Her Majesty The Queen will attend the service of commemoration at St Paul's to mark combat operations in Afghanistan.
At the service, to be held on Friday 13 March at 11am and broadcast live on BBC1, The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh will be accompanied by The Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, The Duke of York and The Earl and Countess of Wessex.
The Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Secretary of State for Defence, Service Chiefs and other senior political and military figures will also attend. They will be alongside members of the Armed Forces, veterans, the next of kin of deceased personnel, representatives of military and aid charities and organisations, and the UK’s NATO allies in Afghanistan from 2001 - 2014. Representatives of the Afghan nation will also be present, together with leaders of world faiths.
Following the service, The Prince of Wales will take the salute as a parade of personnel who served in Afghanistan from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, the Army and the Royal Air Force, and veterans, supported by military bands and Pipes and Drums will make their way from St Paul’s to receptions at Guildhall hosted by the City of London Corporation, and at the Honourable Artillery Company, attended by members of the Royal Family, for those who attended the service and those who took part in the parade.
During the parade, a flypast of aircraft used in the campaign, including Chinook, Apache and Sea King Helicopters, and Hercules and Tornado aircraft will fly over the parade and Cathedral in tribute.
The service will remember those who have died and are injured, as well as all who served in Afghanistan, and prayers will also be offered for the people of Afghanistan who have also died or suffered in the conflict. During the service, a cross made of shell casings that adorned a memorial wall in Camp Bastion will be blessed by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
In 2009, The Queen also attended a similar service to mark the end of operations in Iraq.
