Prince Harry and Meghan Markle paid a sombre visit to the Los Angeles National Cemetery on the UK's Remembrance Sunday (November 8) to lay flowers and a wreath.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who moved to Santa Barbara, California in July this year, visited the cemetery and placed flowers on the graves of two soldiers from Commonwealth countries, Australia and Canada.
Meghan picked the flowers herself from the garden of the couple’s home.
They also laid a wreath and shared a quiet moment of reflection at an obelisk in the cemetery which is inscribed with the words: “In Memory of the Men Who Offered Their Lives In Defence Of Their Country”.
"It was important to the duke and duchess to be able to personally recognise Remembrance in their own way, to pay tribute to those who have served and to those who gave their lives," read a statement from Harry and Meghan. "The couple laid flowers that the duchess picked from their garden at the gravesites of two commonwealth soldiers, one who had served in the Royal Australian Air Force and one from the Royal Canadian Artillery."
The couple also left a note with the wreath, which read: “To all of those who have served, and are serving. Thank you”.
Harry’s military career
The Prince, 36, spent 10 years in the British armed forces, joining in 2006 and rising to the rank of captain. He carried out two tours of Afghanistan in 2007 and again in 2012. Upon his return to civilian life, he was instrumental in setting up the Invictus Games, a sporting event for injured servicemen and women, with the first one held in 2014.
However, when Harry and Meghan announced their intention to step back as senior members of the British royal family in January this year, the duke was stripped of all his military appointments, including as Captain General Royal Marines, and would no longer officially represent the royal family at military engagements and ceremonies. He remains a patron of the Invictus Games, which were not held this year because of Covid-19.
'Wreath snub’ deepens rift with royal family
The personal visit to the cemetery comes after The Times reported that Harry's request to have a wreath laid on his behalf at the Cenotaph in London had been refused.
In a refusal said to have “deeply saddened” Harry, his wreath, which was made at the Royal British Legion headquarters in Kent, would not be used in the royal Remembrance events this year.
Recently speaking on the Declassified military podcast, Harry said: "Remembrance Day for me is a moment for respect and for hope. Respect for those who came before us and hope for a safer world. Even when we can't all be together, we always remember together."
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
match info
Southampton 2 (Ings 32' & pen 89') Tottenham Hotspur 5 (Son 45', 47', 64', & 73', Kane 82')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
Essentials
The flights
Etihad (etihad.ae) and flydubai (flydubai.com) fly direct to Baku three times a week from Dh1,250 return, including taxes.
The stay
A seven-night “Fundamental Detox” programme at the Chenot Palace (chenotpalace.com/en) costs from €3,000 (Dh13,197) per person, including taxes, accommodation, 3 medical consultations, 2 nutritional consultations, a detox diet, a body composition analysis, a bio-energetic check-up, four Chenot bio-energetic treatments, six Chenot energetic massages, six hydro-aromatherapy treatments, six phyto-mud treatments, six hydro-jet treatments and access to the gym, indoor pool, sauna and steam room. Additional tests and treatments cost extra.
