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Her Majesty was joined by The Duke of Edinburgh, The Earl of Wessex, Prince Michael of Kent and Princess Alexandra for the solemn drumhead service at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London.
The ceremony included a march by reservists accompanied by the Honourable Artillery Company band.
The service is held on the centenary of the shooting of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914. The assassination was the fuse that lit the powder keg to set off the events leading to World War I.
Following the service, the Queen was presented with Stepping Forward, a book paying tribute to volunteer military reservists and supporting auxiliaries from Greater London from 1908 to 2014.
“We are honoured and delighted to hold this service in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea,” Lieutenant Governor of the Royal Hospital Chelsea Major General Peter Currie commented.
“There is no more fitting site for this event in London than the home of the Chelsea Pensioners which for over 300 years has stood as a symbol of the nation’s gratitude,” Currie added.
photo credit: Birmingham News Room via photopin cc]]>
It looks like I have the honour of making the first comment!
Actually, it’s a question: does anyone know if either The Queen or the Duke of Edinburgh are related to Archduke Franz Ferdinand, whose assassination set off the First World War? I was wondering if this ceremony was personal for Her Majesty because of any family connections.