Prince William starts Japan tour as he completes Air Ambulance exam

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The Duke of Cambridge has arrived in Tokyo for a four-day visit to Japan.

It was raining as he was greeted by students and school children on a visit to Tokyo's Hama Rikyu Gardens.

Prince William is on a week long trip to China and Japan where he will undertake engagements to promote UK relations with both countries. His wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, is not with him as she is heavily pregnant with their second child, which she is expecting in April.

On Friday, the prince is due to meet fellow royals Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko at the Imperial Palace.

As he touched down in Japan, Kensington Palace confirmed that the Duke had completed the last of his 14 exams needed to earn his Air Transport Pilot Licence.

He will be employed by Bond Air Services and is due to start work with East Anglian Air Ambulance in the summer.

Prince William arrives in Japan for four-day visit

26 February 2015
BBC News

The Duke of Cambridge is greeted by Union Jack-waving students at Hama Rikyu Gardens

The Duke of Cambridge has arrived in Tokyo for a four-day visit to Japan.

It was raining as he was greeted by students and school children on a visit to Tokyo's Hama Rikyu Gardens.

Prince William is on a week long trip to China and Japan where he will undertake engagements to promote UK relations with both countries.

The Duchess of Cambridge is not accompanying her husband as she is due to give birth to their second child in April.

Prince William will be taken to the areas devastated by the 2011 tsunami and meet survivors.

On Friday, the prince is due to meet fellow royals Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko at the Imperial Palace.

Prince William takes a boat trip around Tokyo Bay with Governor Yoichi Masuzoe

Highlights of the Far East Trip will include a visit to Beijing's Forbidden City and he will launch the Great Festival of Creativity in Shanghai.

As he touched down in Japan, Kensington Palace confirmed that the Duke had completed the last of his 14 exams needed to earn his Air Transport Pilot Licence.

He will be employed by Bond Air Services and is due to start work with East Anglian Air Ambulance in the summer.

Analysis

As the future king, William has many years of overseas visits ahead of him


By Peter Hunt, royal correspondent, BBC News

This visit - especially the three days he'll spend in China next week - will be the most significant Prince William has undertaken.

He's been travelling overseas - representing either the government or the Queen - for 10 years now. He'll be doing it for many more years to come.

Supporters argue such work is all about enhancing the status of Britain abroad. Critics maintain it's more to do with promoting the House of Windsor.

The prince is balancing his development as a senior royal with his soon-to-begin commitments as an air ambulance pilot. As heir but one, William can and does exploit the flexibility on offer to him.

Read more from Peter on his correspondent's page.


BBC News - Prince William arrives in Japan for four-day visit

 

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Prince William is dressed as samurai warrior in Japan

28 February 2015
BBC News

The Duke of Cambridge was dressed as a famous samurai warrior during a visit to the set of a long-running historical drama in Japan.

Prince William visited a Tokyo studio where a popular costume drama is filmed - dressing as a samurai who unified the country in the 16th century.

However, he stopped short of wearing a samurai wig, saying his brother Prince Harry would "never let me forget it".

He is on a week-long visit to Japan and China to promote UK relations.

The duke dressed in the costume of samurai warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi - who features in the Japanese historical drama Taiga - during the visit to Japan's public broadcaster NHK.

He wore a glittering helmet, a red and gold tunic and carried a replica samurai sword.

'Ready for action'

As staff put the helmet on his head, Prince William joked: "I feel there should be a sword in my hand as well."

Once dressed, he looked into a mirror and asked: "How do I look?" before adding: "I feel ready for action."

The Duke of Cambridge was given a gift by an actress during the visit to the set of the historical drama

Before dressing up, he watched three geisha actresses dance, while another played a three-stringed instrument, called a shamisen.

Mao Inoue, the female star of Hana Moyu, who plays a character called Humi Sugi in the popular television programme, presented the duke with a bouquet of flowers and a hand-made wooden toy for Prince George.

The duke began his four-day visit to Japan - his first visit to the country - on Thursday by taking part in a traditional tea ceremony in the capital Tokyo.

The last time a senior member of Britain's royal family visited Japan was in 2008, when the duke's father, Prince Charles, came with his wife Camilla.

He also met NHK's mascot "Domo" during the visit to broadcaster's studios

The duke shook hands with fans when he arrived at a book shop in Tokyo

Prince William is carrying out a four-day visit to Japan to promote UK relations

One well-wisher dressed a British bulldog in a tie featuring the Union Jack


BBC News - Prince William is dressed as samurai warrior in Japan

 

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His father the Prince of Wales famously referred to China’s leaders as “appalling old waxworks”, and has never been back to the country since.

But his son the Duke of Cambridge pulled off something of a diplomatic coup, and a major thawing of relations between Beijing and the Royal family, by gaining an unexpected audience with President Xi Jinping.

The Chinese media had been briefed that the Duke, as second in line to the throne, would be accorded the status of a deputy prime minister, and would meet Communist Party officials of similar rank.

But after their Japanese neighbours put up their Emperor and Prime Minister to meet the Duke, the Chinese made a swift, face-saving about-turn, determined not to be bested.

So it was that the Duke found himself in the hallowed Great Hall of the People shaking hands with President Xi and being congratulated on the impending birth of his second baby.

He also extended an open invitation to the Queen “and her family” to come to China, which could pave the way for a first visit to Beijing by Prince Charles.

William, the most senior member of the British Royal family to visit China since his grandmother in 1986, also visited Beijing's Forbidden City.

Earlier, Britain's future king helped launch the 2015 UK-China Year of Cultural Exchange by painting the pupils on the eyes of a model of Shaun the Sheep - who is now the star of his own film - combining a Chinese tradition to bring good luck with a promotion of the Aardman Animations character in what is now the Chinese Year of the Sheep.

Prince William meets China's president Xi Jinping as he invites Queen to visit Beijing

Duke of Cambridge succeeds in major thawing of relations between Beijing and Royal family by gaining an unexpected audience with President Xi Jinping in Beijing


By Gordon Rayner, Chief Reporter, in Beijing
02 Mar 2015
The Telegraph

His father the Prince of Wales famously referred to China’s leaders as “appalling old waxworks”, and has never been back to the country since.

But his son the Duke of Cambridge pulled off something of a diplomatic coup, and a major thawing of relations between Beijing and the Royal family, by gaining an unexpected audience with President Xi Jinping.

Prince William meets Chinese President Xi Jinping (AP)

The Chinese media had been briefed that the Duke, as second in line to the throne, would be accorded the status of a deputy prime minister, and would meet Communist Party officials of similar rank.

But after their Japanese neighbours put up their Emperor and Prime Minister to meet the Duke, the Chinese made a swift, face-saving about-turn, determined not to be bested.

So it was that the Duke found himself in the hallowed Great Hall of the People shaking hands with President Xi and being congratulated on the impending birth of his second baby.

He also extended an open invitation to the Queen “and her family” to come to China, which could pave the way for a first visit to Beijing by Prince Charles.

President Xi said: “The British Royal family holds great influence not just in the UK but across the world.

“Over the years the Royal family has shown great interest in, and support for Chinese/UK relations.

"And members of the Royal Family have done a lot and contributed positively to (the) changes and co-operation between our two countries in areas ranging from trade to environment protection... and cultural exchanges.”

He added: “I know this is your royal highness’s first visit to China. In China we have a saying that hearing about something 100 times is not the same as seeing it once.

“So I very much welcome your royal highness and other members of the Royal family to make [a] visit to China and see more parts of China.”

The Duke of Cambridge visits the Forbidden City in Beijing (EPA)

He also passed on his congratulations in advance of the Duke becoming a father again, and concluded by saying: “I’m sure your royal highness’s visit to China will be a productive visit and a visit of building friendships, (it will) surely go a long way to developing mutual understanding and friendly ties between China and British people and I would like to wish your visit a great success.”

The Duke responded by personally handing President Xi a Manu Regia - or message from the Queen - containing an invitation for a State visit to the UK.

He thanked the President “enormously” for inviting him to the Great Hall of the People and said: “It's been a long interest of mine, for many years, to come and visit China.”

Prince William is accompanied by British and Chinese delegations in Beijing (EPA)

The meeting, by far the most heavyweight diplomatic mission the Duke has ever attempted, not only heralded a new beginning for relations between China and the Royal family, but also symbolised the extent to which Britain is desperate to court what will soon be the world’s biggest economy.

The Duke is the most senior member of the Royal family to visit mainland China since the Queen in 1986.

On that occasion, the Duke of Edinburgh made his famous “slitty eyes” comment, which has never been forgotten.

Then, when the Prince of Wales attended the Hong Kong handover ceremony in 1997, he sent his diary to friends making the “waxworks” insult.

That, together with his great friendship with the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of the disputed territory of Tibet, has made China a forbidden country to the Prince ever since.

The grudge has not, however, been extended to his son, who was shown the hand of friendship with a tour of the fabled Forbidden City, Beijing’s most famous landmark.

The Forbidden City is usually closed on Mondays, but was opened especially for the Duke, to give him unspoiled views of the spectacular courtyards making up the complex.

As he posed for a photograph on his own in front of the Palace of Supreme Harmony, the Duke was asked how his Mandarin was coming along. “Slowly,” he replied. When someone said “Ni hao”, which means hello, he replied: “Ni hao, that’s about as far as I’ve got.”

Prince William paints the eye of a model of Shaun the Sheep at the British Ambassador's official residence in Beijing (Tim Rooke/Rex)

Earlier, he helped launch the 2015 UK-China Year of Cultural Exchange by painting the pupils on the eyes of a model of Shaun the Sheep, combining a Chinese tradition to bring good luck with a promotion of the Aardman Animations character in what is now the Chinese Year of the Sheep.

Video: Prince William meets China's president Xi Jinping as he invites Queen to visit Beijing - Telegraph