The Royals Attend Service of Commemoration at St Paul's Cathedral
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined members of the Royal family for a service of commemoration to mark the end of combat operations in Afghanistan at St Paul's Cathedral, London.
Other royals in attendance included Her Majesty The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Princess of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke of York, The Earl and Countess of Wessex, The Duke of Gloucester, and of course Prince Harry who served who served two tours during the conflict.
Some 2,000 people gathered at the cathedral this morning including hundreds of veterans and families who lost loved ones during the conflict. Political leaders whose decisions led to Britain's involvement in Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks, including former Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, were present.
View image | gettyimages.com
The tribute honoured the 453 Service men and women who lost their lives during the campaign. During the service, The Archbishop of Canterbury blessed a cross made of shell casings that adorned a memorial wall in Camp Bastion, ahead of forming part of a new Bastion Memorial Wall at the National Memorial Arboretum, to be dedicated at a special ceremony in June.
David Murray, chief executive of SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity spoke to The Telegraph about the service:
'It is an opportunity to recognise the courage and sacrifice of the tens of thousands of brave men and women who served in Afghanistan and to honour the 453 servicemen and women who lost their lives fighting for our country.
As Afghanistan makes the transfer from the front pages to the history books, let us not forget that our Forces have been doing their duty on our behalf, to keep us safe. They have had our backs, now is the time for us to have theirs.
Almost 150,000 UK personnel served in the Afghanistan conflict, and 453 British men and women died in the fight against the Taliban insurgency.'
The service was led by the Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral, with the address given by The Archbishop of Canterbury. Prayers will be said by members of the Armed Forces, veterans and families.
St Paul's Cathedral is one of the most famous and most recognisable sights of London, with its dome, framed by the spires of Wren's City churches, dominating the skyline for 300 years. At 365 feet (111 m) high, it was the tallest building in London from 1710 to 1962, and its dome is also among the highest in the world. In terms of area, St Paul's is the second largest church building in the United Kingdom after Liverpool Cathedral.
St Paul's Cathedral Facebook Page
The order of service can be viewed on the cathedral's official website. Below we see a snippet from The Bidding Prayer led by The Very Reverend Dr David Ison.
'We commemorate with sorrow and regret those who have died in these operations, and pray for their families and friends and for all who mourn their loss. May they rest in peace and rise in glory.
We remember those who have been injured in body, mind or spirit and we pray for their continued well-being and for those who especially support them. And we pray for the nation of Afghanistan, for its people and its leaders, remembering the fear
and death and loss that they too have known, and the danger which people in that great country continue to face today. May they share in the many riches which earth affords and contribute actively to the good of the international community.'
For her first military engagement in 2011, Kate honoured Irish Guards who served in Afghanistan. The Duchess chose a striking military style Alexander McQueen ensemble for the event.
Following the service, personnel who served in Afghanistan will parade from St Paul’s Cathedral through the City of London to Guildhall. The Prince of Wales will take the salute. There will be a spectacular flypast too. Aircraft from the campaign, including Chinook, Apache and Sea King helicopters, as well as Hercules transport planes and Tornado attack jets, will roar over the parade in their own salute.
After the parade, members of the Royal family will attend receptions at Guildhall, the Honourable Artillery Company and Wellington Barracks for those who attended the service and took part in the parade. Prince William is expected to attend one of these receptions; Kate isn't pencilled in to join him.
I immediately recognised Kate's chic coat as a piece by Beulah London. The navy Chiara trapeze coat is described as "extremely flattering" It features a nipped in waist with soft folds at the hem. It was the perfect choice for the nature of the engagement and looked incredibly elegant on Kate.
Beulah London
Blair suggests Kate may have worn the brand's Seraphina fit-flare dress underneath. The £350 garment is a stylish and flattering piece.
Beulah London
Kate wore her navy suede Alexander McQueen pumps.
The Duchess wore her Cornelia James gloves and carried her Russell and Bromley Muse Clutch, known as the Stuart Weitzman Raz Clutch bag across the pond.
Kate's hair was styled in a beautiful chignon.
We spotted some beautiful new jewellery on Kate. We're awaiting high-res images and will update soon!
We'll have more updates and photos shortly!
More posts from
