Prince William got a less than warm welcome when he attended the 50 year celebrations of UK's nuclear submarines. Reportedly anti-nuclear campaigners jeered Prince William and new Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt.
Apparently, they had to run the gauntlet of hecklers shouting "shame on you," "down with Trident" and "down with war" outside Westminster Abbey. It was the first public duty for Ms. Mordaunt in her new role following the sacking of her predecessor Gavin Williamson. She was also joined by First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Philip Jones.
Prince William, who is Commodore-in-Chief of the Submarine Service, and Ms. Mordaunt, a Royal Navy reservist, were there to recognise the UK commitment in maintaining Operation Relentless – the longest mission in the history of the Armed Forces. But it seems like there are quite a few people who don't appreciate the UK's nuclear might. The Prince gave a reading during the ceremony, despite all the detractors.
The celebration paid tribute to the crew, their supportive families, the Royal Navy and the thousands of industry experts that have contributed to the naval might of the UK. But the celebrations were also a reminder of what nuclear power can do when it is used for destructive purposes like Hiroshima. Attending the celebration was part of Prince William's Royal responsibilities as Commodore-in-Chief. Prince William seems to be juggling a lot of criticism of late. Rumours recently re-surfaced that Prince William had cheated on Kate Middleton. The rumours though baseless seemed to have caused the Royal Family some strife. But Kate Middleton and Prince William seem to be moving forward and not letting criticism and rumours bring them down.