News
The Prince of Wales and Prince Harry visit a Prince's Trust project in Glasgow
20th April 2006
The Duke of Rothesay and Prince Harry met young people who have been helped by The Prince's Trust in the Govanhill area of Glasgow.
Prince Harry, who is now a Second Lieutenant in the Army, joined his father on a visit to see The Prince's Trust in action - Prince William visited a Trust project with The Prince of Wales in Merton, South London last year.
The Prince's Trust is celebrating its 30th Anniversary this year and has helped more than half a million young people get their lives working.
It was founded in 1976 by The Prince, known as the Duke of Rothesay in Scotland.
Prince Harry accepted a birthday cake from a graduate from The Prince‘s Trust Get Into Cooking programme on behalf of The Queen who is 80 today.
To celebrate the landmark birthday, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will host a dinner at Kew Palace tonight for members of the Royal Family.
Prince Harry and his father chatted to young people involved with the Prince's Trust projects, particularly members of the ShaRed Road Project, a Trust initiative which aims to bring together young people from the asylum seeker, refugee and indigenous communities in northern Glasgow.
The Prince tapped his foot in time to the music whilst members of the project performed a piece that will be part of their set list at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August.
Mohammed Sharif, 15, who is from Somalia but has lived in north Glasgow for two-and-a-half years, is part of the ShaRed Road Project.
He said: “Prince Harry was just asking about how long I have been doing my music and where I came from.
”Really I thought they were going to be serious but they were having a laugh and it was a lot of fun.”
The Prince and Prince Harry also met pensioner Margaret Garrity who, like The Queen, also turned 80 today.
Mrs Garrity, of Glasgow, presented a handcrafted glass plate to The Prince for him to pass on to The Queen.
The gift was gratefully received by The Prince who in turn presented her with a handwritten card from his mother.
During the visit The Prince officially launched The Prince's Trust's Make It Work initiative.
He said it was an “absolute pleasure” for him and his younger son to come to Scotland for the launch of the initiative, one of only three being created in the UK.
The Prince said: “All I can say is that it has been really good to meet some of the people involved in the Trust. It really doesn‘t seem like 30 years ago when I first started up the Trust and we are now able to help 40,000 people a year across the UK, and over 3,000 in Scotland.”
Earlier, The Prince visited the Gordon Highlanders Museum in Aberdeen, which he was officially reopening after a £1.2 million refurbishment.
The Prince was the last Colonel-in-Chief of the regiment, which was amalgamated in 1994, and he is also Patron of the museum.
Today The Prince thanked museum staff and members of the public for passing on their warm wishes to his mother.
“On this special 80th birthday of my mama I am most grateful to you for your kind wishes, which I shall certainly pass on this evening at dinner.”
Wearing a Gordon Highlanders kilt and tie, The Prince toured the museum, which contains interactive maps, First World War bunkers showing footage of life in the trenches and audio points.
“I was really brought up surrounded by Gordons - I spent more time in Scotland than anywhere else as a child and in many ways still do, so this part of the work is very special to me and my family,” he said.
He added that he had been taught to fish by a Gordon Highlander.
“All these very remarkable people were always there when I was young so again I have the particular special association and affection for the Gordons,” he said.
The Gordon Highlanders was raised in 1794 by the 4th Duke of Gordon and was the local regiment of the North East of Scotland.
In 1994 it was amalgamated to become part of the Highlanders.