The kickstarted his visit to Estonia on Thursday and will continue his two-day visit today. In what is Prince Willian's first visit to the Baltic state, the royal will mainly act in his role as Colonel-in-Chief of the Mercian Regiment, which is taking over NATO defence duties in the country from the Royal Dragoon Guards. Estonia is on NATO's front line with Russia, with British troops working with allies to provide a deterrent to aggression in the region.
Yesterday, the future King began his visit by meeting with the country's president, Alar Karis, at the presidential palace in the capital, Tallinn. Before he headed into the building, William was greeted by a group of young children from Tallinn Lotte Kindergarten, who gave him a cuddly dog called Lotte, which is the name of one of Estonia's most famous children's stories and is also short for Charlotte, his daughter's name. He was also given a card from the children for Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Ahead of the meeting, president Karis praised the British troops stationed at Tapa Camp and said "we really, we really appreciate it". After the bilateral meeting, William visited a school founded by the Ministry of Education and Research of Estonia in May 2022 to respond to the war in where he showcased his basketball skills. Later he is set to attend an event to learn about renewable energy start-ups. Tomorrow, the prince will travel to Tapa Army Base, where British forces are stationed, ready to defend NATO's eastern flank and meet soldiers from his regiment and Estonian troops.
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