We are getting excited for the upcoming Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle…
*cue the tears that the last single Royal is officially taken*?
We love Prince Harry’s passion for the military, especially his commitment to the Warrior Games/Invictus Games, covered here in Military Spouse Magazine.
And we just found out some exciting news for our military community! TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors) got an invite to the royal wedding on May 19th. Not even the President got an invite! We can’t wait to see the beautiful photos next month, especially of the precious royal littles, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Royal baby number 3 who will arrive this month!
Who is going to stay up in the middle of the night to watch it this time?!
Here is the official announcement from PRNewsWire:
ARLINGTON, Va. — April 10, 2018 –- The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) is delighted to announce that Mrs. Diana Roday Hosford, TAPS Vice President of Sports & Entertainment, has been invited, as a partner of The Diana Award, to be part of the public gallery on the grounds of Windsor Castle for Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle’s wedding on 19 May 2018. The Diana Award has been invited as part of a group of 200 invitees who have been nominated on the strength of their contribution to charities with a close connection to Prince Harry or Ms. Markle.
TAPS supports families of fallen heroes through peer-based emotional support with mentors working alongside the surviving families. Another UK partner of TAPS – Children’s Armed Forces charity, Scotty’s Little Soldiers, has been selected as one of seven charities chosen by Prince Harry and Ms. Markle to benefit from donations received instead of wedding gifts. TAPS will be attending the celebrations alongside seven exceptional young people from The Diana Award, aged 14-20, from the UK and Canada.
The Diana Award was set up in memory of The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry’s mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, and her belief that young people have the power to change the world. The UK-based charity, fosters, develops and inspires positive change in the lives of young people through a series of programmes. This includes the Mentoring Programme, which builds resilience and character in the most vulnerable young people in society, helping them to gain key competencies to navigate life successfully.
Tessy Ojo, CEO of The Diana Award says: “We are absolutely delighted to be joined by TAPS at this once in a lifetime experience of the Royal Wedding. At The Diana Award we are committed to investing in young people through our core programmes and delighted to be working in partnership with TAPS through our Mentoring Programmes.”
TAPS President and Founder Bonnie Carroll said: “The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) is honored to be invited as a partner of The Diana Award to attend the Royal Wedding celebrations of Prince Harry and Ms. Markle. TAPS and the United Kingdom have a long-standing relationship, collaborating closely to compassionately care for the families of their nation’s fallen military heroes. As a Soldier, Prince Harry understands the importance of honoring those who have died in service to their country. As a grieving son, his devotion to Princess Diana is carried on through his care for other bereaved children. Prince Harry is weaving the legacy of his mother into this special celebration and we are truly humbled as one of the only American nonprofits to be part of this special day in memory and honour all who have served and died.”
TAPS Vice President of Sports & Entertainment Diana Hosford said: “It was with great joy, excitement and humble gratitude that I accepted this invitation to attend the Royal Wedding celebrations on behalf of TAPS. The journey after losing a parent at such a young age is a difficult one. I lost my father, Harry Roday, when I was 13 and understand the importance of remembering those we have loved and lost by carrying on their service, their traditions, their hopes and their dreams. I work with military surviving families from TAPS and help them to honor their fallen loved ones every day. I look forward to celebrating this lovely union and working together with The Diana Award to create opportunities for bereaved young people in the United States and the United Kingdom.”
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ABOUT TAPS
The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) is the national organization providing compassionate care for the families of America’s fallen military heroes and has offered support to more than 75,000 surviving family members of our fallen military and their caregivers since 1994. TAPS provides peer-based emotional support, grief and trauma resources, grief seminars and retreats for adults, Good Grief Camps for children, case work assistance, connections to community-based care, online and in-person support groups and a 24/7 resource and information helpline for all who have been affected by a death in the Armed Forces. Services are provided free of charge. For more information go to www.taps.org or call the toll-free TAPS resource and information helpline at 1.800.959.TAPS (8277).
