Princess Royal attends Remembrance service at National Memorial Arboretum
Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal has attended the Service of Remembrance at the Armed Forces Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum (NMA) in Staffordshire.
The service was led by the Right Reverend Libby Lane, Bishop of Derby, and included an Act of Remembrance, with a two-minute silence at 11am.
The Princess Royal laid a wreath on the central plinth of the Armed Forces Memorial.
The wreath sat beside the giant bronze wreath which captures a shaft of sunlight at 11am on 11 November each year, thanks to a specifically designed gap in the walls of the memorial.
Wreaths were also laid by Rear Admiral Richard Murrison, Royal Navy, Major General James R Martin, British Army, Air Vice-Marshal Tim Jones, Royal Air Force and Group Captain Anny Reid OBE ARRC (Rtd), Chair of the NMA.
There were also performances from the British Army Band Catterick and a recital by Dan Simpson, the Arboretum’s poet-in-residence, who read his new poem 'Enduring Freedom'.
Philippa Rawlinson, Director of Remembrance for the Royal British Legion and Director of the NMA, said: "This weekend we are gathering across the country to pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the Nation, defending our freedoms and protecting our way of life.
"By bringing together people of all ages, from diverse communities, we are passing the baton of Remembrance to future generations, ensuring that the sacrifices made by all who serve will never be forgotten.
"The National Memorial Arboretum, the Nation’s year-round place to remember, plays a critical role in preserving the legacy of the fallen.
"There are countless stories of service and sacrifice encapsulated within more than 400 memorials, transforming our 150-acre estate into an inspirational space to celebrate lives lived and commemorate lives lost in service, freely open to all."
On Remembrance Sunday, 12 November, the NMA is hosting a Service of Remembrance at the base of the Armed Forces Memorial, which will include musical performances, readings, and a two-minute silence.
Thousands of members of the public are expected to stand together to pay tribute to the nation’s war dead.
The NMA’s Armed Forces Memorial is engraved with names of more than 16,000 service personnel, and honours all those who have been killed whilst on duty, died in operational theatre or been targeted by terrorists since the end of the Second World War.
The Memorial is particularly important for many families and friends who have no grave to visit, or who remember those in graves in far-off places.
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