Latest news with #PrinceOfWales
Telegraph
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Prince of Wales hosts Palestinian aid workers
The Prince of Wales has hosted Palestinian aid workers, after revealing concern over suffering in the Middle East. The Prince met with representatives from the British Red Cross and Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) on Thursday. The ongoing conflict in Gaza, which is at the forefront of both charities' operations, is likely to have been a key topic of conversation. The Prince, who is increasingly positioning himself as a global statesman, has closely followed developments in Israel and Gaza since the Hamas terror attack on Oct 7 2023. A Kensington Palace spokesman said on Friday: 'The Prince of Wales continues to follow the humanitarian situation in the Middle East closely.' More than 1,600 staff and volunteers from the PRCS have been working to provide life-saving support in Gaza, distributing emergency relief items, and providing medical support to more than 100,000 people. In March, eight PRCS medics were killed while on duty in Gaza, and one of their colleagues is still missing. The charity has warned that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is 'unbearable' and rapidly deteriorating. In February 2024, the Prince called for an end to the fighting in a strongly-worded intervention that risked sparking a diplomatic rift with Israel. The Prince's statement was released as he met British Red Cross aid workers involved in the humanitarian effort and spoke to their colleagues working on the ground in the region. He explained that the violence had left him ' deeply moved as a father '. He warned that ' too many have been killed ', urging more humanitarian aid and the release of hostages as he called for 'an end to the fighting as soon as possible'. 'Brighter future' Invoking Sir Winston Churchill, he said: 'Even in the darkest hour, we must not succumb to the counsel of despair. I continue to cling to the hope that a brighter future can be found, and I refuse to give up on that.' His intervention was backed by No 10, which said the nation should speak with 'one voice'. The Prince previously joined a synagogue discussion with young campaigners against hatred, in the wake of a sharp rise in anti-Semitism caused by the ongoing violence. In October 2023, the Prince and Princess of Wales condemned Hamas's 'appalling terrorist attack upon Israel', warning that all Israelis and Palestinians would be 'stalked by grief, fear and anger' as 'Israel exercises its right of self defence'. The King condemned the 'barbaric acts of terrorism', and was said to be 'extremely concerned' about the conflict, asking to be kept abreast of developments. Later that month, the monarch, who is president of the British Red Cross, hosted representatives from five charities operating in the Middle East, including Gaza, to 'discuss the acute humanitarian situation'. He also held talks with Sir Ephraim Mirvis, the UK's chief rabbi, to discuss the impact on the Jewish population in the UK. The British Red Cross said at the time that the King had made a 'generous donation' to its Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territory fundraising appeal. In 2018, The Prince of Wales made a four-day visit to Israel and Palestine, expressing his own hopes for 'lasting peace' in the region. It was the first official trip by a member of the monarchy to Israel and the Occupied West Bank and, during his visit, he sat down for separate talks with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, and Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Prince of Wales leads fight against climate change
The Prince of Wales, as Founder of The Royal Foundation's United for Wildlife programme, attends a high-level roundtable entitled 'Nature's Guardians: On the Road to COP30 & Beyond' as part of London Climate Action Week.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Veteran Paralympic cycling champion says London 2012 inspired sports career
An armed forces veteran has hailed the London 2012 Games as his inspiration for becoming a four-time Paralympic cycling gold medallist as he was made an OBE. Jaco van Gass, from Sale, Greater Manchester, sustained life-changing injuries, including losing his left arm below the elbow, after being hit by a rocket-propelled grenade while serving in Afghanistan in 2009. He has since gone on to compete for Great Britain in cycling at countless international events, including at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Games where he won two gold medals in both the individual pursuit and mixed team sprint. The 38-year-old, who was born in South Africa, was made an OBE for his services to the sport by the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle on Wednesday after being recognised in the New Year Honours. Van Gass said he was in the middle of his armed forces resettlement when the Olympic and Paralympic Games were being hosted in London. He told the PA news agency: 'I actually lived in a in a flat right opposite one of the sports arenas – it was the shooting arena (in Woolwich). 'But I also had the privilege of being a torch bearer, so I was just immediately captured in the atmosphere and the buzz around the Olympics and the Paralympics. 'I then went and watched a few of the sports, and I was just blown away. It was just so incredible.' Van Gass said he was amazed by the professionalism and the standards of the Paralympic events in 2012 and that this 'keeps getting harder and better' in the subsequent Games. After missing out on the final team for the Rio 2016 Games, he went on win two gold and one bronze medal at Tokyo 2020 before successfully defending his titles and smashing his own world record in Paris last year. His victory in the C3 3000m individual pursuit event in Paris came just days after he collided with a car and was taken to hospital with head and knee injuries. Asked which of his gold medals stood out the most, Van Gass said: 'Coming away from Tokyo, everyone did say 'Can you actually back yourself up and do it again?' 'So between that, and knowing that we'd have crowds back, that was enough of a motivator for me to pursue Paris, and then to defend my title [and] better my world record. 'And then having my wife and family and friends in Paris, I would say that's probably the one that stands out for me the most, because that just felt like a full sense of completion.' Prior to joining the development team at British Cycling, he also competed at the inaugural Invictus Games, which was founded by the Duke of Sussex, in London in 2014. Asked how important the event had become for armed forces personnel, Van Gass said it gave competitors 'that lease of life to then continue being a better person'. He said: 'It gives everyone a reason to wake up in the morning and to train, it gives them a sense of fulfilment, it gives them a sense of being and belonging again. 'It's not a military environment, but it's it's got all those people that have served in the military, that have gone through trauma in different ways, and people can just relate. 'Suddenly, you see these people with big smiles on their faces and being able to talk to people that actually fully understand them.' Van Gass described being made an OBE as a 'great privilege', and said he spoke with William about whether he would compete at next year's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. 'I said if the hunger and the passion are still there, then we'll push on.' The cyclist advised any injured or disabled armed forces personnel to try as many sports as possible and to 'just go and enjoy it'. 'There was so many sports that I didn't think was possible with an injury and I was proven wrong. There's always a way to adapt around something,' he added.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Sir Gareth Southgate says England team have ‘broken down barriers to winning'
Sir Gareth Southgate has said the England team has 'broken down so many barriers to winning' as he received a knighthood for his services to football. The former manager, who led England to consecutive European Championship finals in 2020 and 2024 and the 2018 World Cup semi-finals, accepted the honour from the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle on Wednesday. He is the fourth England boss to be knighted, after Sir Walter Winterbottom, Sir Alf Ramsey and Sir Bobby Robson, and the only manager to lead the England men's team to two major tournament finals. Southgate said that managing his country for eight years was 'an amazing privilege' but admitted he was 'not missing that either', having resigned from the role following England's 2-1 final defeat to Spain in July last year. Reflecting on his spell in charge, he told the PA news agency: 'We've broken down so many barriers to winning. Ultimately we didn't quite get to where we wanted to, but we're in a great position now to take things forward.' Southgate was succeeded as England manager by Thomas Tuchel ahead of next year's World Cup, when it will be 60 years since the men's national side won their only major honour. Asked how he assessed the squad's chances heading into the tournament, Southgate said: 'What I learned doing the job is it's important that people on the outside respect the space inside, so best that I stay out of the way and let them get on with it. 'They're a brilliant group of players and staff to work with, and I wouldn't be here without everything they contributed and helped me with, so I hope they can go the next step.' Under Southgate, England ended their 55-year wait for a men's final at Euro 2020, delayed 12 months by Covid, before being agonisingly beaten on penalties by Italy at Wembley. A late defeat to Spain three years later again saw the side just miss out on silverware. Southgate took charge of 102 England matches in total to add to the 57 caps he won for the national team as a player between 1995 and 2004. He was recognised for his services to association football in the New Year Honours in December. Asked how it felt to be knighted, Southgate told PA he was 'more emotional than I thought I might be' and described it as an 'amazing honour'. He also paid tribute to William, who is president of the FA, as an 'amazing supporter' of both England and his favourite club Aston Villa, whom Southgate played for during his 16-year career. Southgate added: 'He's a genuine football fan and he was deeply passionate about the team doing well and how he might help as president of the FA and was I getting the right support when I needed it. So it was an immense backing to have. 'He kindly thanked me for what I'd done.' In an address at the University of London in March, Southgate spoke about how the belief and resilience gained throughout his career in football had 'picked me up when I've been down, grounded me in success and given me purpose amidst the noise of public life'. The former defender said he was 'enjoying exploring other areas' since stepping down as England manager last year, including through work supporting young men and raising awareness of the importance of role models. He added: 'I'm excited about the future. Obviously I've had 37 years in football, so it's a long time and I've enjoyed taking a step back and being involved in other things.'
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
CHRIS PLEASANCE goes inside Britain's biggest EVER warship - the Prince of Wales - as the floating airfield prepares to sail into China's back yard on 'international security' mission
The Prince of Wales has begun her maiden voyage into the Indo-Pacific in a daring venture into China 's backyard. Over the next eight months, the 280m aircraft carrier will be joined by allies from around the world as she patrols the region with a promise to help 'maintain international security and prosperity'. The vessel, which cost £3.5bn and took seven years to build, is the largest ship the Royal Navy has ever floated in its 479-year history, with a flight deck large enough to fit three football pitches and capable of carrying up to 70 F-35B stealth fighters. She docked in Singapore on Monday and will be accompanied by a Type 23 frigate, a Type 45 destroyer, an Astute class submarine, and other support vessels for the deployment, where she is expected to be shadowed by the Chinese Navy before heading down under for an Australia-led exercise next month. The deployment begins with around 2,500 military personnel, growing to more than 4,500 for some exercises. The behemoth Prince of Wales alone is able to carry a crew of up to 1,400 staff. The journey will end in Japan, where she is set to support the local authorities in developing Tokyo's F-35 capability. The vessel has already been through the Mediterranean and Suez Canal, and dodged the Houthis in Yemen. Ahead of her deployment - the first to the region since she was launched in 2018 - War on Tape got to go aboard while she was fitting out to experience what it is like on the vessel first-hand, and to find out what her role is on the high seas.
