Britain's Prince Edward will visit Portsmouth, South East England, on Friday (18.07.08) to present the Queen's Colour award to a Royal Fleet Auxiliary organisation.
Edward, who is also known as the Earl of Wessex, will give the award to the fleet during a visit to the naval base in Portsmouth. It will be the first time it has been presented to a civilian organisation.
The prince will also pay tribute to the Largs Bay landing ship, a vessel partly responsible for the interception of more than half a tonne of cocaine on her first ever patrol in the Caribbean last Christmas.
The Queen's Colour - which measures precisely 44 inches by 36 inches - is a double folded silk White Ensign on which a crown and Royal Cypher have been embroidered, and comes complete with a gold and blue silk cord and gold tassels.
It is traditionally presented to members of the Royal Navy to represent battle honours or heroic deeds.
Earlier this week, the prince visited the GE Aircraft Engine Services plant in Wales' Nantgarw as part of his work with the Duke of Edinburgh award.
While there, he met children from nearby schools and unveiled a plaque at Aberdare's Dare Valley Country Park to commemorate the opening of a new outdoor activity there.
Edward is quoted by the WalesOnline website as saying: "I am delighted to have been invited here to view this excellent facility which I'm sure will benefit very many people in the years ahead."
Graham BartramJul 20th, 2008 - 02:43:07
The Queen's Colour for the RFA is based on the service's blue ensign, so is dark blue, not white as the article states. It has a Union Flag in the canton and a gold anchor in the lower fly. In the centre is the Royal Cypher surrounded by the Garter, ensigned (topped) by St. Edward's Crown.
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