Prince William joined the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh for a First World War centenary event in London on Thursday morning. The British royal trio stepped out at Wellington Barracks where the Flanders Field Memorial Garden was being unveiled.Dressed in a dark grey overcoat and sporting a scarlet poppy, the Duke of Cambridge stood on a raised platform with his grandparents and Belgium's King Philippe to view guardsmen who honoured the occasion with a parade. Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg had also travelled to the British capital for the engagement.
The Queen, Prince Philip and Prince William were joined by King Philippe of Belgium
The memorial garden has been a collaborative project between the UK, Belgium and Luxembourg, seeing London's Guards Museum and Flanders House come together with the Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce. Internationally-acclaimed Belgian landscape architect Piet Blanckaert was tasked with designing the garden. One of its unique features is that 70 sandbags of soil from the Flanders Fields battlefield cemeteries were brought over by the Belgian Navy frigate 'Louisa Marie' and taken by the British Army to the garden where they were laid into a raised circular bed.
Prince William was seen greeting his grandmother with a kiss
It is hoped that British schoolchildren who are unable to travel to the continental battlefields themselves will be able to learn about WW1 and pay their respects at the London memorial.Later in the day Prince William is set to join forces with his brother Prince Harry to host an Armed Forces reception at Buckingham Palace. William and Harry, who spent Thursday at London’s Field of Remembrance, will recognise those involved in the medical care, recovery and rehabilitation of injured personnel and veterens.
