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| Queen unveils new forces memorial | Queen unveils new forces memorial |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales have attended the dedication of the new national Armed Forces Memorial. | The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales have attended the dedication of the new national Armed Forces Memorial. |
| The £6m stone circle in Alrewas, Staffordshire, bears the names of 16,000 service personnel who have died since World War II. | The £6m stone circle in Alrewas, Staffordshire, bears the names of 16,000 service personnel who have died since World War II. |
| The Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams led prayers at the event. | The Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams led prayers at the event. |
| He said the memorial was about naming the "invisible" ready to risk their lives for the country and world. | He said the memorial was about naming the "invisible" ready to risk their lives for the country and world. |
| There is room for 15,000 more names to be carved on the Portland stone walls of the memorial, at the National Memorial Arboretum. | There is room for 15,000 more names to be carved on the Portland stone walls of the memorial, at the National Memorial Arboretum. |
| There will be sorrow for family and friends who come here, but I hope they will also be uplifted and proud Vice-Admiral Sir John Dunt | There will be sorrow for family and friends who come here, but I hope they will also be uplifted and proud Vice-Admiral Sir John Dunt |
| Vice-Admiral Sir John Dunt, chairman of the Armed Forces Memorial Trustees, opened the ceremony with a speech in which he spoke of the sorrow and pride of the families of the deceased. | Vice-Admiral Sir John Dunt, chairman of the Armed Forces Memorial Trustees, opened the ceremony with a speech in which he spoke of the sorrow and pride of the families of the deceased. |
| He said: "I hope that those who have been bereaved and colleagues of those whose names are engraved find this a fitting place to remember and reflect. | He said: "I hope that those who have been bereaved and colleagues of those whose names are engraved find this a fitting place to remember and reflect. |
| "There will be sorrow for family and friends who come here, but I hope they will also be uplifted and proud - proud that these men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice have done so by serving their country." | "There will be sorrow for family and friends who come here, but I hope they will also be uplifted and proud - proud that these men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice have done so by serving their country." |
| Dr Rowan Williams spoke of the importance of memorials. | Dr Rowan Williams spoke of the importance of memorials. |
| He said: "All the service and skill that keeps us secure may be invisible a lot of the time, but if we are not to be dishonest, shallow and unreal, we need to make the invisible visible once in a while. | He said: "All the service and skill that keeps us secure may be invisible a lot of the time, but if we are not to be dishonest, shallow and unreal, we need to make the invisible visible once in a while. |
| "And that's what today is about. Naming all those who have been ready to risk everything for the good of our national community and, indeed, the good of our world. | "And that's what today is about. Naming all those who have been ready to risk everything for the good of our national community and, indeed, the good of our world. |
| "Some of them have died in heroic circumstances, some in tragedy and conflict, some in routine duties but all of them as parts of a single, great and generous enterprise." | "Some of them have died in heroic circumstances, some in tragedy and conflict, some in routine duties but all of them as parts of a single, great and generous enterprise." |
| 'Fitting recognition' | |
| The royal party was joined at the event by politicians including Prime Minister Gordon Brown. | |
| The Queen has been meeting the families of service personnel | |
| The memorial, designed by architect Liam O'Connor, honours those killed in combat and training as well as in acts of terrorism. | |
| During the consultation period, prior to the memorial's creation, a decision was taken to make it accessible to all communities in the UK, and the central location of Staffordshire was chosen. | |
| The royal party toured the memorial and met the families of service personnel. | |
| The Queen took a moment to examine the name of the Earl Mountbatten, her cousin, who was killed by a Provisional IRA bomb in 1979. | |
| Prince Charles said the people of the UK owed those whose names featured on the memorial "an enormous debt of gratitude". | Prince Charles said the people of the UK owed those whose names featured on the memorial "an enormous debt of gratitude". |
| He said: "The magnificence of this new memorial will, at long last, provide a fitting recognition for all those killed on duty since the end of the Second World War. | He said: "The magnificence of this new memorial will, at long last, provide a fitting recognition for all those killed on duty since the end of the Second World War. |
| "It does not differentiate between those killed in the heat of battle or on a training exercise, by terrorist action or on peace-keeping missions." | "It does not differentiate between those killed in the heat of battle or on a training exercise, by terrorist action or on peace-keeping missions." |
| The memorial will open to visitors on 29 October. | The memorial will open to visitors on 29 October. |