Armed Forces Memorial Opening
Her Majesty the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall were at the National Memorial Arboretum on Friday 12 October to see the Archbishop of Canterbury dedicate a new memorial to the Armed Forces. Click here for a transcript of the sermon.
The memorial, designed by architect Liam O'Connor, honours those killed in combat and training as well as in acts of terrorism and bears the names of nearly 16,000 Servicemen and women who have died since 1948, including those killed in conflicts in the Falklands, Iraq, Afghanistan, Northern Ireland, Korea and Malaysia. It also has room for 15,000 more names to be added.
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| The Queen arrives at the opening | Prime Minister Gordon Brown at the opening |
Prime Minister Gordon Brown also attended the ceremony, and was greeted by the Legion's President, Air Marshal Ian Macfadyean (pictured above).
A parade of Standards, below, led by the Legion's National Standard Bearer Julia Poulter, greeted the Royal party, who were also introduced to families of some of the individuals named on the memorial.
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| Standard Bearers at the opening | The Exhortation |
Vice-Admiral Sir John Dunt, chairman of the Armed Forces Memorial Trustees, opened the ceremony and spoke of the sorrow and pride of the families of the deceased.
He said: "I hope that those who have been bereaved and colleagues of those whose names are engraved find this a fitting place to remember and reflect.
"There will be sorrow for family and friends who come here, but I hope they will also be uplifted and proud - proud that these men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice have done so by serving their country."
The ceremony was closed by Ian Macfadyean (below) who led the Exhortation, and was followed by a flypast of Royal Air Force aircraft from across different decades.
The dedication received widespread coverage of BBC News and Sky.
