Duke of Edinburgh to open university centre

THE Duke of Edinburgh will be visiting Hull next week.

Buckingham Palace has confirmed Prince Philip will be coming to the city on Thursday, December 11.

He will start his visit at the University of Hull, where he will officially open the new Hull Enterprise Centre, before enjoying a tour of the recently-opened Logistics Institute.

The Prince will then head to the Old Town, where he will enjoy a Christmas lunch at Corporation of Hull Trinity House, in Trinity House Lane, of which he is an honorary brother.

Lord Lieutenant of the East Riding, the Honourable Susan Cunliffe-Lister, who organises royal visits, said she was pleased the Duke was coming to the city after a royal visit earlier this year had to be postponed.

She said: "The Duke said he would like to visit the new business school in the university and he will also look around the Logistics Institute.

"The Queen and the Duke were going to visit Hull earlier in the year, but this had to be cancelled.

"They were very disappointed when they couldn't come, so thought this would be the perfect opportunity to visit."

The visit comes just months after Her Majesty the Queen postponed her and Prince Philip's visit to the city as it clashed with the by-election in Howden and Haltemprice.

The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Conservative MP David Davis over Government plans to increase the maximum detention period for terror suspects to 42 days.

The Lord Lieutenant said: "The Duke of Edinburgh is very into technology and it is a terrific venue at the University, so I am sure he will enjoy it.

"The Enterprise Centre is brilliant – it will be such a help for people starting up a business to have advice on hand."