Queen attends WWI battle memorial

-- From the BBC

The Queen was there to pay tribute to the tens of thousands who died

Allied soldiers killed in one of the bloodiest battles of World War I have been remembered by the Queen during an official visit to Belgium.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh attended a commemoration service marking the 90th anniversary of the battle of Passchendaele.

The service at Tyne Cot cemetery, near Ypres, was also attended by Belgium's Queen Paola and around 4,000 locals.

Almost 11,000 servicemen are buried in the Commonwealth war cemetery.

Fly-past

The cemetery at Tyne Cot at Ypres, which is the French name for the southern Belgian town of Ieper, is the largest Commonwealth military burial site in the world.

It is a couple of miles from the village of Passchendaele, which gave its name to one of the last battles of WWI.

Tens of thousands of troops were killed or injured in the fighting amid water-filled shell holes.

Peace in Flanders field

Readings from some of the great-great grandchildren of servicemen who fought in the conflict, prayers and hymns featured in the service.

One of the most poignant moments came when a vintage bi-plane appeared overhead and dropped poppies - a symbol of the Great War - over the dignitaries.

Last Post

Peter Cleminson, the Royal British Legion's national chairman, attended the service along with Defence Secretary Des Browne and senior representatives from countries who fought alongside Britain.

He said: "On behalf of The Royal British Legion I would particularly like to thank the people of Ieper, Zonnebeke-Passchendaele and countless other towns in the region who have never forgotten - not for a single day - the hundreds of thousands of men who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Crowds gathered near the Menin Gate ahead of the ceremony

"Today we have stood shoulder to shoulder with counterparts from many countries in silence and what I hope was a united spirit of 'never again'."

Rupert Forrester, 18, from Leeds, whose descendants fought near Tyne Cot, said the anniversary had led him to discover a lot about his family ties to Passchendaele.

"My great great grandfather Harry and Ronald, his son, both died on the same day.

"We found the story of how they died and it has meant a lot more to us now."

The men were listed as missing but are both commemorated on Tyne Cot's wall of memorial.

The Queen, dressed in a purple coat and hat, also opened a new visitors' centre at the cemetery.

There are 12,000 graves and 35,000 names of missing people engraved on memorial walls at Tyne Cot.

Before the Tyne Cot ceremony, the Queen laid a wreath at the Menin Gate war memorial, near Ypres, while buglers played the Last Post.

Menin Gate has 55,000 names of missing soldiers engraved on its walls.

The Queen, accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh, will visit Virginia and Kentucky.

The Queen, accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh, will visit Virginia to mark the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown settlement. Other highlights include an arrival ceremony at the White House and a visit to the Kentucky Derby.

Full programme for the visit

3 May 2007: Richmond
Afternoon: The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh arrive at the Governor's Mansion before undertaking a walkabout to Capitol for an arrival and greetings ceremony. The Queen makes a speech to the Virginia Assembly.
Evening: Arrival in Williamsburg.

4 May 2007: Williamsburg
Morning: The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh arrive at the Jamestown Settlement. The Queen tours the Fort whilst The Duke of Edinburgh tours the ship SUSAN CONSTANT.

Her Majesty and His Royal Highness arrive at the Jamestown archaeological site. The Queen visits the museum whilst The Duke of Edinburgh visits the vault (conservation facility).

The Royal couple view part of the original well before a tour of the dig and site. They present a gift to people of Virginia.

The Queen attends a lunch at the Governor's Palace in Williamsburg.

The Duke of Edinburgh attends a lunch in Norfolk.

Afternoon: The Queen visits the College of William and Mary where she meets students and academic alumni, requests the ringing of Wren Bell and receives a class award.

The Duke of Edinburgh attends a reception onboard USS WISCONSIN.

5 May 2007: Kentucky
Afternoon: The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh attend the Kentucky Derby.

6 May 2007: Washington
Evening: The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh arrive at Andrews Air Force Base.

7 May 2007: Washington
Morning: The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh attend an arrival ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House. They inspect an Honour Guard and meet guests: Queen and President make speeches. A Private lunch follows.

Afternoon: Photograph of Her Majesty and His Royal Highness with Commonwealth ambassadors

They attend a Garden Party at the Ambassador's Residence.

Evening: State Dinner

8 May 2007: Washington
Morning: The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh visit the NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre.

The Queen meets staff and visits the Mission Control Centre.
The Duke of Edinburgh tours the spacecraft test facilities and robotics.

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh view the 'Science on a Sphere' exhibition and plant a tree at the Visitor Centre.

8 May 2007: Washington
Morning: The Queen holds an Investiture (three honorary awards) at the Ambassador's Residence.

Afternoon: Her Majesty and His Royal Highness plant a tree at the Ambassador's Residence before visiting the Children's National Medical Center.

The Queen visits the cardiac ward whilst The Duke of Edinburgh
visits the research facility.

Her Majesty and His Royal Highness meet young patients in recreational activities.

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh visit the World War II National Memorial where they lay a wreath; meet veterans of the war in the Pacific; visit the Field of Stars and meet GI war brides.

Evening: The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh host a return dinner at the Ambassador's Residence, also attended by the President and Mrs Bush.

Depart Washington via Andrews Air Force Base.

Commonwealth Day message from Her Majesty The Queen, Head of the Commonwealth

Today's_Commonwealth is home to nearly a third of the world's population. Its almost two billion citizens come from so many faiths, races, cultures and traditions.

I think that one of the reasons for the success of this organisation is that it draws not only on certain shared values, but also from the principles and practices of everyday life, which can be observed day after day in the cities, towns and villages of our 53 member countries.

Over thousands of years, the very basis of community life has been the pooling together by individuals of their resources and skills.

Rather than having to be good at everything, people were able to practise their own skill or craft. The lesson of community life is that to flourish we must help each other. To do this, there has to be a sense of fairness, a real understanding of others' needs and aspirations, and a willingness to contribute.

Despite its size and scale, the Commonwealth to me is still at heart a collection of villages. In close-knit communities like these, there are beliefs and values we share and cherish. We know that helping others will lead to greater security and prosperity for ourselves.

Because we feel this way, our governments and peoples aim to work even more closely together. And as individuals, we find that taking part in Commonwealth activities can be inspirational and personally rewarding.

In today's difficult and sometimes divided world, I believe that it is more important than ever to keep trying to respect and understand each other better. Each and every one of us has hopes, needs, and priorities. Each of us is an individual, with ties of emotion and bonds of obligation - to culture, religion, community, country and beyond. In short, each of us is special.

The more we see others in this way, the more we can understand them and their points of view. In what we think and say and do, let us as individuals actively seek out the views of others; let us make the best use of what our beliefs and history teach us; let us have open minds and hearts; and let us, like the Commonwealth, find our diversity a cause for celebration and a source of
strength and unity.

This is a thought worth bearing in mind as we gather on Commonwealth Day: we are a thriving community; we value our past; we make the most of our present; and we are working together to build our future. By respecting difference and promoting understanding, that future will be a better one for us all.

Elizabeth R.
12 March 2007