A look back at the Queen’s royal visits to CWGC sites

Runnymede Memorial, UK – October 1953

The Queen’s first official visit to a Commission memorial as monarch was the opening of the Runnymede Memorial on Saturday 17th October 1953. 25,000 relatives of the servicepeople memorialised here were in attendance. Her Majesty was shown around Runnymede by Edward Maufe, the Commission’s then Principal Architect.

Runnymede remembers 20,275 men and women of the RAF who lost their lives during the Second World War but have no known grave.

Tobruk War Cemetery, Libya – May 1954

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were on the return leg of their Commonwealth tour when they visited Tobruk War Cemetery, in early May 1954. Her Majesty laid a wreath upon the Stone of Remembrance to commemorate over 2,750 men buried there, victims of the fighting during the Second World War’s North Africa campaign.

Delhi War Cemetery, India – March 1961

The scope of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission covers all the corners of the globe and the Queen’s tours certainly reflect that. During a trip to India in March 1961, Her Majesty took time to visit Delhi War Cemetery. Over 1,000 Indian army troops are buried here, representing soldiers from the First and Second World Wars.

The Cemetery visit was part of the Queen’s wider tour of India, marking her maiden Indian visit and the first visit for a British monarch post-independence. While in Delhi, Her Majesty laid a wreath at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial and attended jubilant Republic Day celebrations at Rajpath.

Addis Ababa, Asmara & Khartoum War Cemeteries, Ethiopia, and Sudan

Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh undertook a whistle-stop tour of a trio of East African cemeteries and memorials in February 1965 as part of a state visit to the region. Trips to the Addis Ababa and Asmara War Cemeteries in Ethiopia (Asmara is now the capital of Eritrea) and Khartoum War Cemetery in Sudan were on the agenda. Wreaths were laid as The Queen took time to reflect on sacrifices made by the combined 950 or so casualties these cemeteries collectively commemorate.

Tyne Cot & Menin Gate, Belgium – May 1966

Fifty years on from the opening salvos on the Somme, The Queen took part in commemorative efforts at Tyne Cot Cemetery and the iconic Menin Gate at Ypres. Roughly 12,000 World War One Commonwealth burials can be found at Tyne Cot. Another 35,000 casualties with no known grave are commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial inside the cemetery while the Menin Gate commemorates nearly 55,000 Great War soldiers. King George V chose the spot at Tyne Cot for the Cross of Sacrifice 44 years before the Queen’s visit.

The Duke of Edinburgh accompanied the Queen on this tour of some of the most significant Great War memorials we currently oversee. At each site, Her Majesty laid a commemorative wreath. Her tour also took in the Canadian Memorial at St. Julien and St. George's Memorial Church, Ypres.

Labuan War Cemetery, Malaysia - February 1972

On 26th February 1972, The Queen, with The Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Anne and Admiral of the Fleet Earl Mountbatten of Burma, visited Labuan War Cemetery, Sabah, Malaysia in February 1972. At the Cross of Sacrifice, Her Majesty and Prince Philip laid a wreath prepared by the Head Gardener, Lim Moi Hong. Just shy of 2,000 Australian Army and Airforce casualties are buried at Labuan. A further 2,300 with no known grave are commemorated at the Labuan Memorial.

St. Sever Cemetery, France – May 1972

On the final day of the State Visit to France in May, The Queen and Prince Philip, accompanied by the French Prime Minister and other dignitaries, visited St Sever Cemetery and Extension, Rouen, one of our largest French war cemeteries. Together, the Cemetery and Extension commemorates close to 12,000 casualties.

Lae War Cemetery, Papua New Guinea - February 1974

Lae War Cemetery is a great example of the scale of the Second World War. Located in Papua New Guinea, Lae holds over 2,000 Australian army, naval and air force personnel as well as local New Guinean troops who fought in the Pacific Theatre. Her Majesty visited Lae in February 1974 to lay a commemorative wreath, 31 years after fighting on the island had ceased.

Nairobi War Cemetery, Kenya – November 1983

The contribution and sacrifices of East African men and women during both World Wars cannot be overlooked. The Nairobi War Cemetery, ensures thousands of East African service people are commemorated Almost 2,000 Commonwealth burials can be found here. Those with no known grave are remembered on the East Africa and Nairobi Memorials which sit within the Cemetery’s grounds. Her Majesty visited the site on the 18th of November 1983.

Delhi War Cemetery, India – November 1983

A week later, in India for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, The Queen and Prince Philip, accompanied by Shri K P Singh Deo, Minister of State for Defence, and senior officers of the Indian armed forces visited Delhi War Cemetery to lay a wreath.

November is an important month for remembrance. Armistice Day takes place on the 11th with Remembrance Sunday falling on or close to that date. Other events, such as the Queen’s visits to Delhi and Nairobi, show how remembrance isn’t just restricted to one day. Indeed, at the CWGC, it’s our ongoing mission.

On the anniversary day itself, The Queen laid wreaths at Bayeux War Cemetery before a crowd of relatives and former comrades who in their turn laid their flowers beside those of other Heads of State in attendance, or on individual graves or at the Memorial to the Missing. This Memorial, standing opposite the War Cemetery, bears the names of over 1,800 Commonwealth war dead who fell in the Battle of Normandy and have no known grave.

Arnhem Oosterbeek, Netherlands – July 1987

The Queen visited Arnhem Oosterbeek Cemetery as part of her tour of the Netherlands in 1987. Casualties from the Liberation of the Netherlands, particularly those who fought in Operation Market Garden are commemorated here, including around 1,750 Commonwealth Polish and Dutch burials.

Nicosia Waynes Keep Military Cemetery, Cyprus – October 1993

This is one of the more unique sites the Commission tends to as it does not hold any World War casualties. Instead, Nicosia Waynes Keep Military Cemetery holds 600 non-World War casualties. It is in an interesting location too, situated in the UN buffer zone that stretches across Cypress. The Queen visited Wayne Keep while touring the island in October 1993.

Menin Gate, Belgium – November 1998

80 years had passed since the guns fell silent on the Western Front in November 1998. A ceremony was held to mark the occasion with the Queen in attendance. Menin Gate was chosen as the site for a memorial as it was on this road that hundreds of thousands of soldiers made their way to the front across the Ypres Salient battlefronts throughout the First World War.

Normandy, France – June 2004

Her Majesty returned to Arromanches, Normandy in 2004, this time to mark the 60th Anniversary of the D-Day landings. Arromanches is where the British and Canadian sectors were located, covering Gold, Sword, and Juno beaches. Once again, The Queen toured the cemeteries of Normandy to remember those that gave their lives to free France and Europe in World War Two.

Vimy Memorial, France – April 2007

Vimy Ridge and the Canadians' heroic actions there have become legendary. The Canadian National Memorial at Vimy Ridge marks the spot of one of the key Canadian actions of World War One. Over 11,000 Canadian troops are commemorated here. At the Battle of Vimy Ridge’s 90th Anniversary, the Memorial was reopened to the public after a lengthy restoration project with the Queen in attendance.

Normandy, France – June 2014

Another decade passing means another D-Day remembrance ceremony. 2014 saw 70 years since men and women came ashore on Normandy to help drive Axis forces out of mainland Europe. Once more, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh helped lead Normand commemorations with further trips to the Commission’s cemeteries in and around the region.