Sophie, the Countess of Wessex will visit Jersey on Saturday 9 May to take part in the 70th anniversary celebrations.
During her visit the Countess, who is married to Prince Edward, will attend a community event at People’s Park which it is hoped that many Islanders will attend.
The events on 9 May will start at 11.30 am with the annual Slave Workers’ Memorial Service at Westmount.
The traditional flag-raising ceremony at the Pomme d’Or will go ahead as usual followed by a grand parade from Liberation Square to the People’s Park at 2 pm.
A ceremony will then take place at the park which will be followed by a community tea party and food fair with entertainment from 5 pm going into the evening.
The Countess last visited the Island in June 2010 when she met children from Rouge Bouillon School
She is also due to visit Guernsey as part of her trip.
The news comes after it was announced last month that Princess Anne will be visiting Jersey in March.
HUNDREDS of Girl Guides met the Earl and Countess of Wessex at Samarès Manor on the second stop of their visit.
The Countess is the president of the national organisation of Girlguiding and both she and the Earl wandered through the gardens, bathed in glorious afternoon sunshine, watching the children carry out various games and arts and crafts.
Tea was the theme of the afternoon, based on the organisation’s centenary – or ‘cen-tea-nery’ – this year, and activities included mug painting, sugar cube throwing and building tea tables out of milk cartons.
Sarah Carolan, a St Lawrence Brownie, said: ‘She asked me if I knew who she was and I said Princess Sophie.
She said that Prince Edward was the Queen’s son and she said my mug was pretty. I thought she was really kind and pretty.’
Cerian Mason, a Grouville Girl Guide, said: ‘She asked me about the activities we were going to be doing. We had prepared sheets about the three presidents of Guiding. I thought she was really nice and she was very relaxed. She looked really nice and was really friendly.’
Nicky Maindonald, one of the escorts for the Countess of Wessex, said: ‘She was a lovely lady – really down to earth. She was really chatty with the girls. It has been an absolutely fantastic day and we have been so lucky with the weather. We had been on stand-by with the marquees but everything ran like clockwork.’
Hannah Read, dressed as a tiger from the book The Tiger Who Came to Tea, said of the Countess: ‘She was very nice and she looked very beautiful. She asked me what the tiger ate and I said that he ate meat and he drank beer and milk and he drank all the water in the tap and orange juice. I have enjoyed myself and the best thing today was having the afternoon off school.’
THE Earl and Countess of Wessex officially opened the new air traffic control tower at the Airport, even though the building was not fully operational until November.
It was the last stop of a busy two-day visit and the couple chatted to air traffic controllers in the £6 million building before having lunch at Aviation Beauport.
The Earl and Countess had time to observe the runway from where they would later depart, where air traffic control watch manager Darren Dupré explained how they oversee arrivals and departures.
Darren Dupré: ‘I was here to explain the goings-on from the tower’s position. We have had several visits, but it’s the first time we have had royalty here. They were very interested, but the first thing they saw when they got up in the tower was the fog coming in! They were very nice to talk to and were interested in the whole operation.’
Bjorn Krohn: ‘I was asked about the weather conditions and they wanted to know the minimum requirement for an aircraft to land in fog. The Countess asked what would happen if we could not see anything because of the fog, and we explained that we would move into procedural mode. She was very natural and down-to-earth.’
Les Smallwood: ‘I explained how we manage the traffic for the Channel Islands and told them that we cover a 20,000 square-mile area. They were very surprised at how large the area was. I found them very laid-back and easy-going and they put you at ease very quickly.’
Pam Coombs: ‘I spoke to the Countess and she was charming and very funny. She was asking about how stressful the job was because of the responsibility and how many people’s lives you have in your hands. But she seemed a bit taken aback when I said you can’t really think about it because otherwise it would paralyse you and stop you doing your job.’
THERE were plenty of smiles at Glanville Residential Home when the Earl and the Countess of Wessex arrived to mark the home’s 150th anniversary.
What outfit to wear had been a hot topic among the 26 ladies at the home in the days leading up to the Royal visit and they had all got up particularly early to get their hair and make-up done.
And none of them were let down by the Earl and the Countess, who laughed and chatted to all the residents and staff as they made their way around the property.
Flo Allenet asked the Earl of Wessex where she recognised him from. He politely replied that she had perhaps seen him on the television. ‘It has been an absolute thrill,’ she said. ‘It was lovely to chat away to them. A day like today is something that will never happen again.’
Ida Le Boutillier said that it was nice to have a visit from royalty. ‘We were looking forward to it very much,’ she said. ‘We had our hair done. Everyone has been enjoying themselves.’
Joan Lannon described the visit as ‘wonderful’. ‘I loved it,’ she said. ‘There has been a bit of excitement in the camp. I have always admired the Countess of Wessex. I think she is a charming girl. She is lovely to look at. They look very happy together.’
Elsie Luce said that the visit had given her some ‘wonderful’ memories. ‘It will be a marvellous memory,’ she said. ‘Everything was beautiful. I enjoy meeting people and being talkative.’
ISLANDERS should get an extra bank holiday to help mark the ‘landmark’ 70th anniversary of the Liberation, according to one States Member.
Deputy Sam Mézec is calling for Friday 8 May to be made a day off as Liberation Day, which is the usual bank holiday, falls on a Saturday.
The Deputy has lodged a proposition with the States, which will be debated on 10 March.
The States of Guernsey also narrowly rejected a call to allow an extra weekday bank holiday whenever 9 May falls on a weekend.
That vote was tied 20 votes each way and the proposal was therefore not passed.
Ministers in Jersey have previously said they will not be making 8 May a bank holiday.
But Deputy Mézec, a member of political party Reform Jersey, says that this year’s Liberation celebrations are special for several reasons – including that at 70 years it is a landmark anniversary.
In the report accompanying his proposition, Deputy Mézec says: ‘The 70th anniversary is a landmark anniversary, more significant than the usual annual commemoration and could well mark the last major anniversary where a significant number of Islanders who lived through the Occupation may still be with us to share their experiences and join in celebrations.
‘It is also worth remembering that the 8 May will mark the 70th anniversary of VE Day, which is surely worthy of special commemoration in itself, regardless of it not being an occasion unique to the Channel Islands.
