Prince William has paid tribute to those who served their country and risked their lives in the Royal Navy Submarine Service.
Prince William toasted the fallen with a sip from a small silver flask at the end of a touching service at Middle Temple Gardens on Embankment, in London on Sunday where he honoured submariners from all generations who have served their country.
The Duke of Cambridge, who is the Commodore-in-Chief of the Submarine Service, was joined by hundreds of current and former submariners at a wreath-laying ceremony in central London.
During the ceremony, the submariners drank a toast from hip flasks to “absent friends”.
When asked if he had brought his own hip flask at a reception afterward, William said: “I’ll never be asked twice about drinking, it’s very important.
“They tried to put a Jägerbomb in it! Imagine my surprise – burnt my throat.”
The memory of the prank stayed with Prince William throughout the day, as he spoke about it also later on.
The Duke, who has served in the Royal Navy, looked dapper in a navy suit that was accompanied by military medals.
The annual service honours submariners who have “Crossed the Bar” in service to their country, and was first commemorated in 1923 following the unveiling of the National Submarine Memorial in 1922 on Victoria Embankment. The yearly service is held on the Sunday before the national Remembrance Day (Armistice Day).
