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Prince William to visit Gosport


Britain’s Prince William will visit Gosport, south England, today (12.05.14).

The 31-year-old royal will go to the HMS Alliance at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum in the town after the only surviving British Second World War-era submarine has been restored at a cost of £7 million.

The prince, who is Commodore-in-Chief Submarines, is the royal patron of the conservation appeal which made the repairs possible after the submarine became rusted.

The programme, which was partly funded with a £3.4 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, has given the historical piece a much needed revamp.

The Duke of Cambridge will meet veteran submariners and tour the vessel as well as being presented with the Dolphins badge in a tot of rum.

The badge is usually presented to submarine qualifiers in the glass of rum which they drink and they have to catch the badge in their teeth.

HMS Alliance is a Royal Navy A-class submarine laid down towards the end of the Second World War and completed in 1947.

They were designed for use in the Far East, to patrol the Pacific Ocean, and the way it was built meant it allowed for presence in larger areas for longer periods.