Lichfield Cathedral played host to Her Majesty the Queen at a homecoming service for the Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomantry.
Prayers of thanksgiving were offered for the safe return of the Regiment following their deployment in Afghanistan.
The Queen was welcomed to Lichfield by Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire, Sir James Hawley KCVO TD JP and local school children from St Joseph’s Primary School.
She arrived at Lichfield City train station on the Royal Train, before travelling to medieval Cathedral Close for the 30-minute service.
Her Majesty was invited by the Regiment’s Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Acton, to present Afghanistan medals to 15 members of the Heavy Base ISTAR Division.
Following the medal presentation, The Queen was then accompanied to Bishop’s House where the Bishop of Lichfield, the Rt Revd Jonathan Gledhill and the Dean of Lichfield, the Very Revd Adrian Dorber, were presented to Her Majesty.
The Very Revd Adrian Dorber said:
“Lichfield Cathedral was honoured to host this great occasion. It gave us a splendid opportunity to provide the setting and occasion when the nation and region could mark and thank the work of the Armed Services in Afghanistan and especially the excellent contribution of the Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Regiment.
“All the Cathedral’s staff, musicians and volunteers, entered into the spirit of today, wanting not only to show Lichfield at its best to The Queen, but to provide the right mixture of grandeur, dignity and warmth to all the members of the Armed Services and their families as they return from a complex and difficult assignment.
“We sang well known hymns, we listened to the experience of those involved in active service, we prayed for peace and the struggle to ensure the world’s security, and justice for all the world’s people. We watched the Regiment’s flag carried into Church. To have had our Monarch present at this service was a gracious and fitting affirmation of the hope and thanksgiving central to all that was celebrated.”
Click below to see pictures from The Queen’s visit:
