The Prince of Wales visits Estonia
Published 25/03/2025
The Prince of Wales was in Estonia from Thursday 20th March to Friday 21st March to visit the Mercian Regiment in his role as Colonel-in-Chief and to learn about how they are bolstering NATO’s eastern flank as part of Operation Cabrit.
Thursday 20th March
On his first day in Estonia, The Prince of Wales met the President of Estonia at the Presidential Office.
Following this, His Royal Highness visited The Freedom School, which was founded by the Ministry of Education and Research of Estonia in May 2022 to respond to the war in Ukraine.
The Prince met teachers from Ukraine to hear about their experiences at the school and how they have helped students settle in Tallinn and look after their mental wellbeing. His Royal Highness also joined a sports activity with pupils from the school and a Ukrainian language lesson.
The final engagement of the day saw The Prince attend a workshop with a range of renewable energy startups. The organisations are part of the Cleantech Association which is a business association representing the interests of cleantech companies in Estonia.
Through their work, they aim to increase the success of the companies and enhance the overall development of a sustainable economy through collaborative opportunities, keeping an open dialogue with policymakers, and building international connections.
During the visit, His Royal Highness heard from different energy and clean tech startups about how they are developing renewable energy and how Estonia is growing its energy security.
Friday 21st March
On arrival to Tapa Camp, The Prince met Estonian troops to hear about their experiences training at the base.
The Prince, as Colonel-in-Chief of the Mercian Regiment, visited the Parade Square where he engaged in a handover ceremony between The Royal Dragoon Guards and the Mercian Regiment to highlight a transfer of authority at Tapa camp.
His Royal Highness also saw a range of equipment the Mericans will train and operate with at Tapa Camp.
Later, The Prince visited the training area to hear how the Mercians are using different weapon systems and learning new training and operating techniques whilst in Estonia.
His Royal Highness also visited the Welfare team, who told him about the emotional and mental wellbeing support that is available to soldiers deployed in Tapa on Operation Cabrit.
Finally, The Prince met troops from the Mercian Regiment Battle Group and NATO partners at The Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI) shop and canteen. The space provides a relaxed and informal space for soldiers and other personnel on base to shop, eat food, socialise and play games.
