Flying doctors honoured with royal gift

17 Mar 2011, 9:02 am   -   Source: AAP

Australians who decide to send the royal couple a wedding gift will also be helping the Royal Flying Doctor Service and Earthwatch.

Australians who decide to send the royal couple a wedding gift will also be helping Australian charities.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service and Earthwatch are among a handful of charities outside the UK to be included on a list of 26 beneficiaries, chosen by Prince William and Catherine Middleton to benefit from the Royal Wedding Charitable Fund.

RFDS national chairman, Major General Michael Jeffery, said he was honoured by the couple's gesture, which continued a tradition of royal interest in the service's work.

" ... the royal family has shown great interest in our work, including visits by the Queen to our Broken Hill Base in 1954 and to the Cairns Base in 2002, whilst Prince Charles visited the Alice Springs base in 2005," Major Gen Jeffery said in a statement.

On Saturday, Prince William will tour the service's Cairns base as he visits parts of Australia affected by the recent natural disasters.

He'll meet with RFDS staff who helped respond to Cyclone Yasi.

RFDS Queensland chief executive Nino Di Marco said the announcement had come as a complete surprise.

"We're just delighted," he told the ABC.

He said there was no estimate on how much money the vital service would receive from the fund.

"We'll probably know, I'd say, in the next few months."

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