Kate Middleton, Prince William, Prince Harry To Attend Somme Centenary Commemorations In France

Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry, along with senior members of the royal family will be travelling to France to join the upcoming Somme Centenary commemorative events.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, along with Prince Harry, are expected to arrive in France to join the evening events on Thursday, as well as the July 1 ceremonies to mark the centenary of the Battle of Somme, according to a statement posted on Royal.uk. Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, including the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, are also expected to join the commemorative events in France on Friday, July 1.

Somme Centenary events to be held in London and Canada will also be attended by members of the royal family. Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh will lead the evening vigil to be held on Thursday, June 30, at the Westminster Abbey, as stated in the same report. The National Commemorative Service to be held in Manchester on Friday will be attended by Prince Andrew. Meanwhile, the Princess Royal, Princess Anne, will attend the ceremonies in Canada scheduled from Wednesday, June 29, until Friday, July 1.

For Prince Harry, Prince William and Kate’s France visit, they will join the evening events on Thursday to be held at the monumental Thiepval Memorial. The memorial structure is where 70,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers without no known graves are commemorated, Independent stated. The said structure has been recently renovated and 0Thursday’s event will mark the first time that the memorial will be lit.

The memorial also offers a view of the killing fields where the first day of the bloody battle transpired on July 1, 1916. A military vigil will be held on Thursday, to be followed by a meeting that involves representatives of the countries who fought in the Battle of Somme.

The members of the royal family will also attend a service for the Somme Centenary commemoration to be held on Friday. They will be joined by hundreds of children chosen by ballot to attend the service, as well as around 10,000 members of the public. Prince Charles and Camilla will also attend ceremonies for Northern Irish victims of the Somme battle to be held at Ulster Tower, as well as events to commemorate the Canadian victims of the battle to be held at Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland.