Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh, attended the Service of Dedication and unveiling of the new memorial in Victoria Embankment Gardens, which honours the service and duty of both the UK Armed Forces and civilians in the Gulf region, Iraq and Afghanistan, and those who supported them back home, from 1990-2015.
The service of dedication, from a specially conducted Drumhead, with 2,500 invited guests was held on Horse Guards Parade at 1100. After the Drumhead Service, a short ceremony was held at Victoria Embankment Gardens, next to the Ministry of Defence, where The Queen officially unveiled the memorial and met a small number of guests. A reception for all those who attended the day’s events was held on Horse Guards Parade afterwards.
Among the invited guests of the many groups whose contribution is recognised by the memorial, including current Service personnel, veterans, civil servants and charities. In addition to The Queen and The Duke, the following members of the Royal Family attended: The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, The Duke of York, The Earl and Countess of Wessex, The Princess Royal, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, The Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra. Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and International Development Secretary Priti Patel.
