This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/dec/26/prince-charles-british-troops-christmas
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Prince Charles pays tribute to British troops in Christmas message | Prince Charles pays tribute to British troops in Christmas message |
| (30 days later) | |
| The Prince of Wales has paid tribute to British forces fighting in Afghanistan in a Christmas radio broadcast to troops serving overseas. | The Prince of Wales has paid tribute to British forces fighting in Afghanistan in a Christmas radio broadcast to troops serving overseas. |
| Charles thanked the servicemen and women for their relentless courage and said the nation owed them "an everlasting debt of gratitude". | Charles thanked the servicemen and women for their relentless courage and said the nation owed them "an everlasting debt of gratitude". |
| In his message, recorded last week at St James's Palace, the prince said all those stationed abroad were in his thoughts and prayers. | In his message, recorded last week at St James's Palace, the prince said all those stationed abroad were in his thoughts and prayers. |
| "I also wanted to pay tribute to the extraordinary contribution made by those of you who belong to our armed forces, in all sorts of different parts of the world," he said. "Nowhere is your fortitude and relentless courage more clearly on display than in Afghanistan, where your resilience, patience and determination to see the job through – usually in impossibly difficult conditions and circumstances – is, quite simply, humbling." | "I also wanted to pay tribute to the extraordinary contribution made by those of you who belong to our armed forces, in all sorts of different parts of the world," he said. "Nowhere is your fortitude and relentless courage more clearly on display than in Afghanistan, where your resilience, patience and determination to see the job through – usually in impossibly difficult conditions and circumstances – is, quite simply, humbling." |
| He joked about receiving a letter from his son Prince Harry, an Apache helicopter co-pilot gunner serving with the army air corps, who has been stationed at Camp Bastion since September. | He joked about receiving a letter from his son Prince Harry, an Apache helicopter co-pilot gunner serving with the army air corps, who has been stationed at Camp Bastion since September. |
| Christmas broadcasts to British troops serving abroad have been made by the Queen in the past. Her last message was recorded in 2006. | Christmas broadcasts to British troops serving abroad have been made by the Queen in the past. Her last message was recorded in 2006. |
| Charles's words of support for the servicemen and women were aired on the British Forces Broadcasting Service radio at 11am on Wednesday on the Total Ops Connection programme broadcast across the world from Camp Bastion. | Charles's words of support for the servicemen and women were aired on the British Forces Broadcasting Service radio at 11am on Wednesday on the Total Ops Connection programme broadcast across the world from Camp Bastion. |
| The prince is colonel-in-chief of four military units that have troops serving in Afghanistan, and he said he knew about the hardships troops faced because of the regular reports from his units – and the occasional contact with Harry. | The prince is colonel-in-chief of four military units that have troops serving in Afghanistan, and he said he knew about the hardships troops faced because of the regular reports from his units – and the occasional contact with Harry. |
| "I am well aware of the discomfort and privations you all endure with seemingly endless reserves of good humour. In addition to the intense heat and dust of the summer and the freezing winters, you face the constant, terrifying threat of IEDs [improvised explosive devices], attacks from rockets, grenades and small arms fire almost every day – and sometimes these attacks come from infiltrators hidden among those who are supposed to be working alongside you as allies. | "I am well aware of the discomfort and privations you all endure with seemingly endless reserves of good humour. In addition to the intense heat and dust of the summer and the freezing winters, you face the constant, terrifying threat of IEDs [improvised explosive devices], attacks from rockets, grenades and small arms fire almost every day – and sometimes these attacks come from infiltrators hidden among those who are supposed to be working alongside you as allies. |
| "And yet you all seem to bounce back in an almost unbelievable way, despite the setbacks and vicious insurgent attacks." | "And yet you all seem to bounce back in an almost unbelievable way, despite the setbacks and vicious insurgent attacks." |
| He added: "With two sons currently serving in the armed forces, one of whom is with you all out there, I really do have at least some understanding of what your loved ones on the home front are going through." | He added: "With two sons currently serving in the armed forces, one of whom is with you all out there, I really do have at least some understanding of what your loved ones on the home front are going through." |
| Charles said servicemen and women could keep in touch with relatives through phone calls and the internet "or, in the case of my younger son, receive a very rare and precious letter in answer to mine". | Charles said servicemen and women could keep in touch with relatives through phone calls and the internet "or, in the case of my younger son, receive a very rare and precious letter in answer to mine". |
| In a picture released to accompany the broadcast, the prince is shown sitting at a table with a microphone in front of him, and on the left lapel of his suit he wears four military badges. | In a picture released to accompany the broadcast, the prince is shown sitting at a table with a microphone in front of him, and on the left lapel of his suit he wears four military badges. |
| The units represented are the Royal Gurkha Rifles, the Mercian Regiment, the Royal Dragoon Guards and the Parachute Regiment, and he also wears the army air corps tie. | The units represented are the Royal Gurkha Rifles, the Mercian Regiment, the Royal Dragoon Guards and the Parachute Regiment, and he also wears the army air corps tie. |
| Charles ended his broadcast by saying: "Finally, I would just like to reinforce a point that I have been trying to make for many years now – that our country is incredibly lucky to have people like yourselves and that we owe you an everlasting debt of gratitude for all that you do and mean to us." | Charles ended his broadcast by saying: "Finally, I would just like to reinforce a point that I have been trying to make for many years now – that our country is incredibly lucky to have people like yourselves and that we owe you an everlasting debt of gratitude for all that you do and mean to us." |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. | |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Enter your email address to subscribe. |