Report: Britain's Prince William to set out on Falklands tour

Feb 1, 2012, 18:17 GMT

London - Britain's Prince William was Wednesday reported to be setting out for a six-week deployment to the Falkland Islands as tensions rose with Argentina over the remote islands' sovereignty.

Tension between Britain and Argentina has been rising recently in the run-up to the 30th anniversary of the 1982 Falklands conflict between the two countries, in which 649 Argentinians and 255 Britons died.

The Daily Telegraph reported that the prince, 29, would be leaving later Wednesday from a Royal Air Force (RAF) base in Britain for a 'remote outcrop in the South Atlantic.'

A spokeswoman for the prince and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) declined to comment on the report.

William, who became Duke of Cambridge on his marriage to the former Kate Middleton last year, is a research and rescue helicopter pilot in the RAF.

'Today it was confirmed that the Duke of Cambridge will begin his six-week deployment as a helicopter pilot earlier than expected. He will fly out from RAF Brize Norton in Oxforshire tonight,' said the Telegraph in its online edition.

The deployment has already been condemned as a 'provocation' by the Argentinian government.

The Foreign Ministry in Buenos Aires said late Tuesday that William would be wearing the uniform of a 'conqueror' when he arrived in the Falklands.

On Tuesday, the British government said it would deploy one of the Royal Navy's most advanced warships, HMS Dauntless, off the coast of the Falklands shortly.

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