William, who became colonel of the regiment last year, wore camouflage gear and a beret as he joined live fire practice with soldiers from its 1st Battalion…reports Asian Lite News
The Prince of Wales has flown a drone and fired a sniper rifle during a training session with the Welsh Guards. The prince, a former army officer, also fired a machine gun during a visit to Salisbury Plain on Tuesday.
William, who became colonel of the regiment last year, wore camouflage gear and a beret as he joined live fire practice with soldiers from its 1st Battalion. Prince William holds a general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) during a visit to the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards at Salisbury Plain.
The prince fired a “full belt” of 200 machine gun rounds at a disused tank around 800m away, earning praise from the machine gun platoon commander, who said he “did well hitting the target”. The prince said afterwards he enjoyed flying the drone, weapons which have been much used on the battlefield in the war in Ukraine, by both Ukrainian defenders and invading Russian forces.
One of the regiment’s senior drone operators, asked about the prince’s reaction, said: “With the drones he was saying what’s happening is reality.”
The drone operator, who didn’t give his name, said the drones cost £7,000 each, calling them “a new bit of kit brought into a military context. “Drones have been a thing for years but now we’re utilising them as an asset on the ground and it’s proven successful in current affairs that’s actually happening now.”
The platoon commander described the royal visit as “very special”, adding: “The regiment has a long history with His Majesty the King, formerly the Prince of Wales, and now his royal highness. And so this is amazing morale for the guys especially when they’ve been doing a lot of ceremonial duties… and also on a visit like this… they can get hands on with him, show him how it’s done and I think that means a lot to them.”
It comes as separately a number of drones were seen over three air bases in Britain that are used by the United States Air Force on Tuesday – for the second time in less than a week.
The aircraft were previously spotted sometime between last Wednesday and Friday over the same three airbases – a highly unusual occurrence.
William’s visit comes less than a week after a fleet of drones was scrapped, along with warships and military helicopters, as part of a round of defence cuts.
Kate to take part in first state visit since cancer diagnosis
Princess Kate Middleton will be joining husband Prince William and other members of the royal family for an upcoming state visit to London by the Amir of Qatar.
The occasion will mark Kate’s most significant appearance of 2024 after she was diagnosed with cancer and underwent lengthy chemotherapy treatments.
Buckingham Palace made the announcement on Monday, November 25, that Kate, 42, will be alongside William, 42, to welcome the Amir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and his wife, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani, on the first day of their two-day official state visit to the United Kingdom on December 3.
Unfortunately for royal watchers, it doesn’t appear that they’ll be seeing the Princess of Wales decked out in a gown, tiara and royal jewels, as it’s understood she won’t be attending the glamorous state dinner held at Buckingham Palace for the visiting dignitaries.
Kate has been slowly stepping back into royal duties after announcing on September 9 that she had completed chemotherapy. She attended the Festival of Remembrance at Royal Albert Hall on November 9 and watched the Remembrance Day service from a balcony above the Cenotaph the following day.
The princess has been largely out of the spotlight for most of 2024. Kate underwent a “major abdominal surgery” in January, which required a lengthy recuperation period.
However, the royal was the victim of cruel “Where’s Kate?” questions and rumors about why she hadn’t been seen for several months.
Kate shared the heartbreaking news of her cancer diagnosis in a March 22 video, although she has not disclosed what type of the disease she has been battling.
“My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventive chemotherapy, and I am now in the early stages of that treatment,” Kate explained. “It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. But most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to [the kids] in a way that is appropriate for them and to reassure them that I’m going to be OK.”
“We hope that you’ll understand that as a family we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment,” she continued. “But for now, I must focus on making a full recovery.”
Kate’s first public appearance after the cancer news came as a welcome surprise, when she announced one day before the June 15 Trooping the Color that she would be in attendance. It also marked the princess’ first update on how her cancer treatments were going.
“I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days. On those bad days you feel weak, tired and you have to give in to your body resting,” she revealed.
Kate said that she was looking forward to attending the king’s birthday parade and hoped “to join a few public engagements over the summer,” while cautioning, “I am not out of the woods yet.”
The princess attended Trooping the Color looking stunning in a white upcycled Jenny Packham dress. She took a carriage ride with her three children she shares with William — Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — to Horse Guard’s Parade, followed by the royal family’s appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
Kate made a surprise appearance at the Wimbledon men’s finals in July, receiving a standing ovation as she arrived at the royal box to watch Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic square off. She later handed out the trophies as patron of the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club.
The princess shared a rare update on September 9, revealing, “As the summer comes to an end, I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment,” in a video that highlighted some sweet moments with William and their three children.
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