By Royal appointment

GUILDFORD,U.K- It’s not often you get to play in front of someone so famous that it makes David Beckham appear as a D list celebrity but that is exactly what English Premier league side Guildford Flames will be doing on October 24.  Who is this person I hear you ask, it is none other than Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth and Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip. The Flames will take part in an exhibition game against Slovakian Extraliga outfit HK Aquacity SKP Poprad in Northern Slovakia to commemarate the Queens first state visit to the country following an invitation from President Danilo Tuerk. The game is just a small part of a two day celebration of relations between the UK and Slovakia. The Queen will join both clubs on the Ice in a pre-game ceremony at the Tatravagonka Arena at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. 
Head-coach Paul Dixon spoke of the great honour for the Flames and it’s players.
“It is a rare moment when you take your ice hockey club somewhere and the game itself is very much secondary to the real reasons for the trip and the event,  we are exceedingly honoured to be invited to take part and to be a small part of a Royal visit is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and it is a great chance for every member of our team to do something that we may be talking about with our grandchildren 30 or 40 years from now,” Dixon said  “We are also honoured, as a small domestic British club, to travel to an A-pool ice hockey nation at the invite of a team like Poprad who play at a world class level, in a world class league.” Contact the author at Kevin.oconnor@prohockeynews.com