The Duke of York marked the 20th anniversary of Falklands War with a return visit to the islands where he himself saw active service. His Royal Highness carried out a number of engagements to mark the conflict, in which Britain fought Argentina for sovereignty over the South Atlantic islands.
At the time of the hostilities the Duke was a young sub-lieutenant helicopter pilot, having joined the Royal Navy in 1979. During the war His Royal Highness served on HMS Invincible, flying on anti-submarine missions, casualty evacuations and as a missile decoy. Twenty years on, The Duke of York was one of over 200 British veterans who had travelled 8,000 miles from home to honour their fallen colleagues and recall their experiences.
The Duke flew to the islands from Chile on Friday, 8 November for the four-day visit. He was greeted on the main island of East Falkland by the Governor, Donald Lamont, and other representatives of the islands' 4,000-strong community. The islands are a UK Overseas Territory, and executive authority is exercised by the Governor on behalf of The Queen.
His Royal Highness arrived at Government House in the capital Stanley, which has a population of just under 2,000. There the Duke's first engagement was to present Duke of Edinburgh Awards to local young people.
The following day saw the first of the events to commemorate the war. His Royal Highness attended a morning service at the 1982 Liberation Monument near Government House. The Duke took a few moments for reflection at the monument and laid a wreath in memory of those who lost their lives. In total the conflict claimed the lives of 255 Britons, including three islanders, and 712 Argentine servicemen.
His Royal Highness went on to visit the local infant and junior school, where he opened a new extension building. He looked around the play area, classrooms, library and the special needs facility, meeting staff and children.
The Duke later arrived in combat dress and Royal Marine beret at the British cemetery at Blue Beach. The cemetery marks the spot where Lieutenant Colonel H. Jones is buried. He was killed leading his troops during the battle for Goose Green, and was later awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross. His Royal Highness laid a wreath of poppies at the memorial.
The Duke also visited the Argentine cemetery at Darwin, where he laid a wreath of red poppies, a white York rose and blue flowers. It bore the message “In memory of those who sacrificed their lives in 1982”. Over 200 simple wooden crosses mark the graves of Argentines, many unidentified. A dented helmet on one grave caught the attention of the Duke. It marked the resting place of one of the youngest to die, a soldier who was not yet 17 years old.
The Duke of York then visited Goose Green airstrip, scene of the fiercest period of fighting in the Falklands war. Nearby sheep shearing sheds enabled His Royal Highness to observe work in progress. Wool processing, along side fishing and offshore oil exploration, is one of the islands' main industries.
After lunch His Royal Highness departed by helicopter to the Fox Bay West settlement on the island of West Falkland, the other main island in the group. He visited the school to meet teachers and pupils and stayed for tea with the island's residents at their social club.
In the evening the Duke attended a reception at the Falkland Islands Defence Force Headquarters and a dinner hosted by the Legislative Council, the islands' local governing body.
On Sunday 10 November - Remembrance Sunday - the Duke attended a Service of Remembrance at Christ Church Cathedral, Stanley, where he read a lesson. After the service The Duke joined over 200 veterans at the Cross of Sacrifice in Stanley, where he laid a wreath of poppies on the steps.
The message read: 'In Memory of those who died in the South Atlantic and those members of the Staffordshire Regiment and Royal Irish Regiments who have died in the service of their Country. Andrew'.
After a Royal Salute a roll of honour of the fallen men was read out, and the last post sounded. After two minutes silence there was a reveille, preceded by a single gun shot.
In the afternoon the Duke took a helicopter to New Island, one of the richest wildlife reserves in the Falklands, which are renowned for birds and marine mammals, including five species of penguin. His Royal Highness visited an albatross, penguin and cormorant rookery. As Patron of the Falklands Conservation organisation, he opened the New Island Field Station. The Duke later returned to Stanley to attend a Falklands Conservation dinner.
On the final day of the visit - Monday 11 November - the Duke met personnel and civilians in the officers' mess at the headquarters of the British forces at Mount Pleasant. Around 2,000 servicemen and women are based in the islands. The Duke also visited the local school before flying back to the UK from the airstrip.
The Duke's trip began on 5 November in Montevideo, Uruguay, where the Duke was welcomed at the presidential residence by President Jorge Batlle.
The first official engagement took place at the Plaza Independencia in the centre of Montevideo, where the Duke laid a wreath of red blooms at the Statue of Artigas. The memorial marks the site of a mausoleum built in the 1970s for General Artigas, Uruguay's founding father, who liberated the country from the Spanish in the early 19th century. The memorial is continually guarded by colourful blandegues, a unit established by Artigas, who still wear their 19th-century military uniform.
His Royal Highness went on to attend a garden party hosted by the British Embassy, where he met members of the British and Commonwealth communities in Uruguay. Later the Duke attended the Laboratorio Tecnologico del Uruguay to open an exhibition of handicrafts created by local rural women. He was joined by Senora Mercedes Menafra de Batlle, the President's wife.
The final engagement was at Uruguay's British Schools, where the Duke was greeted by staff and children. A spectacular fireworks display was held to celebrate Guy Fawkes night.
On the following day, The Duke of York attended a Round Table meeting with representatives of UK companies in Uruguay at the British Embassy, before visiting the British Hospital in Montevideo.
Founded in 1857, the British Hospital started with only 13 beds. Nearly 150 years on, the hospital has become an established institution for the Uruguayan community, with a specialist bone marrow transplant unit and a staff of 560. The hospital also provides an essential service for the Falklands Islands, receiving emergency cases flown 400 miles across the sea.
The Duke, the fourth member of the Royal Family to visit the hospital, toured the Florence Nightingale wing. His Royal Highness chatted to staff as well as patients and their families.
The Duke of York then flew to Santiago, the capital of Chile. At the British ambassador's residence, His Royal Highness attended the launch of MG Rover in Chile. The Duke is Special Representative for International Trade and Investment for British Trade International, and carries out a large number of engagements supporting British companies trading abroad and in the UK.
Later in the evening, The Duke visited the Museo de Bellas Artes. There the Duke viewed the British Council's Still Life exhibition of contemporary British sculpture, photography and painting.
The following day The Duke of York flew north from Santiago to visit the Gemini observatory at Cerro Pachon, a remote location in the Chilean Andes. The Gemini project is an international astronomical partnership using two giant telescopes to view both the northern and southern skies. The other telescope is located in Hawaii.
Both sites are designed to offer clear weather and excellent atmospheric conditions for studying the universe, and the telescopes themselves are among the most technologically advanced in the world. Countries taking part in the project include Chile, the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, Argentina and Brazil.
Inside the huge domes, the Duke saw a choreographed telescope display and watched a video-link between the telescope in Hawaii, Gemini North, and the telescope in Chile, Gemini South.
Back in Santiago in the afternoon His Royal Highness attended a meeting hosted by the British Chilean Chamber of Commerce. The Duke called on the President of Chile, Ricardo Lagos Escobar, and attended a reception for members of the British and Chilean community at the Prince of Wales Club in La Moneda. He planted a tree alongside other trees planted by other members of the Royal Family over the last three decades.
The Duke's final engagement in Chile was a visit to the Chilean navy headquarters in Valparaiso. The Duke laid a wreath at the statue Heroes de Iquique, which commemorates a naval battle fought by Chile in 1879 in the War of the Pacific.
His Royal Highness also visited the nearby Escuela Naval or naval school. The Duke visited classes and spoke to Chileans studying there before flying off to the Falklands for the weekend of remembrance.
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