The Duke of Cambridge spends the day in Birmingham and Stourbridge
Published
The Duke visited a Children’s Hospice opened by his mother 30 years ago.
The Duke of Cambridge was visiting Birmingham and Stourbridge today. His Royal Highness’s first visit was at The Duke first arrived at The University of Birmingham to attend Skill Force UK’s Prince William Award Graduation Ceremony.
SkillForce, of which The Duke is Patron, is a national education charity, which teaches character and resilience in schools.
The Prince William Award scheme runs for a period of 36 weeks in schools across the UK, with workshops and community projects run by Skill Force Instructors – many are ex-servicemen and women.
The Duke made a speech at the graduation before meeting member of the students collecting their awards today:
I am so proud to be the Royal Patron of Skillforce, and proud to be here today at the inaugural graduation of The Prince William Award.
The Duke then visited the Acorns Children’s Hospice, a specialist care centre for life limited and life threatened children and their families
Opened by The Duke’s mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, thirty years ago – The Duke stopped by today to help celebrate their special anniversary.
The Duke of Cambridge then unveiled a statue of Major Frank Foley at Mary Stevens Park in Stourbridge. He is officially recognised as a British Hero of the Holocaust.
Before he retired locally, Major Foley was an MI6 officer, who worked undercover as a Passport Control Officer in the British Consulate in Berlin. Major Foley provided visas to those who feared persecution under Nazi racial laws and ultimately saved their lives by allowing them to exit the country.
It is estimated Major Foley saved the lives of over 10,000 people in from persecution in Germany during the 1920s and '30s. Major Foley retired in Stourbridge where he lived quietly for almost a decade – this new statue honours his legacy.
