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Prince William to visit Düsseldorf in August

The Local Germany
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Prince William to visit Düsseldorf in August
It is not yet known whether Prince William will be joined by his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, and their children George and Charlotte. Photo: DPA

Prince William is paying Düsseldorf a visit this month to honour the role of the British armed forces in Germany, and to celebrate the 70th birthday of North Rhine-Westphalia.

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Prince William is set to land in the North Rhine-Westphalia on August 23rd with a packed programme of events in tow.

Prince William will first honour the British 20th Armoured Brigade, stationed with the nearby Westfalen Garrison, meeting with soldiers and their families at a reception in the Düsseldorf NRW-Forum.

Later he will briefly meet Chancellor Angela Merkel before attending a ceremony celebrating 70 years since the state of North Rhine-Westphalia was established.

The state of North Rhine-Westphalia was founded by the British military on August 23rd 1946 while Allied forces occupied Germany in the wake of the Second World War.

The British military presence has remained strong in the region between then and now, having acted in both the Cold War and the reconstruction of the British Occupied Territory in Germany.

Britain and North Rhine-Westphalia still have very close ties. Not only do about 27,000 British citizens live in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, but also 1,400 British businesses, including BP and Vodafone, have established themselves there.

Excitement about the visit

This will be the Prince’s second official visit to Germany, after he attended the FIFA World Cup here in 2006.

“I am very glad that His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge is going to come to Düsseldorf," said British Ambassador to Germany Sir Sebastian Wood in a statement.

“We are celebrating... not only the historical connection, but also the current relationship between Germany and England... as partners on the international stage," Wood added.

Prince William has long been popular with royal family fans in Germany: 16 Cinemaxx cinemas broadcasted his royal wedding to Kate Middleton in 2011.

And his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, drew large crowds of enamoured Germans who followed her on her tour of Berlin last summer.

By Verity Middleton

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