Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh will attend the Service of Commemoration – Afghanistan at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday 13 March
The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will join members of the Armed Forces, veterans, the Next of Kin of deceased personnel, representatives of military and aid charities and organisations, and the UK’s NATO allies at the event.
Also in attendance will be The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, The Duke of York and The Earl and Countess of Wessex, The Duke of Gloucester, the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Secretary of State for Defence, Service Chiefs and other senior political and military figures.
The Ministry of Defence has announced further details of the Service of Commemoration, which will also include a parade through the City of London from St Paul’s to the Guildhall and a flypast.
The service will pay tribute to members of the Armed Forces past and present who served on operations in Afghanistan, and all those in the UK who worked to make the country safer and more stable. It will also reflect on the 453 Servicemen and women who lost their lives during that campaign.
During the service, a cross made of shell casings that adorned a memorial wall in Camp Bastion will be blessed by The Archbishop of Canterbury, ahead of forming part of a new Bastion Memorial Wall at The Royal British Legion’s National Memorial Arboretum, which will be dedicated at a special ceremony in June.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: “I am delighted that so many members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and their families will be able to mark the day either at the St Paul’s service, by marching in the parade, or at one of the other services across the UK.
“I hope that people across the country will join them in remembering those we have lost and recognising the extraordinary courage and dedication of all those who served. They leave a proud legacy – terrorists have been prevented from using Afghanistan as a safe haven for attacks on our streets and it is a safer and more prosperous country.”
The Archbishop of Canterbury will give an address and an Act of Commitment to the Common Good will be led by the Bishop of London.
The St Paul’s Cathedral Choir will sing music by Maurice Durufle, Ralph Vaughan Williams, William Harris and John Stainer. Hymns include God is Love: let heav’n adore him (Blaenwern) and Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us (Mannheim).
Following the service, The Prince of Wales will take the salute as a parade of personnel who served in Afghanistan from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, the Army and the Royal Air Force, and veterans, supported by military bands and Pipes and Drums make their way from St Paul’s Cathedral. During the parade, a flypast of aircraft used in the campaign, including Chinook, Apache and Sea King helicopters, and Hercules and Tornado aircraft will fly over the parade and Cathedral in tribute.
Receptions will then be held at Guildhall hosted by the City of London Corporation, the Honourable Artillery Company and Wellington Barracks hosted by The Royal British Legion attended by Members of The Royal Family, those who attended the service and those who took part in the parade.
The Ministry of Defence, in partnership with The Royal British Legion, is also inviting Armed Forces veterans who served in Afghanistan across the UK to apply to take part in the parade. Those who parade will be invited to the subsequent receptions. For details on how to apply please visit www.britishlegion.org.uk/afghanistan
The service at St Paul’s Cathedral and the parade will be broadcast live on BBC One from 1030 on 13 March. On the same day at military establishments of the Royal Navy and the Army throughout the UK and Germany will be holding events for personnel and families of deceased personnel to mark the day in their own way. The Royal Air Force will also be holding a service for personnel and families at Lincoln Cathedral, a place of great symbolic importance for the RAF.