On June 11, 2015, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II arrived at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff where she presented “…New Colours to The Royal Welsh Guard…”
For more information about today’s ceremony in Cardiff as well as to view photos please click here and here.
On Thursday, June 11, 2015, His Royal Highness Prince Harry of Wales attended the unveiling of the Bastion Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, England.
According to Kensington Palace during today’s event the popular prince:
“…paid tribute to British service personnel killed on combat operations in Afghanistan saying they ‘will forever be in our hearts’ as he unveiled a memorial to their sacrifice.
Dedicating the Bastion Memorial, inscribed with the 453 names of those killed, he said: ‘As we sit here amongst friends, we can take comfort in the knowledge that they gave their lives doing a job they loved, for a country they loved, and amongst mates who loved them dearly.’
He added: ‘Once this ceremony is ended and all the trappings of the day have been cleared away, this will become a place of pilgrimage, a quiet space for remembrance just as it was in Camp Bastion, all those miles away.’
The simple monument at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, bears the names of all the personnel who fell during the UK’s 13-year involvement in the conflict.
Its simple granite construction bears 12 name plates inscribed recording the fallen, and to its front is a great stone plinth topped with a shining cross made from old brass shell casings.
The name plates and cross were among several parts of the old memorial wall, itself built by British soldiers at Camp Bastion as the conflict raged on about them, now incorporated into the new memorial.
Inside its speckled stonework, though, and hidden from view is a heart-shaped diamond pendant placed there by the builders while the new memorial was being constructed.”
On Wednesday, June 10, 2015, Her Majesty Queen Maxima of the Netherlands attended the Kinderen Maken Muziek concert, an initiative of the Oranje Fonds, held at the Jaarbeurs in Utrecht.
Photo courtesy of RVD/HKH
On June 10, 2015, Their Imperial Highnesses Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako of Japan arrived at the National Museum of Nature in Science in Tokyo to view the exhibition, The Great Amazon.
The exhibition is the largest of its kind:
“…ever mounted and focuses mainly on the biodiversity of the Amazon Basin. Using fossils and preserved specimens, displays of live creatures, and stunning visual and audio content the exhibition introduces the mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, fish, insects, plants and fungi that inhabit the Amazon. The exhibition also showcases how the indigenous peoples of the Amazon have interacted with the plants and animals around them.”
Photo courtesy of Asahi Shimbun
On the occasion of World Ocean Day — June 8, 2015 — His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales launched the Out of the Blue photography competition in London, England.
Per a press release regarding to competition:
“[The Out of the Blue contest is a] great opportunity to showcase the value and importance of our blue planet is coming in November 2015. The Heads of Commonwealth Governments will meet together in Malta to discuss issues of critical global importance, such as the future of the planet’s Blue Economy – that is, the economic activity that is dependent on oceans, seas and coasts. A vast area of our global ocean lies within the jurisdiction of Commonwealth countries. More than half of Commonwealth countries are islands, to whom ocean matters are of vital importance. These global leaders therefore have critical decisions to make such as how best to ensure the future health and viability of the ocean.
Good pictures can tell stories in ways that words sometimes cannot. We hope that ‘Out of the Blue’ will inspire Commonwealth citizens to use photography to engage with the vast blue world around the Commonwealth, to celebrate its beauty, highlight its importance and alert global leaders to its vulnerability. By doing so, people of the Commonwealth can directly encourage global leaders to take positive action and adopt more of the solutions that we know are at hand to protect and use natural resources in a sustainable way.
The competition is open to all Commonwealth citizens (and all photographs must have been taken in a Commonwealth country). The winning photographs will be exhibited in Malta in November 2015 at the event of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting. The competition runs from 8th June until 6th September.”
If you are interested in entering the competition please click here and good luck! 🙂
On Wednesday, June 10, 2015, Their Imperial Majesties Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan attended a memorial service at Kannonzaki Park in Yokosuka in the Kanagawa Prefecture to commemorate the “…commercial vessel sailors..” who died during the Pacific Theater of World War II.
On the afternoon of Wednesday, June 10, 2015, Their Majesties King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain attended the 2015 Premio Príncipe de Viana de la Cultura held at the Monasterio de San Salvador de Leyre in Navarra, Spain.
The winner of the award went to writer, poet, and musicologist, Mr. Ramon Andres Gonzalez-Cobo.
The Royal Correspondent 