Prince Edward awards students

Prague, March 13 (CTK) - British Prince Edward, the youngest son of British Queen Elizabeth II, yesterday presented 35 Czech students with certificates confirming they have successfully participated in an education programme organised by a foundation that he chairs.

Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex, arrived for a three-day visit to the Czech Republic at the invitation of the British embassy in Prague and the Czech branch of the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award foundation on Tuesday.

They were received by Czech President Milos Zeman and his wife Ivana at Prague Castle on the first day of their visit.

Prince Edward congratulated yesterday the Czech students and said parents and teachers should encourage young people to take part in similar activities promoted by the foundation.

The Czech students aged 14 to 24 focused on the study of foreign languages as well as on voluntary work in old people's homes and in child and cultural events.

The education programme is divided into three separate attainment levels: bronze, silver and gold.

The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award was launched by Queen Elizabeth's husband Prince Philip in 1956. More than eight million young people from over 140 countries have participated in it since then.

Two hundred Czech students took part in it last year.

According to the foundation the certificate can help young people in admission to universities in the Czech Republic and in Britain.

The Czech branch was founded in 1994.

Countess Sophie visited the Czech-British Sue Ryder Home for seniors in Prague this morning.

Later in the day, the Count and Countess of Wessex saw a part of rehearsing for British David Seidler's play "The King's Speech" that is a story of Edward's grandfather, English King George VI, in a Prague theatre.