Duchess of Gloucester honours war dead in place of Queen at Westminster Abbey

The Duchess of Gloucester has attended Westminster Abbey’s Field of Remembrance ceremony in place of the Queen, who is unwell, to commemorate members of the armed forces who have lost their lives.

Birgitte attended the 96th annual event on Thursday morning as the Queen had to withdraw from the engagement due to a chest infection.

The Queen is said to be sad and disappointed to miss the event – one she particularly loves, especially because of her late father’s military connections.

Upon arrival, the duchess was met by the Dean of Westminster, the Very Rev Dr David Hoyle, before she laid a personal cross of remembrance on behalf of the Queen in memory of armed service personnel who have lost their lives in service.

The Last Post was sounded by a bugle from the parapet of St Margaret’s Church before a two-minute silence after Big Ben struck 11am.

Birgitte smiled as she greeted attendees including the Royal British Legion’s national president Vice Admiral Paul Bennett, president of the Poppy Factory Surgeon Rear Admiral Lionel Jarvis and Labour’s veterans’ minister Alistair Carns.

The duchess, wrapped up warm against the chilly morning in a brown coat, a feathered black hat and black boots, saw around 40,000 tributes, including symbols of all faiths, that have been laid out in 308 plots in the grounds of Westminster Abbey.

Some of the wooden crosses bore personal messages, including “Rest in peace grandad, you will never be forgotten”, and photos of fallen service people.

Birgitte spent around an hour speaking to some of the attendees and thanking them for their service.

Among those she met was Nathan Dyer, 39, who was representing the Royal Army Corps and serves in the same regiment as the duchess’s son, the Earl of Ulster, did.

Mr Dyer said the duchess recognised the crimson trousers of his uniform “straight away”.

On the importance of the event, Mr Dyer said: “If there wasn’t people to continue remembering those that had fallen and sacrificed their lives for this country and the forces, then clearly stuff like this is really important to do year on year.”

He went on to say that it was “unfortunate” the Queen had been unable to attend and that other members of the royal family had experienced health issues recently, adding that he hoped Camilla “recovers well”.

The duchess also greeted Watchman, a six-year-old black Staffordshire bull terrier who is the regimental mascot of the Staffordshire Regimental Association and was wearing a black and gold jacket with a large red poppy adorning his lead.

The Queen is a patron of the Poppy Factory, a charity that supports members of the armed forces and their families on their journey to employment and organises the Field of Remembrance.

The charity’s employment support for veterans with health conditions began at its factory in Richmond-upon-Thames, west London, where members of the production team have been making Remembrance wreaths for the Royal British Legion and the royal family since 1922.

Chief executive of the Poppy Factory, Amanda Shepard, said the event was a “very special occasion” and one that starts the remembrance period.

She continued: “It’s really important that we remember the fallen, but also we give thanks to all who serve today.

“We’re proud to stage the opening ceremony and to lay out the field, and it’s part of our fine heritage of employing veterans and helping veterans who’ve given the most back to work. It’s a very special day.”

Ms Shepard wished the Queen a “very speedy recovery” and said she was “delighted” to have welcomed the duchess to the event.

Camilla, 77, who has not long returned from a busy official overseas tour to Australia and Samoa and a spa break in India, is understood to be resting at her Wiltshire home, Raymill.

The duchess, 78, who is married to the late Queen’s cousin the Duke of Gloucester, is one of the long-standing, trusted members of the slimmed-down working monarchy who support the King in his official duties.

The royal family will be taking part in national Remembrance events this weekend, with the Princess of Wales hoping to attend the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph with senior members of the monarchy.