Prince Edward quietly leaves for mission in Belgium as royals continue Ascot

Prince Edward left for an important mission in Belgium on Friday while the Royal Family continued with the annual five-day Royal Ascot.

Buckingham Palace had inked the key engagement for the Duke of Edinburgh in the Royal Diary, where he will be arriving to support give fundraising efforts for Hougoumont, on behalf of King Charles.

The location holds a historical significance as it was the chateau farm where Napoleon was defeated 210 years ago by the Duke of Wellington’s allied forces in the Battle of Waterloo on 18 June 1815.

The chateau farm was defended by the Coldstream and Scots Guards against overwhelming odds during the battle, which left 50,000 dead and wounded. The farm and gardens were also left in ruins.

While some of the vital buildings were restored, the gardens were never replanted. Friends of the Hougoumont Gardens group is leading a fundraising campaign to restore them.

According to reports, King Charles’s younger brother arrived at the farm via the north gate, where Britain’s Foot Guards repelled a French incursion led by an axe-wielding lieutenant.

He was welcomed British Ambassador to Belgium, Anne Sheriff and Defence Attaché Group Captain John Dickson. The Duke of Edinburgh, who is Colonel of the Scots Guards, will lay a wreath at the Closing the Gates memorial – which was unveiled in 2015 by King Charles.

The significant royal engagement also comes after Edward celebrated his 26th wedding anniversary with wife Duchess Sophie during the third day of Royal Ascot.