Royals to stay away from Falklands celebrations, upsetting British vets
The ministry of Defence and Buckingham Palace have confirmed they are not sending a minister or senior representative to the Falkland Islands to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the war against Argentina.
This has infuriated forces veterans, who view the move as a failure to acknowledge a campaign in which 255 British troops died, almost a third more than the casualties sustained in Iraq and Afghanistan combined.
The MoD said the archipelago's 'unpleasant' and 'chilly' weather during the summer had meant they had decided not to send veterans' minister Derek Twigg. He will stay 8,000 miles away in London.
The absence of the royal family at anniversary events planned for the islands' capital, Port Stanley, has particularly distressed some veterans, given that the Duke of York saw active service as a Sea King helicopter pilot during the conflict.
Read entire article at Observer (UK)
This has infuriated forces veterans, who view the move as a failure to acknowledge a campaign in which 255 British troops died, almost a third more than the casualties sustained in Iraq and Afghanistan combined.
The MoD said the archipelago's 'unpleasant' and 'chilly' weather during the summer had meant they had decided not to send veterans' minister Derek Twigg. He will stay 8,000 miles away in London.
The absence of the royal family at anniversary events planned for the islands' capital, Port Stanley, has particularly distressed some veterans, given that the Duke of York saw active service as a Sea King helicopter pilot during the conflict.