delicious meal.
“I do feel extremely isolated more than ever now, as I see what’s coming to this country and this family.
“During the last couple of years I have been through a self-development programme which has brought a deep understanding of those who suffer and those who need love and support, wherever its in hospices or in the street.
“I feel that you believe in me, Dudley, and you’ve no idea what this means to me as I am continuously misunderstood by those around me.
“Please may we continue our conversation in January, when the pace of life isn’t so fast and furious, as I’d care to ask for your advice and relay to you my inner thoughts.
“Lots of love from, Diana x.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Prince George has a toy rabbit called “Bum Bum”.
The three-year-old royal’s mother Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, has revealed the unusual name for the young Prince’s stuffed animal, during a visit to Paris, France, where her and her husband Prince William – who also share 22-month-old Princess Charlotte – enjoyed a few rugby passes with some school children.
Duchess Catherine, 35, had been speaking to Zena and Graeme Hilton – who were accompanied by their children Anna, four, and Toby, one – when she mentioned the moniker.
Zena said after speaking to Catherine: “Kate was interested in my daughter’s toy monkey she was holding and said that George had a toy rabbit called Bum Bum.”
Meanwhile, Duchess Catherine recently spoke about the importance of teaching children “kindness, respect, and honesty”, and said she and Prince William, 34, would be instilling those views in their own children.
She said: “My parents taught me about the importance of qualities like kindness, respect, and honesty, and I realise how central values like these have been to me throughout my life.
“That is why William and I want to teach our little children George and Charlotte just how important these things are as they grow up.
“In my view it is just as important as excelling at maths or sport.”
And whilst Prince George might be the eldest child, it was recently reported that his younger sister Princess Charlotte is the one “in charge” in the Cambridge household.
Samantha Burge, who spoke to Catherine during the unveiling of a new war memorial earlier this month, said: “[Catherine] said that Charlotte is growing up really fast. She is the one in charge … We have both got two-year-olds and they are ruling the roost. It was a bit of a mummy chat.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, have visited an art gallery in Paris.
The 34-year-old royal and his wife first met when they both studied for a degree in history of art at St Andrew’s University, and the pair took a trip down memory lane as they visited the iconic Musee D’Orsay together during their trip to the French capital over the weekend.
The gallery – which is home to the largest collection of impressionist masterpieces in the world – remained completely open to the public throughout the royals’ visit.
Prince William and Duchess Catherine, 35, specifically asked to see paintings by the famous Claude Monet, including one of his water lilies series, painted in 1904.
The paintings also included one of the Houses of Parliament in London, which was inspired by Monet’s 1871 visit to the English capital where was struck by the “effects of fog on the Thames.”
Prince William asked gallery director Laurence des Cars of the painting: “This is one of his most famous paintings isn’t it?”
The masterpiece is set to be loaned to famous British art gallery the Tate Britain later this year, as part of an exhibition called ‘The Impressionists of London’.
News of William and Catherine’s visit to the gallery comes after it was recently revealed that Prince William’s late mother Princess Diana – who died in 1997 following a fatal car crash – was set to have the photos from her final photo shoot displayed in her childhood home in an exhibition marking the 20th anniversary of her death.
Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer, said of the photos taken by Mario Testino for Vanity Fair magazine: “I have always felt that Mario Testino captured the essence of Diana, quite brilliantly. These wonderful images made a huge impact on me when I saw them first, and revisiting them now, twenty years later, seems a fitting tribute to my beautiful, fabulous, sister.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Queen Elizabeth is hiring a new curtain maker and soft furnishings upholsterer.
The 90-year-old royal is in the market for someone who can maintain the curtains and soft furnishings of over 1,000 rooms in Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace, and St James’s Palace, in a job that will “stretch” the successful applicant as they work on “protecting the heritage” of the famous household.
The job description on the Royal Household website reads: “It’s knowing your curtains add the finishing touch to the state rooms. It’s protecting heritage by leaving your own legacy. And it’s furnishing some of the most famous houses in the world. This is what makes working for the Royal Household exceptional.”
The successful applicant can be expected to receive a salary of £22,000 for the position, and will have to “consistently aim for the highest standards”.
The description continues: “Within Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and St. James’s Palace there are more than a thousand rooms, all containing various furniture and furnishings. Your challenge will be to provide curtains and soft furnishings that will maintain the presentation and functionality of these unique environments.
“You’ll manage and deliver multiple soft furnishing projects, designing new items, estimating materials, costs and timings, and cutting fabrics. From tailoring furniture covers, to creating new curtains to scale the heights of state rooms, you’ll consistently aim for the highest standards.
“Working with numerous historic items, you’ll survey and evaluate the condition of furnishings, prioritising work to both repair and preserve items, whilst also meeting the operational needs of working Royal residences.
“You’ll carefully record all your handlings of historic furnishings, as well as keeping workrooms in good condition, fully equipped and stocked.
“The range of projects will stretch you. And knowing that you’re conserving and creating magnificent items that will be enjoyed by future generations will give you the greatest sense of reward.”
Applications for the job close on April 6.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, have praised the survivors of the 2015 Paris attacks as “very strong and very brave”.
The 34-year-old royal and wife paid a visit to Les Invalides – a military hospital which houses Napoleon’s tomb – over the weekend, where they met with some of the survivors of the terrorist attacks in November 2015 which saw 129 people killed.
Prince William told the survivors: “We think you are very strong and very brave, you’ve made amazing progress.”
Whilst meeting survivors of the attacks, Prince William and Duchess Catherine, 35, spoke to Jessica Bambal Akan, who was shot seven times during a birthday meal in the capital when the attacks took place.
The 25 year old was with three friends outside La Belle Equipe who all survived, but their friend Victor Munoz, who was inside the venue, was killed.
Jessica told the royals: “At first I didn’t want to talk about it because of all of the pain and grief. Now I want to say we are not only victims, we have lives, we have boyfriends, girlfriends, work.
“I want to speak about my friend who died to honour him, I want people to remember who he was. It’s been very difficult. I got through this because of my friends, my boyfriend, my family who helped me all the time.”
Another survivor who spoke to the royals was a man named only as Kevin, who was shot in the leg during the harrowing attack on the Bataclan theatre where rock band Eagles of Death Metal were playing a show.
He said after meeting with the pair: “It was a very positive experience because I was able to speak about what I went through. It feels very important to tell these stories and be listened to.”
Both Jessica and Kevin, as well as many others like them, still receive treatment at Les Invalides hospital.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Prince Charles has teamed up with chocolate manufacturers to help end deforestation.
The 68-year-old royal has joined forces with companies such as Mars, Nestle, and Ferrero to come up with a plan to make chocolate production greener, after environmental group The Mighty Earth warned that chocolate was “killing west African forests on a massive scale”, due to the cocoa needed to make the sweet treat.
Speaking at an industry reception at Spencer House in central London, the Prince of Wales said: “There are many reasons for this being, intrinsically, the right thing to do.
“I have for many years have been deeply committed to the protection of the world’s tropical rainforests. They play an absolutely crucial role, both globally, and locally, in climate change mitigation and adaptation.
“But perhaps the most powerful direct reason for action is that deforestation threatens to undermine the very resilience of the cocoa sector itself, and with it the livelihoods of the millions of smallholders who depend on it, due to the increased climate variability that follows forest loss.”
Chocolate manufacturers are expected to come up with a plan which includes tighter policing of rainforests, and use higher-yield crops which require less land.
The companies have promised to have finalised details of the plan by November, where it will be presented at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 23rd Conference of the Parties (COP 23) meeting in Bonn, Germany.
World Cocoa Foundation Chairman Barry Parkin said: “Today marks a crucial step forward because 12 leading World Cocoa Foundation member companies have agreed to work together, and in partnership with others, to tackle the challenge of deforestation in cocoa.
“We look forward to more companies joining the effort and are grateful for the leadership provided by The Prince of Wales in convening today’s landmark event.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Queen Elizabeth has made a personal donation to starving families in East Africa.
The 90-year-old royal has donated an unspecified amount to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s (DEC) East Africa Crisis Appeal, which aims to help the millions of people who face starvation in the east of the continent, where around 800,000 children aged between six months and five years need life saving treatment for their severe malnutrition.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson told the Daily Mail newspaper: “I can confirm that Her Majesty is making a personal donation to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s East Africa Crisis Appeal.”
The news comes after it was revealed Britain has pledged to match public donations to the cause of up to £5 million, in a bid to help the 16 million people who are “on the brink of starvation and in urgent need of food, water and medical treatment.”
The website for DEC’s appeal reads: “Hunger on a massive scale is looming across East Africa. If we don’t act now, it will get much worse.
“Drought and conflict have left 16 million people on the brink of starvation and in urgent need of food, water and medical treatment. People are already dying in South Sudan and Somalia.
“In Kenya, the government has declared a national emergency and Ethiopia is battling a new wave of drought following the strongest El Nino on record.
“Women, children and older people are suffering the most; more than 800,000 children under five are severely malnourished. Without immediate treatment, they are at risk of starving to death.
“DEC member charities are already delivering life-saving assistance in all affected countries. But, they need more money to help reduce the scale and severity of the crisis.
“Don’t delay. Donate.”
It is not the first time Queen Elizabeth has personally donated to a notable cause either, as she previously made similar donations to appeals to help rebuild the lives of people affected by the earthquakes in Italy and Nepal in previous years.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Prince Harry has met with a veteran who survived being set on fire.
The 32-year-old royal met with Private Karl Hinett at a Veterans’ Mental Heath conference on Thursday (16.03.17), as he made an impassioned speech which urged veterans to open up about their mental health, so as to be able to seek appropriate help.
Former serviceman Karl was just 19 years old when he almost lost his life during active service in 2005, after he was torched by a mob in a dramatic attack in Iraq.
The then teenager, from Dudley in the West Midlands, was inside a warrior tank which was attacked by rioters during a raid on a jail in Basra to free two undercover soldiers.
Whilst the four other soldiers in the tank escaped without serious injury, Karl was left with 37 per cent burns, and had to undergo five years of gruelling skin grafts and operations.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry attended the conference on behalf of mental heath campaign Heads Together, which he spearheads alongside his brother Prince William, and sister-in-law Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.
He said whilst at the conference: “It is incredibly difficult to talk about mental health in the armed forces. It is still a very difficult conversation.
“As a military person, once you put that uniform on during your training, you are taught to be invincible and not to let anybody down.
“However, a lot of individuals prefer turning to alcohol rather than a friend.”
And it isn’t the first time Harry – who previously served two tours of duty in Afghanistan – has talked about mental health in connection with the military as he previously drew on his own experiences to urge people not to face their mental health battles alone.
He said: “Stigma cannot and must not be the reason we shy away from equipping ourselves and our families for the day that a dark cloud may appear.
“I have seen the threat that this fear and stigma poses in my work with veterans and my former Army friends.
“Guys and girls in the armed services often need to think they are invincible.
“I know first-hand from my time as an Apache pilot that you do not want anyone to question your ability to cope with pressure and stress.”
“When you are called on to assist with a rescue mission in a dangerous situation, you want everyone to know you won’t be fazed by the challenge.
“Questioning can bring about doubt, when you know the training will kick in. We all consider ourselves at the top of our game and strive for perfection.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Queen Elizabeth has re-opened the National Army Museum.
The 90-year-old royal and her husband, Prince Philip, toured the visitor attraction in London on Thursday (16.03.17) after it recently completed extensive three-year redevelopments which cost the hefty sum of around £23.75 million.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip – who were greeted outside of the venue by their youngest son Prince Edward – were given the tour of the museum in advance of the attraction re-opening to the public later this month.
The National Army Museum was first founded in 1960 by Royal Charter and was established to collect, preserve, and exhibit objects and records relating to the land forces of the British crown.
Now, the museum – which is based in the London district of Chelsea – has been transformed into five galleries which each host a different theme.
The exhibitions include solider, army, battle, society, and insight, and provide a space to explore and discuss the British Army and its relevance to society.
One particular exhibit at the museum is Queen Elizabeth’s very own uniform from when she held the honorary commission of Brigadier in the Women’s Royal Army Corps (WRAC) from 1949 to 1953.
The museum acquired the uniform in 1993, after the WRAC disbanded in 1992.
During her visit to the National Army Museum, Queen Elizabeth also took the time to speak to donors inside the attraction’s café, before speaking to staff and volunteers outside who assist with the running of the museum.
The Queen also unveiled a commemorative plaque to mark her visit.
The National Army Museum will officially open its doors to the public once again on March 30, and admission to the attraction is free.

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