The final checks have been made on the, ‘Prince William’ ambulance before it makes its way into active service in Israel. The Cotswolds provided the unlikely location for a small team from Magen David Adom to see-off the vehicle, prior to shipping next week.
The vehicle was dedicated in honour of HRH Prince William’s historic trip to Israel in June 2018.
Poignantly, the event took place on Yom Ha’atzmaut under the watchful eyes of Lord Simon Reading, who had been instrumental in bringing the ambulance to Gloucestershire. Reading’s grandfather, the 1st Marquess of Reading (to this date the only Jew to be elevated to the level of Marquess and the only ‘commoner’ since Wellington) was Lord Chief Justice between 1913 and 1921 and is considered to be one of the leading influences on The Balfour Declaration occurring.
Speaking at the inspection, Magen David Adom UK Chief Executive, Daniel Burger, said, “It will be very special to see an ambulance bearing the name of His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge on the streets of Israel saving lives. I hope it won’t be too long before we can see it in action, in person.”
Lord Reading said, “Seeing the ambulance was like heaven touching down on Cirencester. It was a perfect illustration of the wonderful work MDA does around the world. The visit by His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge was a special moment for us all, both here in the UK and also in Israel. The ambulance is a fitting tribute to a historic event that none of us will ever forget.”
The ambulance will be shipped to Israel on April 22nd and on arrival will be stationed in Nazreth.