National Memorial Arboretum announces Royal attendance at Armistice Day service
The National Memorial Arboretum near Lichfield, which comprises 150 acres of trees and memorials, including the striking Armed Forces Memorial, has announced that His Royal Highness Honorary Rear Admiral Prince Michael of Kent GCVO RNR and Her Royal Highness Princess Michael of Kent will attend its Armistice Day service (11 November).
The event will mark the 90th anniversary of Armistice Day, which signalled the end of the First World War. The Arboretum will play a key role in national commemorations and a ticket-only service, at which all of the services are to be represented, will take place within the Armed Forces Memorial.
The day’s events will commence at 10.00am with well known tunes of the WW1 era being performed by the Band of HM Royal Marines, Plymouth. Standards will be paraded at 10.20am, by which time all ticketed guests should be seated.
The service will be led by former Bishop to the Armed Forces, The Right Reverend John Kirkham, The Reverend Monsignor Paul Donovan QHC VG Royal Navy and Honorary Chaplain to the Arboretum, The Reverend Simon Lumby. Proceedings will be relayed on screen to members of the public in the Arboretum’s Leonard Cheshire Amphitheatre.
At precisely the eleventh hour, and signalling the two minute silence, a shaft of sunlight will fall from the slot cut into the walls of the Armed Forces Memorial and will strike its central plinth. A flypast of three Tornados, acknowledging the 90th anniversary of the Royal Air Force, will take place at midday.
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