Court Circular

BUCKINGHAM PALACE

19 February: His Excellency Senor Luis Davalos was received in audience by The Queen and presented the Letters of Recall of his predecessor and his own Letters of Credence as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary from the Republic of Ecuador to the Court of St James's.

His Excellency was accompanied by the following members of the Embassy: Dr Francisco Carrion Mena (Minister), Captain Jaime Samaniego (Naval Attache) and Senor Rolando Suarez (Second Secretary).

Senora Davalos was also received by Her Majesty.

Sir David Gillmore (Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs) was present and the Household- in-Waiting were in attendance.

The Queen, Colonel-in-Chief, received Major-General David Houston upon relinquishing his appointment as Colonel of the Queen's Lancashire Regiment and Major-General Scott Grant upon assuming the appointment.

Mr Donald Lamont (Her Majesty's Ambassador at Montevideo) and Mrs Lamont had the honour of being received by The Queen.

The Duke of Edinburgh, Patron, the Royal National Institute for Deaf People, this afternoon visited the Poolemead Centre, Bath, and was received by Brigadier JG Starling (Deputy Lieutenant of Avon).

His Royal Highness, Patron and Honorary Fellow, this evening attended the Triennial Dinner of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Nicholson Street, Edinburgh, and was received by Her Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant for the City of Edinburgh (Councillor Norman Irons, the Right Hon the Lord Provost).

Wing Commander Christopher Moran RAF was in attendance.

Today is the anniversary of the Birthday of The Duke of York.

ROYAL ENGAGEMENTS

The Princess Royal, Patron, Scottish Rugby Union, today attends the Scotland v Wales International Rugby Match, Murrayfield, Edinburgh.

Changing of the Guard

TODAY: The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment mounts the Queen's Life Guard at Horse Guards, 11am. TOMORROW: The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment mounts the Queen's Life Guard at Horse Guards, 10am; 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards mounts the Queen's Guard, at Buckingham Palace, 11.30am, band provided by the Coldstream Guards.