Prince Harry's South Pole Hero's made its American broadcast on Wednesday at 8:00PM on NBC - four days following the conclusion of the original two-part broadcast in the United Kingdom on ITV. Unfortunately, this version was heavily edited to fit a one hour time slot, so there was likely some detail that was missing from the showing, but it was nevertheless a solid program to watch as it chronicled last year's 13-day expedition to the South Pole, of which Britain's (not just England's, Matt Lauer) Prince Harry took part.
As some of you may know, the expedition involved three teams organized by Walking with the Wounded, Soldier On, and Soldiers for Summits: a British team, an American team, and a joint team from Commonwealth of Nations members Canada and Australia. Each team consisted of wounded veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and headed by an expedition leader.
Prince Harry demonstrating pulling a sled before his first Antarctic trek.
Prince Harry lead the British team, being a two-time veteran of the Afghan war himself as a member of the British Army and a Patron of Walking with the Wounded. This was actually his second expedition to Antarctica, with the first one being in 2011. The purpose of the Virgin Money South Pole Challenge was to raise funds for the respective charities - WWTW in the UK, Soldier On in Canada and Australia, and Soldiers for Summits in the USA. It also raised awareness of the trials and tribulations faced by wounded soldiers, as well their determination to not allow their battle scars to hold them back from living as normal a life as possible. The funds raised were to benefit people like them who are in need of assistance on several fronts as they reintegrate themselves into civilian life. Wednesday night's program did a good job at highlighting the stories of American veterans who suffer from skin burns, blindness, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other injuries. Indeed, it was inspiring to learn about these wounded hero's, and how they overcame the adversity of their injuries to join this effort in Antarctica.
The program also showed the team members going to Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen in what probably was a once in a lifetime opportunity. As the Head of the Armed Forces of Britain, Canada, and Australia - as well as the mother and grandmother of servicemen - the Queen knows all too well about war and its consequences on others, and she seemed to take a genuine interest in the each of the team members.
As the program went on, we witnessed how the teams spent nearly two grueling weeks walking and pulling sleds through some of most hostile environments on Earth, characterized by a terrain of hard-packed snow and ice, temperatures dropping as low as -113ºF (-45ºC), and blustery wind conditions at times.
We see how the near-constant and extreme physical exertions take their toll on the veterans, and the harsh conditions provided more of a mountain to climb. Each of them had unique circumstances, such as a woman suffering from migraines due to her head injuries from a bomb blast, another veteran whose only guidance was hearing since he was blind, and there were some people were trekking with prosthetic body parts.
At times, team members had to be pulled out temporarily to receive advanced medical attention at the base camp, including Prince Harry himself, who suffered a headache that increasingly got worse by the day as the conditions bore down on him. Fortunately, all of these expedition members returned in relatively short order - the Prince was back within 36 hours - and what we witnessed was the spirit of determination from people who have been through more in 20-30 years than what most of us will go through in a lifetime of 70-80 years. One veteran whose knees were heavily reconstructed said that the South Pole journey was just another step in his recovery to being the man he once was. Indeed, as the expedition continued, many of the veterans gained confidence in themselves as they became used to the conditions and kept a positive head. The turning point of the expedition came at the end of stage one - about one-third of the way through - at which it was decided to abandon the race and combine the teams to make the rest of the journey together. Some members were disappointed at this, but others - Prince Harry among them - took the philosophical view that getting to the Pole and making the effort together was bigger and more important than the competitive aspect, which indeed it was. Finally, the 200 mile trek ended came as the combined teams triumphantly reached the South Pole on December 13, 2013. The long journey was indeed a story of perseverance and of overcoming obstacles, and it was clear that the veterans came out the expedition for the better with renewed confidence about themselves and their lives going forward.
Prince Harry meeting a wounded American veteran last year at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
Prince Harry's participation was a good way of getting attention drawn toward the veterans who need help. He made remarks about serving with these people on the battlefield and of now recovering with them, so for him, this was a part of his military service and a commitment to his fellow comrades in arms. The only real disappointment about the program was that it did not extensively profile the non-American team members, save for Prince Harry. This is understandable since this was aired in America, and only had a one-hour time slot (in contrast to two hours for the British broadcast). However, all veterans are important, and it would have been good for Americans to know of the sacrifices made by soldiers from other nations that have fought alongside us, and the trials and tribulations they face. Aside from that, it was a nice program and any person who watched it ought to have had a greater appreciation for the work of the our allied armed forces.
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh hosted a dinner at Sandringham
House for the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust. The Trust is committed to improving the biodiversity of the British countryside via the development of helpful game and wildlife management techniques, and the Duke
is a Life Member and Patron.
HRH The Earl of Wessex
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex carried out two engagements in London his role as Trustee of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. At St. James's Palace, he welcomed young people to celebrate their
achievement of the Gold Standard in the Award. He also attended a
Young Fellowship Dinner at Spencer House. Young Fellowship is a network of young people affiliated with World Fellowship, which aims to sustain the work of the D of E International Awards. Princess Anne, Princess Royal is attending the 2014 Olympic Winter
Games in Sochi, Russia all week, and will be carrying out other engagements in Russia on behalf of the UK Government and organizations which she supports. Anne is a member of the
International Olympic Committee and President of the British Olympic
Association.
Tuesday, February 11th
BBC HQ at Broadcasting House
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall are visiting three broadcasters in London to understand how they are contributing to the efforts of the Prince's Trust. They will tour the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) at the recently-built extension of its headquarters, Broadcasting House, at Portland Place, as well as Global Radio at Leicester Square and Bauer Media at Mappin House. Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, as Patron of the
National Portrait Gallery, will be attending the Gallery's 2014 Portrait
Gala. She will meet guests, as well as view donated portraits that will raise funds for the Gallery to purchase more portraits for its already vast collection, as well as to deliver exhibitions, and learning/research opportunities. This will be her first official public engagement of the year.
Princess Anne, Princess Royal will visit the
Russian International Olympic University in Sochi and will attend a reception at the British Embassy in Moscow.
HRH Princess Alexandra at left
Princess Alexandra will hold the annual Child Protection Dinner at Buckingham Palace as the Royal Patron of Children and Families Across Borders, which aims to assist children who have been separated from their families via divorce, war, asylum, abduction, and other desperate circumstances.
Wednesday, February 12th
HRH The Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, as Admiral of the Fleet, will be at Clarence House to present Operational Service Medals to members of the 847 Naval Air Squadron who served in Afghanistan, and they and their families will be entertained by the Prince at the State Apartments of St. James's Palace.
Sophie, Countess of Wessex will be in London to visit a clinic at St. Thomas Hospital that is operated by the Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Association (DEBRA), which provides assistance and support for individuals and families affected by Epidermolysis Bullosa, a potentially painful genetic skin blistering condition. The Countess is Patron of the charity. She will also be promoting the Duke of Edinburgh's Award as Chairman of Women in Business by attending a meeting at the Award's office in London.
HRH The Princess Royal
Princess Anne, Princess Royal will be Moscow, Russia to lay a wreath at the Eternal Flame by the Kremlin Wall, visit St. Andrew's Church, tour the Jaguar Land Rover showroom, and visit the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center. At the British Embassy, she will unveil a memorial commemorating the First World War, as well as attend a reception and dinner to launch the Bilateral Year of
Culture.
Thursday, February 13th
HRH The Duchess of Cornwall
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall will be carrying out engagements in the county of Surrey. At Woking, she will pay a visit to HM Prison Coldingley to meet prisoners who have been taking part in schemes
to improve literacy, and literacy improvement is cause that is close the Duchess. In Guildford, she will tour the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Center (RASASC), as well as officially open the Anniversary Halls at St. Catherine's School.
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex will be in London and the county of Kent to carry out his engagements for the day.
At the Royal Festival Hall in London, the Earl will attend the Chetham School of Music's Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Choir in his role as the School's Patron. He will also visit the Woodlands Children's Center at Gilbert Scott Primary School and the Turnaround Center in the Croydon section of London.
Traveling to Kent, Prince Edward will open a new school building at the Langley Park School for Boys in Beckenham.
HRH The Countess of Wessex
Sophie, Countess of Wessex is going to be in Oxfordshire on Thursday for three engagements. At Dorchester-on-Thames, she will visit Parents and Children Together at Dorchester Abbey and bury a time capsule on the Abbey's grounds. In Headington, she will formally open the Highfield Unit, a facility of the National Health Service (NHS) that provides inpatient services for young persons (aged 11-18) with acute mental needs. The Countess will go to Oxford to visit the town's Food Bank in Curtis Yard.
Princess Anne, Princess Royal will continue her tour of Russia by carrying out engagements in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
She will visit the Clinical and
Research Institute of Children's Emergency Surgery and Trauma at the Moscow
Public Health Department, as well as tour the Living Thread Hippotherapy Center at the Central Moscow
Hippodrome.
In St. Petersburg, Princess Anne will visit SPB Renovation, a company that is overseeing the upgrading and construction of housing in the city 8, and later attend a reception at the British Consulate-General. That night, she will attend a dinner at the Old Customs House Restaurant.
Friday, February 14th
HRH The Duchess of Cambridge
On Valentine's Day, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge will visit Northolt High School in
Ealing, London to open the school's ICAP Art Room. She is Royal Patron of the Art Room, a children's charity that focuses on using art to help children with emotional and behavioral difficulties, and the Duchess will witness how this approach works.
TRH The Earl and Countess of Wessex
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex will be in London to attend two functions in his position as Master of the Worshipful Company of Gardeners. Along with Sophie, Countess of Wessex, he will attend lunch at the Old Bailey and a Ladies Banquet at Mansion House.
Princess Anne, Princess Royal will be in St. Petersburg for her last day of engagements in Russia before returning home to the United Kingdom.
She will tour the Cathedral of
St. Peter and St. Paul and the St. Petersburg Mint, lay a wreath at the Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery, pay a visit to the Anglo-American School, tour the icebreaker Krasin, visit the Hermitage Museum, and open the new Tensar Factory in Petrodvorets. Saturday, February 15th
HRH Prince Harry of Wales
Prince Harry will be in Chichester, West Sussex to visit the Goodwood Motor Circuit for a Track
Day organized by the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of
Cambridge and Prince Harry. The Prince will meet injured service personnel and view an exhibition of the Royal
Foundation’s Endeavor Fund projects, which aim to assist said wounded personnel. At the Goodwood Aerodrome of the Boultbee Flying Academy, he is also launching a scholarship for wounded former servicemen and women, as well as viewing a Spitfire plane that was used in the Battle of Britain and meeting Royal Air Force pilots who helped to defend the country during that Battle.
Having looked back into the exciting year of 2013, now it’s time
to peer forward into what the future holds for the monarchy in this year of
2014.
While the occasions of this year will not likely have the
same international reach as the ones in the last three years (Royal Wedding in
2011, Diamond Jubilee in 2012, and Prince George’s birth in 2013), it will
nonetheless prove to be eventful and fascinating, with perhaps a few surprises
along the way.
Zara Tindall
Starting the year off, Zara (Phillips) Tindall and her
husband Mike are expected to welcome their first child sometime this month.
Zara is the only daughter of Princess Anne, as well as the Queen’s eldest
granddaughter and second-eldest grandchild. Her baby will be the Queen’s fourth
great-grandchild, 16th in the line of succession to the Commonwealth
realms (including the United Kingdom), and almost doubtless will be a playmate
for cousin Prince George, as well as Savannah and Isla Phillips – the children
of Zara’s elder brother Peter.
On February 6th, Elizabeth II will have been on
the throne for 62 years, and she will likely observe the date of her succession
in
The Queen is usually at Sandringham on February 6th, where her father passed away in 1952.
private, with no special public engagements being planned for that day. It
is hard-pressed to call this moment a celebration, because it must be
remembered that Elizabeth lost her beloved father George VI on the same day.
Thus is the paradox regarding succession: the heir must lose the person most
dear to him or her in order to gain the throne. For the Queen, this was the day on which she assumed a solemn duty with great responsibility. Nonetheless, this moment will also be a celebration in the sense that it marks the continuity of the monarchy and the stability it provides.
In April, the Queen will welcome Michael D. Higgins, the
President of the Republic of Ireland to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland for a three-day state visit – the first ever for an Irish
president.
Nearly three years ago, the Queen made history by becoming
the first British monarch to make a state visit to the Republic of Ireland
since that country gained its independence from the United Kingdom. The last
time a monarch stepped foot in Dublin was George V – the Queen’s grandfather –
in 1911 during his coronation year, when all of Ireland was part of the UK.
This year’s return visit by President Higgins, who will stay
at Windsor Castle, will be seen as symbolizing the furthering and deepening of
positive relations between the UK and Ireland.
William and Kate during their successful tour of Canada in 2011.
Commonwealth realms of
Australia and New Zealand. It is a highly-anticipated journey, and if (as
expected) Prince George come along, it will be his first overseas visit. This will also be the first time that Kate
has visited either country, and will echo a similar tour taken by Prince
Charles and Diana, when they brought a nine-month old Prince William to those
same countries in 1983. As the future King and Queen of Australia and New
Zealand, William and Kate are expected to represent the reigning Queen at
official functions and carry out engagements on their own behalf. Royal visits
Down Under tend to be popular – so popular that one Australian anti-monarchist
bitterly complained that every time the Queen or another member of the royal
family does visit, the republican cause gets set back by 20 years.
In July, the Queen will open the 2014 Commonwealth Games in
Glasgow. Last year, she placed her message to Commonwealth athletes into a baton at Buckingham Palace, which began a journey across the Commonwealth
called the Queen’s Baton Relay, much like the Olympic Torch Relay. This year,
the Baton will arrive in Scotland, where it will make its way to the Opening
Ceremony and the Queen will read the message.
Following the closing ceremony of the Games, she is expected
to attend a World War I Commonwealth memorial service at Glasgow Cathedral on
August 3rd. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the
start of WWI, and the Queen and other members of the royal family are likely to
take part in events that will observe this centennial.
The Queen and Prince Philip arriving at a State Opening of Parliament
In addition to these special occasions, there are to be the traditional
annual events, including the Maundy Thursday Service in April, the State
Opening of Parliament and Chelsea Flower Show in May, Trooping the Color and
Garter Day in June, Holyrood Week and Thistle Service in June or July, the
Remembrance services in November, and the Christmas broadcast in December.
There will also be numerous receptions and garden parties, as well as
investitures and military ceremonies over which the Queen (or other members of
her family) will preside.
The Earl and Countess of Wessex
The
royal family will also be carrying out several engagements throughout the UK
and around the world on behalf of organizations and charities they support. In particular,
the Earl and Countess of Wessex will be traveling to the United States,
Jamaica, and Barbados to promote the work of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in
those countries.
Occasions of personal significance for members of the
royal family will also be marked in 2014, including four milestone birthdays:
March 10th - Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex will celebrate his 50th birthday.
July 22nd - Prince George of Cambridge will celebrate his first birthday.
September 15th - Prince Harry of Wales will celebrate his 30th birthday.
August 25th - Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester will celebrate his 70th birthday.
and two red-letter wedding anniversaries:
June 19th - The Earl and Countess of Wessex will mark their 15th anniversary.
September 12th - Lord and Lady Frederick Windsor will mark their 5th anniversary.
The year may also be significant for Prince Harry. As the
Queen and Duke of Edinburgh are expected to cut back on official engagements,
he may be called on take up for them, and following his successful year in 2013
with overseas visits to the United States and Australia, it will not be surprising
to see more of him on the royal circuit.
Captain Harry Wales
2014 also marks Harry’s eighth year in the British Army,
which means that he will be eligible for promotion to the rank of Major.
According to the Ministry of Defense’s website, such a promotion may take place
in a window of 8-10 years of military service, and for nearly three years,
Harry has been a Captain in the Blues and Royals regiment, of which Princess
Anne is Colonel and the Queen is Colonel-in-Chief.
Then
there are the rumors about his ongoing relationship with Cressida Bonas. Gossip
hounds and tabloid newspaper/magazine editors are foaming at the mouth
believing that the Prince will be at least engaged to Bonas sometime this year.
As I have said before, I do not believe there will be a wedding or engagement
involving Prince Harry this year, but if his relationship with Bonas does continue
through the year, and if they are seen together at public engagements, then
there may be something to say about an engagement and/or marriage in 2015. If
anything, 2014 may be the year that Princess Beatrice has the question popped to her by
long-time boyfriend Dave Clark.
Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
In the final analysis, the year of 2014 - from the observance of the Queen's 62 years on the throne to the journey Down Under for William and Kate - appears to be another exciting year for the monarchy, though it will likely come and go without the live global coverage that has been associated with the royal events that have occurred in the last couple of years.
Cynics tend to say the monarchy is, at its base nature, simply a self-perpetuating institution with no relevance to our times. I would argue that it is the self-perpetuating nature of the monarchy that makes it interesting to observe. It is interesting to watch how different occupants on the throne have brought their own style to the monarchy while also being mindful of long-established traditions. In the 21st Century, it is even more fascinating to witness how the monarchy works in our information age. It has shown itself to be flexible and durable over the centuries, and I believe that it will continue to exhibit these traits in 2014 and beyond.
Charles and Camilla visiting a synagogue in Budapest, Hungary in 2010.
The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall
continued to increase their profile as future king and queen. Their appearance
alongside the Queen at the State Opening of Parliament in May was a clear sign
that Charles is indeed her heir, and that there is no chance of him renouncing
his right to the throne. This comes at a time when more of the Queen’s
ceremonial functions, such as conducting investitures and meeting foreign
dignitaries, are being carried out by the Prince in her stead – creating an
unofficial co-regency of sorts.
In the spring, Charles and Camilla represented the Queen at
the inauguration of the Dutch king,
Willem-Alexander, as well as at the enthronement of the 105th Archbishop
of Canterbury, Justin Welby. In the fall, he and the Duchess took a
nine-day tour of India, where they were warmly received by the people of the
Commonwealth’s largest country which was once the jewel in the crown of the old
British Empire, and it was here where Prince Charles celebrated his 65th
birthday on November 14th, which means that he will be oldest person to accede
to the throne whenever that day should come.
In Sri Lanka, he again stood in for his mother as Head of
the Commonwealth when he opened and attended the Commonwealth Heads of
Government Meeting (CHOGM). As heading up the 53-member Commonwealth of Nations
is not a hereditary position, the appearance at CHOGM may have represented the
Prince’s attempt to convince Commonwealth leaders that he ought to succeed to
the title held by his mother for 61 years.
On top of all this is the Prince carrying out his own
activities and engagements, sometimes on the behalf of the charities,
foundations, and trusts he has created over the years, and he has kept himself
busy by attending to his wide variety of causes, including the environment,
urban regeneration, architecture, and protection of the British countryside.
As for the Duchess of Cornwall, she has been coming into her
own as an integral part of the royal family. She has been conducting engagements
on her own with ease, and has developed a passionate interest in causes such as
literacy and arthritis research. In
the time she has been married to Prince Charles, Camilla has earned the respect
and affection the people through her own brand of regal warmth and openness.
She is not a replacement for Diana - no one can replace her, not even the
Duchess of Cambridge - but she is certainly showing that she is worthy of being
the nation’s next Queen.
Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince
George
William and Kate riding in a carriage procession during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations last year.
It can be fair to
say that the Duchess of Cambridge was probably the most-photographed woman in 2013. The media attention to her pregnancy, as well as what she wore and how
she looked during the pregnancy was unrelenting and frankly nauseating.
Nevertheless, Kate took it in stride and gracefully carried on with her duties
and responsibilities as a member of the royal family. Among other things, she became
volunteer leader with the Scout Association in North Wales, and expanded her patronages
to include the Natural History Museum and SportsAid, a charity that helps to
provide financial assistance for aspiring young athletes.
Meanwhile, Prince
William continued to carry out his duties as a Royal Air Force search-and-rescue pilot in
Anglesey, Wales, and also took on greater amounts of royal workload. He and
Kate visited Scotland, where they teamed up with Prince Charles for a joint
engagement, and took part in activities leading up to the 2014 Commonwealth
Games being held in Glasgow. Along with Prince Harry, they also toured the
Harry Potter film set at Leavesden Studios. In November, Prince William took part in a sing-a-long of Livin' On a Prayer with Taylor Swift and Bon Jovi.
But of course, the
highlight for William and Kate was the birth of their first child, Prince
George of Cambridge on July 22, 2013, which was a joyous moment for them, the
royal family, the British nation, and the world. From the time that birth was
announced,
The world's first look at Prince George.
there were expressions of celebration and happiness for the newest
member of the royal family and the future king of the Commonwealth realms. Amid
all of the fanfare surrounding the occasion, it is difficult to remember that
George is a baby not unlike many others born that day and that William and Kate,
though not ordinary parents, will face challenges in raising George like most
other parents. Of course, George will grow up under an intrusive media
spotlight, but then again, it is clear that his parents want him to live as
normal a life as possible. This is probably why the first official photograph
was taken by Michael Middleton, Kate’s father, at the Middleton family home in Bucklebury,
Berkshire – as opposed to a professional photographer at the Palace.
In October, the
little prince was baptized into the Anglican Church inside the Chapel Royal at
St. James’ Palace by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury. Wearing the replica
of the christening gown worn by every royal baby since Queen Victoria’s first
child, Victoria in 1840, Prince George was said to have gone through the brief
ceremony without a hitch. Afterward, professional photographs were taken at
Clarence House with George and members of his immediate family, including his
uncles, aunt, parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. Importantly, for
the first time since Queen Victoria in over a century, there is a photograph featuring the
reigning monarch and three generations of heirs in direct succession.
With the birth of
Prince George and the increasing royal workload resulting from the Queen and
Duke of Edinburgh cutting back engagements, Prince William decided to leave
active duty in the Armed Forces at the end of his commitment for the
search-and-rescue job – having been involved in the rescue of 149 people. In
October, he stood in for the Queen at an investiture in which he knighted two
people, and made tennis player Andy Murray an Officer in the Order of the
British Empire (OBE). William, Kate, and
George have since taken up residence in Apartment 1A in Kensington Palace
(which formerly belonged to Princess Margaret) as they begin their lives in transition to becoming full-time working members of the royal family.
In the coming year,
it has been announced that they will be taking a tour of Australia and New
Zealand in April, and they are expected to expand their charitable activities.
Prince Harry
Prince Harry meeting U.S. Senator John McCain of Arizona
At the beginning of
the year, Prince Harry returned from his 20-week tour of duty in Afghanistan,
and was criticized for comparing life on the battlefield to the war games he
played on the X-Box game console and for saying that to save a life, sometimes
another life has to be taken.
This came on the
heels of the Prince’s nude romp in Las Vegas during the previous summer, and
raised questions about his judgement (with Harry admitting that he was probably being "too much army, and not enough prince"). It also
sparked some debate over the issue of royal finances, and whether the taxpayer
should continue to fund the activities of the monarchy.
However, the rest
of the year was bright for Prince Harry as he proved his worth as a member of
the royal family and as an individual.
In May, he visited
the United States for a week to conduct engagements on the behalf of his
charities and of the UK government.
It was a packed
week in which Prince Harry toured an exhibition on landmine clearance - a cause championed by his mother, Diana - in
the U.S. Capitol Building with fellow military veteran, Senator John McCain and visited the White House,
where First Lady Michelle Obama was hosting a Joining Forces Mother's Day Tea
to honor military mothers. He also paid his respects to the military dead at
Arlington National Cemetery and visited the Walter Reed National Military
Medical Center to meet wounded veterans going under recovery and
rehabilitation.
He then traveled to Colorado Springs, where he opened the
2013 Warrior Games at the US Air Force Academy. The Games were created as a way
help injured service members recover and to introduce them to Paralympic sports
and one of its partners is the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of
Cambridge and Prince Harry. In addition to opening the games, the Prince took
part in a volleyball match with the British team.
In Colorado, the Prince played sit-down volleyball with wounded veterans.
Flying back to the East Coast, he teamed up with UK Prime
Minister David Cameron in New York City at an event to promote the GREAT
campaign, which aims to boost trade and investment in the United Kingdom. Harry
then visited Harlem, where he played baseball (at hit a home run) with a local
community sports program that is in partnership with the Royal Foundation.
In New Jersey, he toured the hard-hit areas of the Jersey
Shore that had been affected by Hurricane Sandy in the previous year, and
commented on the rebuilding projects by saying: “It’s the American spirit,
isn’t it? Everyone getting together and making things right. It’s fantastic.”
Accompanied by Governor Chris Christie, Prince Harry walked along the Atlantic
City Boardwalk and tried his hand at a few carnival games.
At the end of the US tour, he played a game of polo in
Greenwich, Connecticut to raise funds for his charity Sentebale, and expressed
his appreciation for “a wonderful week” and “the extraordinary generosity of
the people of this great nation.”
In October, he attended the International Fleet Review
during his first official visit to Australia. There, he represented the Queen
of Australia and took the salute of the fleet review, which consisted of 40
warships from 17 countries, and which was held to commemorate 100 years since
the arrival of the Royal Australian Navy's first modern warships in Sydney. During
the two-visit, he was greeted by enthusiastic crowds, but also faced a joke
about republicanism from Australia’s pro-monarchy prime minister, Tony Abbot,
who regretted that “not every Australian is a monarchist. But today everyone
feels like a monarchist.” He also said: “You grace us as your family has graced
our nation from its beginning, as the crown is a symbol of our stability,
continuity and decency in public life.”
Toward the end of the year, Harry took part in Walking with
the Wounded, an event in which four teams of wounded and disabled veterans
would race to the South Pole in Antarctica. Prince Harry was Patron of the
expedition and joined one of those teams on the 125 mile trek, which ceased to
be a race as weather conditions deteriorated. Nonetheless, the journey
continued as a joint effort among the teams, and they reached the South Pole after
four weeks on Friday, December 13th, with Harry becoming the first
member of the royal family to reach that location.
Throughout the year, speculation was rife about Prince
Harry’s relationship with Cressida Bonas, a granddaughter of Edward Curzon, 8th
Earl Howe. The couple are said to be “serious”, and the gossip hounds and
newspaper editors are looking forward to another royal wedding, or at least an
engagement in 2014. Personally, I do not believe either will happen for a
simple reason: they have not been together for long time. The royal family has
already witnessed what can happen when a marriage takes place in the modern age
when the couple does not have firm foundations, so Harry and Cressida will
probably be wise to wait it out for at least another year to firmly establish
their roots, and to give Cressida time to contemplate the realities of being
royal.
