Prince Harry's Hats-off Three Cheers Salute in Sydney Harbour Naval Extravaganza

PRINCE Harry - the playboy royal and fourth in line to the British throne - is expected to receive a hats-off three cheers royal salute from thousands of sailors on Sydney Harbour next month.

It is understood Harry will be accompanied by Governor-general Quentin Bryce when he takes the royal salute by sailing past some 40 warships on board a royal barge or another navy boat.

According to well-placed sources the prince is odds-on to be guest of honour at the Royal Australian Navy's centenary celebrations, however no official announcement will be made until a week before the gala event on Sydney Harbour between October 3 and 10.

"It is highly likely that Harry will be in Sydney although no details have been firmed up,'' a source said.

The International Fleet Review will mark the 100th anniversary of the arrival in Sydney of the brand new seven-ship Royal Australian Navy fleet led by the flagship HMAS Australia in October 1913.

The centenary will be officially celebrated on October 5 with a royal review by the prince of 21 RAN vessels and 19 overseas warships as well as 16 tall ships that will sail into the harbour on October 3.

Each warship will formally salute the HMAS Sydney memorial on Bradleys Head as they enter the harbour on October 4.

Prince Harry stands in front of an Apache Helicopter a few days after the royal, a trainee Apache helicopter pilot, passed the half-decade milestone to become a captain. Source: Getty Images

The review will also feature fly-pasts by 37 types of military and civilian aircraft ranging from helicopters to Hornet jet fighters.

Palace sources remain tight-lipped about any trip to Australia.

A spokesman for Kensington Palace, Prince Harry's official mouthpiece, said it simply was not currently in a position to comment.

"Announcements of overseas visits by members of the Royal Family are made in due course after an official invitation is received,'' the spokesman said.

Prince Harry visits The Royal Marines Tamar on August 2, 2013. Picture: Getty Source: Getty Images

On the question of whether his current girlfriend Cressida Bonas was also planning to visit Sydney at the same time, the spokesman said that was a matter for her, but there were no plans for her to accompany Prince Harry on any trip whether domestic or overseas.

Royal commentators scoffed at rumours that a royal would ever take a girlfriend on an overseas trip, as completely contrary to all protocols for any official royal or government official.

The centrepiece of the International Fleet review will be a fireworks and light show spectacular focused on the Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House on the evening of Saturday October 5.

For the first time Australia's fireworks capital will see pyrotechnics launched from the decks of navy warships.

A fleet of eight tall ships took sail on Port Phillip Bay participating in events leading up to International Fleet Day in Sydney next month. Source: News Limited

This will signal the start of the biggest party seen in Sydney since the Bicentenary with 8000 cashed up sailors and tens of thousands of revellers set to spend up to $100 million during the week-long celebration that will cost taxpayers about $6 million to stage.

A projection show will be seen on both sides of the Opera House sails, the eastern side of the Harbour Bridge pylons and the roof of the Australian National Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour.

Britain's Prince Harry. Picture: Source: AP

Prince Harry or Captain Wales, 30, is a British Army helicopter pilot and Afghanistan war veteran and has visited Australia once before - in 2003, when he spent most of his time working on a Queensland sheep station.

The NSW Government has been lobbying hard for his possible visit to be turned into a full-blown Royal tour, but that is unlikely given his heavy work commitments.

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Cruise Ships Too Big for Sydney?

New giant-size cruise ships may be unable to dock in Sydney because they are too large to get under the famed Harbour Bridge, Australian officials said.

An alternative plan had been to allow them to dock at the naval base on Garden Island, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. But a review by Allen Hawke, a former Defense Department secretary, concluded that would interfere with naval operations.

Hawke suggested other options, including providing a mooring space near the Overseas Passenger Terminal or allowing cruise ships to use the cargo port at Botany Bay.

Ann Sherry, chief executive of Carnival Australia, said neither would work because passengers prefer ships to be at a dock and not moored offshore -- and because Botany Bay is unappealing. Bringing passengers in from a moored ship is also time-consuming and expensive, she said.
Industry executives said one-third of the cruise ships that are likely to visit Sydney will be too big for the Harbour Bridge by 2015. Sherry said she sees no reason why the industry and the navy could not co-exist.

''It's nonsense to say you can't have the two together,'' she said.

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Sydney Prepares for Royal Rendezvous with the New Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary 2

Sydney will host a tandem Royal arrival of two Queens for the first time when Cunard's latest ocean liner, Queen Elizabeth, makes her maiden visit to the city accompanied by her larger sister Queen Mary 2.

Midway through her inaugural 103-night world voyage, the 90,900-tonne Queen Elizabeth will meet Queen Mary 2 outside Sydney Heads before 5.30am Tuesday morning before following her sister into Sydney Harbour and berthing at the Overseas Passenger Terminal around 7am.

On her way to Garden Island Queen Mary 2 will round Fort Denison, sounding her whistle as she passes Queen Elizabeth around 6.30am.

Sydney will be the first of Queen Elizabeth's three Australian calls as she arrives from New Zealand on her inaugural world voyage.

The visits by the two ships are expected to deliver close to $3 million into the Sydney economy, with both ships carrying more than 6000 guests and crew between them.

Cunard Line's President and Managing Director Peter Shanks said the cruise line was anticipating a warm welcome from the city.

"Sydneysiders and visitors always enthusiastically welcome our liners when they visit and we hope it will continue for this historic Royal Rendezvous when our latest, Queen Elizabeth, arrives for the first time, chaperoned by her sister Queen Mary 2," Mr Shanks said.

The two liners' historic meeting in Sydney will recall an earlier Royal Rendezvous when the original Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth - both then World War II troopships - passed each other at Sydney Heads on April 9, 1941.

A special remembrance service, conducted with the assistance of the NSW branch of the RSL and the Australian military, and a lunch in tribute to 'Australia's Finest Generation', many of whom sailed to war on the original Cunard Queens, will be held onboard Queen Mary 2 on Wednesday.

Both ships will spend the night of February 22 in Sydney Harbour with Queen Elizabeth set to farewell her magnificent larger sister with a whistle salute at around midday the next day as she sails past her bound for Melbourne.

Having already called at Fremantle and Adelaide, Queen Mary 2 will depart for Christchurch at 5pm on February 23.

Launched in the United Kingdom by Her Majesty The Queen in October last year, Queen Elizabeth pays homage to Cunard's original Queen Elizabeth, offering famous Cunard hallmarks plus some new additions.

Her many features include more than 700 private balcony cabins, more than 10 restaurants and cafes, a two-storey library complete with leaded glass ceiling and a Games Deck including paddle tennis, croquet and bowls.

Media information:
Libby Moffet/Hannah le Coic
MG Media Communications
02 9904 0011

Sydney Accommodation Available at Metro Hotels

Images of the Cruise Ships in Sydney Harbour - February 22, 2011

Images of the Cruise Ships in Sydney Harbour - February 22, 2011

Cunard confirms royal timetable - Rendezvous in Sydney Harbour

Cunard has confirmed that Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth will rendezvous in Sydney Harbour at around 7am on February 22 as the cruise industry prepares for another publicity extravaganza.

The ships will initially meet off Sydney Heads shortly before 5.30am before making their way into the harbour. Both will spend the night in Sydney with Queen Mary 2 berthing at Garden Island and Queen Elizabeth at Circular Quay.

Queen Elizabeth will then depart for Melbourne at noon the following day followed at 5.30pm by its larger sister which will head to Christchurch. It will be the first time two Cunard ships have arrived in Sydney simultaneously.

Next month’s visit will be the first for Queen Elizabeth in Australia which is making its maiden round the world voyage after being launched in October.

(Source: Travel Weekly – 20^th January 2011)