The Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, has arrived in the Falklands amid tensions between Britain and Argentina over the disputed islands.

He will do a tour of duty as an Royal Air Force search and rescue pilot. The Royal Navy is preparing to send one of its most advanced new warships to the area.

In Buenos Aires demonstrators burned the Union Jack outside the British embassy.

Britain's Ministry of Defence said Prince William's six-week posting, was part of a ''a routine operational deployment''.

He arrived as part of a crew of four RAF personnel. He will attend a series of briefings and take part in a ''familiarisation flight'' before he begins his search and rescue work.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: ''Flight Lieutenant Wales, as part of a four-man Search and Rescue (SAR) crew, has arrived in the Falkland Islands on a routine operational deployment and will shortly take up SAR duties post a period of briefings and a familiarisation flight''.

PA