Seemingly unaffected by the bitterly cold weather despite her 101 years, the Queen Mother spent almost an hour in Westminster Abbey’s Field of Rememberance on Thursday when she paid tribute to British war heroes on Thursday. Wearing an enormous red poppy and dressed warmly in a black with white feathers in her hat, the Queen Mum, planted her personal poppy to commemorate those who lost their lives in the service of their country, before joining a short-open air memorial service.
The centenarian royal, whose brother Fergus was killed at Loos in 1915 during the First World War, stood with the aid of sticks during the brief service, before hopping in her specially adapted golf buggy to meet some of the 5,000 people attending the ceremony. “It is wonderful that she comes here. I have seen her five times now,” said 79-year-old Tom Dwyer, a former bombardier in the Royal Artillery who took part in the D-Day landings. “To me, it’s all about comradeship and renewing acquaintances,” he added.
This year, the number of crosses donated by friends and relatives of the fallen had almost doubled. The Field of Remembrance which was also dotted with little Stars of David and Muslim Crescents, and many of the crosses in the American section were dedicated to victims of the terrorist attacks on New York – the first time those killed in a civilian tragedy were honored in this way. After missing the traditional Remembrance Day event at the Cenotaph in Whitehall for the past two years due to ill health, the Queen Mother is hoping to attend this year’s service on Sunday.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Dressed in black and sporting a giant double- petalled poppy, the Queen Mother, who lost her brother Fergus in the First World War, planted her personal cross before joing a brief open-air memorial ceremony
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Duty has always been of paramount importance to England's favourite grandmother, and despite recent ill health she has continued with a reduced programme of official events. She recently toured the construction site of a holiday cottage for the disabled with one of the project organisers, Reverend Bob Sloane (above)
