Latest news with #PrincessOfWales
News.com.au
6 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Prince William modernising royal philanthropy
Prince William's vision for the monarchy has increasingly been driven by the desire to shift the dial on global leadership. The Prince and Princess of Wales were praised in Time Magazine's top 100 philanthropists for modernising royal philanthropy.
Sky News
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News
My week with Prince William, the quiet disruptor
Photographed in a beam of sunlight, Prince William walked through Westminster Abbey with the King behind him. The ornate robes of the Order of the Bath service, two weeks ago, felt like a world away from the more modern image he wants to portray. But as a man bestowed with so many traditional titles, it's a new role he's shaping for himself that is more intriguing - William, the quiet disruptor. In a week when Time Magazine named the Prince and Princess of Wales in its top 100 philanthropists list for "modernising royal philanthropy", I spent the week following the prince on various engagements. None of them particularly headline-grabbing, but all examples of how he's setting out to do things differently, or underlining the challenges, and potential criticisms, he faces doing things his own way. Take Tuesday, for example. We weren't expecting him to turn up as we waited at the Soho Hotel in London to watch a new series of films about the dangers faced by wildlife rangers, a project described as "the brainchild" of Prince William. But all of a sudden, there he was in the room, taking the mic to explain what it really means to him. Speaking about his drive to "give a voice to the voiceless", it was indicative of what feels like a greater desire from him to articulate more publicly what he stands for. Since November, when he described how he wanted to carry out his duties with "a smaller r in the royal", you've got the sense William, and his team, have further wanted to cement in our minds where he sees his role. From conversations this week, with those who work closely with him, the word "convening" came up time and again; the prince doesn't want to waste what he knows is a unique position, to bring people together, start conversations and support those who are already doing amazing things in their communities. Shifting the dial But this isn't just about him personally. This is now a man whose vision for the monarchy, I'm told, is increasingly driven by a desire to "shift the dial on global leadership" where others may be failing. With palace sources telling me he'd be more than happy to "be acknowledged" as a quiet disruptor, despite the criticism his new ways of working might bring. Those who've known him a long time will tell you this compulsion to do things differently has been there for some time. Dr Tessy Ojo, the chief executive from The Diana Award, has worked with Prince William and Prince Harry for over 20 years. She said: "They would never do royal engagements from the sense of cutting the ribbon or simply being poster people. We were very clearly warned if you wanted any form of engagement, it almost had to have a whole strategy behind it." She told me she has always sensed how much William appreciates the responsibility that comes with his role, especially in a world where "there's a massive demand on leadership… there's a lot of distrust on leaders". "What people wanted 40 years ago from their monarch is completely different," she said. "I think it's super important that as the heir, as the next monarch, he's very in tune with what the people want, and what people expect. And being able to be that 21st century monarch, who is a present dad, but also a leader who understands how to use your leadership for social good". A modern royal Wednesday, and William walked into a sweaty, but infectiously positive, community hall in Leith in Edinburgh. No ribbon cutting here, but this is the kind of visit the prince now sees as a big deal, "impact" the buzz word ahead of any engagement now. A very lively game of football launching what they hope will be a long-term tie-up between the Royal Foundation (their charitable trust), Leith community centre and Street Soccer Scotland. On Thursday, the sight of a guard of honour saluting the prince and princess, as the national anthem was played alongside HMS Glasgow, just emphasised the regular handbrake turns they face from the more relaxed to the formal, as they want to make the monarchy feel connected and relevant. Then there is family to consider, in a way that past generations just haven't. Their working diaries are now arranged around their children. They've made no secret of that. On paper, it means fewer engagements compared to other members of the family, and it has led to mutterings of that word no one within the palace wants to hear: "workshy". Making an impact? But talking to people in Glasgow, away from the royal visit, I overwhelmingly found most thought William was setting a good example by putting family first. What people were less clear on was his "social impact" work and what that is all about. The community projects may not necessarily grab as much attention as William and his advisors want, but what will be fascinating to watch is the potential long-term impact of this new kind of ethos. As the Prince and Princess of Wales stood on the steps of Buckingham Palace at a garden party on Tuesday, pausing for the national anthem, you can't help but wonder whether those traditional elements of royal life could face a shake-up when one day he leads the firm full time. Understandably, no one likes to talk about transition, and Prince William certainly doesn't shout about his thoughts on what will come. But as heir, his vision for the future and what royal leadership should look like could have huge consequences for the institution.
News.com.au
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Picture confirms major Princess Kate post-cancer change
OPINION Stop the presses, hold the phones, someone find the internet pause button and whack it hard. Has Kate, The Princess of Wales just … had a sly jibe at the expense Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex? Or sent them some sort of shockingly conciliatory smoke signal? Or just randomly pulled a hat out of her vast millinery humidor at home and grabbed the first thing she spied? On May 20, Kate attended her first Buckingham Palace garden party in two years, done up in the most on-trend colour of butter yellow, rewearing an Emilia Wickstead dress from 2022 – and, drum roll please, the very same hat she wore pretty much seven years ago exactly to the day for the May 19 of the Sussexes. Kate Kremlinologists, assemble! At another time, this interessent choice of hat could and would have made a much bigger deal except that it comes months after Kate quietly ushered in a major change to the way she gets dressed. New pieces? Lovely buys? Fresh bits and bobs? By and large it's a no from the princess. Of the 18 times she has undertaken public duties this year, she has reworn old looks on 12 of them. Or to put another way, two thirds of what we have seen her in have been rewears. Cor. We know King Charles is well into recycling and composting and reducing waste but in 2025, as the princess slowly returns to work after her horrible run-in with cancer, she is taking that ethos to an extreme new level. An accident? Budget cutbacks? No sirree. Kate is up to something, I'd wager. Times past, back when the closest thing the royal family came to cancer was when they visited a charity bucking up those being treated for the 'orrid disease, the princess' wardrobe followed a very predictable path. Big state occasions like your Trooping the Colours and State dinners generally involved a nice new bit of finery or something shiny while her day-to-day masses-meeting engagements saw her combine new pieces and trusty already in rotation items. Sure, on occasion, she tried new styles, she even took the occasional foray down an unexpected path like experimenting by wearing a Gucci shirt back to front, but generally she relied on pieces from tried and true British bands, with pieces from high street brands like Sezanne mixed in. Along the way there were certain pieces that got trotted out with rinse and repeat regularity, like her houndstooth Zara dress that has a distinct 80s Dynasty secretary-about-to-take-down-some-shorthand vibe. Then 2024 rolled around and the intrusion of the 'C' word into her life and it has only been this that she has started to, gradually, return to something a more normal royal pace. While many of the outings look the same – bucking up Scottish industry, playing with babies, getting some dirt on her boots in aid of the Scouts – how she has gotten dressed for them has changed. By and large this year, Kate has by far and away just recycled stuff she already owned. Nothing (aside from one major exception) to really dazzle the eye or to set Vogue all a lather. It all began on January 14 when Kate visited the Royal Marsden hospital where she was treated for cancer. This was always going to be a highly significant, bust out the capital letters Big Day. For the event, Kate chose a Blazé Milano coat that was first seen on Christmas Day 2021, along with a cashmere polo neck she had worn at a November 2022 rugby match, paired with a skirt she had debuted in February 2023. The sole new addition, an Asprey bag. (All fashion IDs in this story are thanks to the forensic hard work of The Princess of Wales started the year as she meant to go on as she replayed some greatest hits of recent years. On Holocaust Memorial Day, out came a Catherine Walker coat she wore first after the death of Queen Elizabeth in 2022 and then again in 2023, along with a cashmere crewneck and Roland Mouret trousers she already owned. (Her vintage pearl necklace was a new addition and sourced from Jewish-owned London jewellery dealer Susan Caplan.) To visit Wales later in January, it was time to bust out a custom made coat from menswear tailor Chris Kerr that first got a showing in 2023 along with that blasted Zara dress, her fourth time wearing it in the last five years. The rest of the year has followed this pattern – Kate by and large relying on items already in her closet with only the very occasional addition of something fresh. In February, she undertook three outings; we only saw one new piece, a Peter Petrov balzer. In March, again, three outings, only one new coat. In April, three events, two new looks. This month we have had, so far, five outings, four of which saw her reviving looks we have seen before. You see the pattern here – the occasional incorporation of something new, in amongst a parade of rewears and also runs. The woman clearly never throws anything out. To visit Wales in February, the princess wore a Ralph Lauren blazer that first wore in 2007 to go to the Cheletneham races with William only just before they would break up and years before they were even engaged. Most notably, Kate has been rewearing dresses for far more formal and State occasions, opportunities that in years past would generally have seen her roll out something brand new. On Commonwealth Day, she busted out her 'Beau Tie' Catherine Walker dress that first got a look in December 2021 during her Christmas concert along with a hat she has been wearing since 2014 and a her red clutch and heels she has had for yonks. Next, St Patrick's Day. And a big hello to the Alexander McQueen coat that first got a run in November 2022 when she and husband Prince William were in Boston. In May, the royal family led Britain in marking 80 years since VE Day with a series of major set pieces of the sort we have not seen since King Charles' coronation. Each of the princess' outfits for this, her biggest, weightiest royal outing since returning to the crowny grindstone – all recycled looks. There was the Emila Wickstead midi length purple-y dress that dates that she has had since 2022, an eye catching Alessandra Rich polka dot number that she debuted in 2023, a hat that she wore in 2022, and a Self Portrait dress she wore in 2021 to launch her Hold Still book and which got a look in again during coronation celebrations. There have only been a couple of exceptions to this paradigm shift. Last week Kate wore a Victoria Beckham suit to present a British fashion award with the choice of the distinct two piece a 'deliberate' gesture of 'solidarity' with Beckham, finds herself in the midst of a major family falling out, according to The Times. The game is clearly afoot for Kate, style-wise. The princess, I'd argue, is making a point. By denying the press and social media the chance to be distracted by her clothes, to take away the opportunity to dissect her latest Zara buy, she is keeping the focus on her work. The visual repetitiveness, the boredom, is the point. The princess' 2025 strategy appears to be driven by a resolute intention to keep the worlds' eyes fixed on her chosen causes and on the messages she wants to get across, not where she got her trousers from. In February, The Times revealed that Kensington Palace would no longer issue details about Kate's outfits. (By contrast, Buckingham Palace releases information about what Queen Camilla wears when she ventures forth.) There are plenty of cliches about a brush with sickness changing someone but what is clear is that the princess is getting far more serious about her legacy projects. And that means only one thing. Sigh. We are going to see that dratted Zara dress again. And again. And again probably.
The Sun
7 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
Global cancer cases rise at alarmingly high rate – why are so many young women getting deadly disease?
A month before her 21st birthday, Amy Clark was given the earth-shattering news that she had stage four lung cancer. It was a moment Amy, now 26, describes as: 'Like having an out-of-body experience,' so shocking was the diagnosis. 5 5 'I couldn't really process what the nurse had told me. I had lung cancer that had spread to my rib and lymph nodes. It felt totally surreal,' she says. Five years on, thanks to ongoing treatment, Amy lives a full and relatively normal life, working in insurance in North Somerset. However, her experience of developing cancer at such a young age is, worryingly, no longer so unusual. Young people like Amy are being diagnosed with cancer at an alarmingly high rate. While it is a disease that typically strikes later in life, more and more young women and men are being diagnosed in their prime. Globally, diagnosis and deaths related to early-onset cancers – meaning those affecting people below the age of 50 – rose by 79% and 28% respectively, between 1990 and 2019.* And according to Cancer Research UK, the increase in cases among those aged 25-49 in the UK is more than double the rise in over-75s, with cancers of the digestive system, skin and breast most common in younger people. High-profile women, including the Princess of Wales, 43, Strictly's Amy Dowden, 34, and comedian Katherine Ryan, 41, have all been diagnosed with cancer in the past two years, and by bravely going public they've brought a lot of attention to the fact that, increasingly, age guarantees no protection against cancer. Before her death at the age of 40 in June 2022, bowel cancer campaigner and The Sun columnist, Dame Deborah James, worked tirelessly to highlight that cancer impacts younger people too, after her own symptoms were dismissed. 'Deborah was passionate about awareness of bowel cancer symptoms and early diagnosis, because being diagnosed in the earliest stages means you have a much better outcome,' says her mum Heather. 'You know your body better than anyone, so if something doesn't feel right, get it checked. She often said that if she could save one life, all the effort would be worth it.' For Amy, a diagnosis came completely unexpectedly, following investigations into an old injury. 'After a fall in 2016, I'd experienced lower-back pain on and off for a few years, and in May 2019 I saw an orthopaedic consultant about it. "An X-ray and PET scan revealed I had a badly healed old rib fracture, which explained the pain. But it also showed a 3mm lesion in my right lung,' says Amy. 'I was referred to a respiratory consultant, who said he didn't usually see this sort of lesion in someone my age – they were more associated with older people who'd been long-term smokers. "It was agreed I'd have another scan the following year, but he didn't seem concerned, so nor was I. Lung cancer never even crossed my mind.' In February 2020, a second scan showed that whatever was in Amy's lung was now also in her lymph nodes. She was referred for a bronchoscopy, which enables doctors to look at the lungs and air passages using a thin tube with a camera, and perform a biopsy. 'It wasn't until I was actually on the trolley, going into theatre in March 2020, that someone said the word 'cancer' to me. 5 5 "I was so shocked – it hadn't been on my radar at all. I was 20, in a happy relationship with my boyfriend Danny, 25, working and socialising, like any young woman. "I felt fit and well, with no symptoms of anything untoward.' The following month, Amy received her diagnosis. 'Not only did I have cancer, but it had spread, meaning it was now stage four. It was a devastating moment – my memories of it are hazy, because I was immediately plunged into a state of shock. "But I remember my mum Jan crying. I didn't think about myself, but about how this was going to impact my family and Danny. 'I didn't ask what my prognosis was, as I didn't want to hear my life reduced to a countdown.' Between April 2020 and May 2023, Amy – who went on to learn she had a relatively rare form of lung cancer called ALK positive, which affects 3-5% of lung cancer patients – began oral targeted therapy, as well as 20 rounds of radiotherapy to shrink her tumours. Tough to cope with 'Emotionally, it took a long time to come to terms with my diagnosis. It felt totally at odds with the fact I was just 21, with so many plans for my future. "I still felt like 'me' and I had no cancer symptoms, though I experienced side effects from the treatment, including highly sensitive skin and an internal burning sensation, which were tough to cope with. 'Danny, an engineer who I'd met on a night out with friends and started dating in 2018, was my rock, as were my family. "But nobody that age ever expects to have to tell the people they love that they have stage four cancer and be supported by them.' In January 2023, Amy, who lives with her parents, was told she'd had a 'complete response' to treatment, meaning there was no evidence of cancer in her body. She was able to return to work and get back to her passions of hiking, attending music festivals and seeing friends. However, that March, a scan revealed cancer in Amy's hip area, and she needed more radiotherapy. 'That was the hardest time, emotionally, even worse than receiving my diagnosis,' she says. 'I kept thinking – is this my life now, in and out of treatment, waiting for the cancer to appear in another part of my body?' Amy is now having regular scans, alongside medication, and she takes huge strength from her relationship. 5 'Danny has never wavered in his support, lifting my spirits on days when I've felt overwhelmed,' says Amy. 'We don't shy away from talking about cancer, but we talk about our future, too, and are planning to move in together next year.' There are countless theories swirling among the medical community about why rates of early-onset cancer are on the rise. These range from people having more exposure to artificial light, modern diets of ultra-processed foods, red meat and alcohol, as well as obesity, poor gut health and microplastics in food and water supplies. Research published by Cancer Research UK last month pointed to a possible link between bowel cancer in under-50s and childhood exposure to a toxin produced by E. coli. Dr Rachel Orritt from the charity says that, although around nine in 10 cancer cases still happen in people over 50, early-onset cancers are a growing cause for concern. 'We don't know what's causing early onset cancer. Preventable factors like changing diets and higher rates of obesity, as well as improvements to early detection, could all be playing a part. "But it's vital we have more research to understand the causes, so we know how to prevent it,' she says. Like Amy, Ellie Stacey was left in shock after being diagnosed with a rare but extremely aggressive form of ovarian cancer at 32, in March 2023, after experiencing stomach pain, bloating and pain down one side of her chest. Tests revealed she had stage 3C ovarian carcinosarcoma, which typically affects women aged over 60. She was told by doctors that, although her cancer was incurable, it could be treated. 'I was convinced I was going to die, beside myself with anxiety. It was like a nightmare. "My boyfriend Andrew, 35, who's a radiographer, was with me and was able to hold it together, while I was a mess,' says Ellie, now 34 and an ecologist, from Glasgow. 'My grandmother died from ovarian cancer in her 80s, and the thought of having to tell my mum I had it, too – in my 30s – was so painful.' Ellie has now had her fallopian tubes and ovaries removed, undergone eight rounds of chemotherapy, a hysterectomy, and had a cancerous growth attached to her liver removed. Currently, she's having maintenance IV chemotherapy infusions and oral targeted therapy, along with regular scans. She's had to come to terms with the realisation that she will never carry a child. 'It wasn't possible to freeze my eggs before my ovaries were removed, because by then they were covered in tumours, and now I have no womb either. "I have felt angry – I'd worked so hard to get to the point I wanted to in my career, assuming I'd have children at some point in the future, never imagining the choice would be taken away from me.' Having cancer so young has meant Ellie's life in the last few years has been in stark contrast to that of friends the same age. 'They've been getting on with their lives – excelling in careers, starting families – and although they've been so supportive, it's hard when my life hasn't been 'normal' for two years.' Dr Zainab Noor, a specialist clinical psychologist at the Cancer Psychology Collective says: 'Receiving a cancer diagnosis at a young age not only interrupts the normal momentum of life, but also forces a confrontation with mortality at a time when life is meant to feel limitless. 'It's not uncommon to feel untethered: caught between a life you were expecting and the reality you're suddenly living in. I call this 'emotional whiplash.'' For Ellie, one of the hardest parts about being a young cancer patient has been the uncertainty about the future. 'My career has stalled,' she says. 'I'm only able to work 12 hours on a good week, due to fatigue, and my memory and concentration are poor now. 'I get incredibly frustrated, because I feel I should be living the hell out of life, but I can't manage more than one or two things socially in a week,' adds Ellie. High recurrence rate 'Andrew and I are lucky to have such great friends, some of whom can't have children, and it's been helpful to talk to them. "Well-meaning people have told us we could still have a family via adoption. But when one parent has incurable cancer and may die younger, is that fair on a child?' Ellie has forged connections with other young cancer patients via the charity Maggie's which, she says, has been invaluable. 'There are certain things that, no matter how understanding your friends are, people can't understand unless they've been where you are. "Throughout, Andrew has been incredibly supportive. He's had a lot to deal with and I do worry it will hit him one day. "But if I'm having a down day or feeling guilty about us not being able to have children, he reassures me it's me he wants to be with.' Ellie's cancer has a high recurrence rate, although her latest scans showed that her condition is stable. 'People think that with cancer you either die or get better, but that's always not the case,' she says. 'For me, it's always going to be there and I've just got to try and live my life the best I can.' Amy still encounters shock when she reveals to people her diagnosis, but she counters it with hope and belief in medicine. 'When I meet new people and they learn I have stage four cancer, they're so shocked, and I get that. "Nobody expects to hear that from a 20-something woman who looks completely well. Their mind turns to the absolute worst outcome,' she says. 'Last year, my mum co-founded the charity Oncogene Cancer Research, and she's thrown herself into not only understanding my condition, but supporting patients and fund-raising for research. 'Through her work, I know research is happening and medicine is always evolving, so I try to remain confident that treatment will keep working for me, so I can live a long and full life. 'To this day, I've never asked what my prognosis is and I have no plans to. I am looking to, and planning for, my future.'
Telegraph
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
I've gone up against the Russians. Here's my review of the new frigate the Princess launched
Thursday marked a significant milestone for the Royal Navy as HMS Glasgow was formally named by the Princess of Wales. Glasgow is the first of eight new Type 26 anti-submarine frigates. She is expected to be fully operational by 2028, with the remaining seven entering service at regular intervals through the early 2030s. There is a real buzz around this ship – a sense of excitement about its potential. Some caution is required here. Spec sheets – essentially the sales brochure outlining the dozens of systems the ship is supposed to have – never tell the full story. Warships like this are so complex, with systems so intertwined they almost become living organisms, that I don't think you can truly judge their quality until they have fully settled into service. Caution aside, I hope the optimism is justified, because there are several compelling reasons we need this ship to be a good one. First, anti-submarine warfare (ASW) remains a cornerstone of our naval strategy. From protecting the Nuclear Deterrent to defending critical underwater infrastructure around the UK and abroad, to detecting and if necessary neutralising enemy submarines, this capability is only becoming more vital. It should be central not just to the Navy's thinking, but to the nation's. Second, a well-built and operated ASW frigate significantly strengthens our contribution to Nato and our allies. The UK has a strong heritage in this niche. We nearly let it slip in the late '90s and early 2000s when tensions with Russia eased, and it was painful to recover. But we did, and the Type 26 is a continuation of that resurgence. If the upcoming Strategic Defence Review fails to prioritise countering Russian submarine threats in the Greenland-Iceland-UK gap, it will have missed the mark. This is what our allies expect from us – perhaps more than anything else. Third, the general utility of the T26 as a survivable, multi-role frigate cannot be overstated. While we'll want them to mostly hunt submarines – around the UK, in the High North, or with the aircraft carrier – they'll inevitably be tasked with much more. In theory, the less capable Type 31 will take on lower-end duties like escort missions, humanitarian aid, and port visits. But with only five of those planned, the more capable and expensive T26 will share that burden. Either way, thirteen ships across both classes is not enough. Nelson wanted more frigates – and so do we. But since we're not getting them, the ones we do get must be top-tier. To excel in its primary mission of ASW, the ship must meet several key criteria. First among these is acoustic stealth. Hull design, propeller shape, and isolated machinery must minimise underwater noise. The current, aged Type 23 is excellent in this regard – operated properly, it could effectively disappear from a submarine's passive sonar. Noisy ships, such as most destroyers, make life far easier for the enemy. Second is the sensor suite, especially the towed array sonar and helicopter. Here, we remain world leaders with the 2087 low-frequency active sonar and the Merlin helicopter. Both are ageing but are undergoing upgrades. Submariners will tell you, Merlin gives them nightmares. From my end as a former frigate captain, having a Merlin airborne was like gaining another frigate in the fight – an incredibly fast one that the enemy often can't detect until it's too late and which cannot be torpedoed. Detection alone isn't enough. The third piece of the puzzle is a weapons suite capable of deterring or destroying the target. This is where clarity starts to wane. The helicopter will still carry Stingray, an ageing but effective lightweight torpedo. However, the Type 26 won't have the Type 23's Magazine Torpedo Launch System (MTLS), which also fires Stingray. That's a mistake. Critics may argue the torpedo's range is too short to matter—but that overlooks the nature of ASW. Pop-up detections are real, and statistically the helicopter won't be airborne when they occur. A backup weapon is essential. Nothing will put a submariner off their stroke faster than the sound of a torpedo spinning up, even if it's not brings us to the Mk 41 Vertical Launch System, a launch tube which can hold various weapons. The T26s will have 24 of these tubes. This could solve the problem – if we buy the ASROC (Anti-Submarine Rocket). An ASROC can launch from a Mk41 tube, fly to where the submarine is, and deposit a torpedo into the water. It's much better than MTLS. But it's not clear that we'll get any ASROCs, or anything much else to go in our Mk41 tubes. The Mk 41 can house everything from ASROC to quad-packed point-defense missiles, Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles, and even the advanced and powerful SM-6 and SM-3 anti-air missiles, capable of bringing down ballistic and hypersonic threats. But these systems are expensive. Some argue a specialist ASW ship doesn't need long-range missiles like the SM-6 or SM-3, due to its relatively limited radar. But that mindset is outdated. With increasing sensor integration and networked warfare, such arguments are losing relevance. Besides, assuming the T26 will only do ASW is unrealistic. Even so, history suggests we'll be late acquiring these weapons – and will likely start with cheaper variants. I doubt the Type 26 will be the platform to break our tradition of under-arming our ships. The real question is how big that gap will be, and how long it will last. The fourth and final component is the ship's 'mission bay'. I've heard it's superbly designed – able to support everything from uncrewed systems to raiding craft. How we use this bay will determine whether the T26 is merely a good ASW frigate or a world-class Swiss Army knife warship. There's a lot of development in this area – which gives me hope. It will need to mature quickly, but that's true of the whole operational concept. That said, weapons and sensors are only part of the story. The propulsion system and shafting are crucial – areas where the Type 45 destroyers and Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier got it wrong. Reliability, fuel endurance, top speed – these matter. We're often slower than our US counterparts, which can be a problem when sprinting to support a task group or avoiding fast attack craft manned or unmanned. But for ASW, stealth and endurance outweigh top speed. Tying it all together is the command system. We've done well in this area historically, and I expect the T26 will follow suit. Its ability to evolve over a 30-year lifespan is key – here, the US Navy's Aegis system has set the gold standard since the late '80s. Finally, a quick note on tradition. Superstitious types may have winced when the Princess of Wales said, 'God bless this ship and all who sail on her.' Royal Navy personnel traditionally serve in ships, not on them – a reflection of the intimate relationship between crew and vessel. Tradition aside, in ASW terms, this distinction matters. Success relies on the entire ship's company – from chefs to engineers – working in harmony. The enemy certainly thinks this way. We must, too. In sum, though it's early days, I'm confident HMS Glasgow deserves a four-star review. Unless something drastic emerges in her engineering or acoustic profile (which I doubt), she's shaping up to be the backbone of our future surface fleet. The Navy desperately needs her, and so do our allies. Our enemies, especially submariners, will fear her – above all the Merlin helicopter she carries. I do think she could become a five-star asset in time, with the right weapons in her tubes and the right systems in her mission bay. She'll initially suffer from being 'fitted for but not with' – the fiscal climate ensures it. But if we overcome that quickly we might just have a world-beater. Let's hope so. There's plenty of work to do.
