The office of the Lord Lieutenant of the Isle of Wight is delighted to announce that His Royal Highness Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh will be performing two official ceremonies on the Island on On Wednesday May 24 2006, his Royal Highness Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh arrived in Cowes and made a private visit to the Island Sailing Club and then on to the Royal Yacht Squadron where he officially opened the new RYS Jubilee Haven.
HRH later presented the Sea Cadets of TS Osborne (Cowes Unit) with the Efficiency Pennant for 2005 at a special ceremony on Cowes Parade adjacent to the Royal Yacht Squadron. HRH presented the Pennant to the youngest sea cadet followed by a presentation to His Royal Highness of a plaque of TS Osborne by Cadet Petty Officer Colin Barton.
The Duke also named a hovercraft in a ceremony at Woodnutt’s Yard. The BHT 130 – the British Hovercraft Technology 130 seater - has been designed and built on the Isle of Wight to replace the current 95 seater hovercraft on the Ryde to Southsea service. His Royal Highness last visited the Duver at St Helens in August 1965 when Christopher Bland – now the Lord Lieutenant of the Isle of Wight - demonstrated a small Britten-Norman hovercraft prototype.