| Hundreds of women members of The Royal British Legion flocked to Alrewas, near Lichfield to see The Princess Royal officially open a new memorial garden dedicated to women
of the war.
Visitors with their cameras ready as the Princess Royal arrives.More than 200 members and veterans attended the ceremony at the National Memorial Arboretum. Princess Anne arrived by helicopter and received a warm greeting from the crowds. She is the president of the Women's Section and told members she was honoured to have been invited to yesterday's ceremony.
She said: "Thank you for inviting me to join you, how pleased I am that you have now got a garden here at the National Memorial Arboretum - a popular and well loved place. This is an occasion that I know you have looked forward to.
The Official Opening.
Generations"It is a lovely memorial where people will come every year and will remain there for the future generations.
May I thank all of you for being involved and for those of you who have supported it." The opening ceremony included a short service of remembrance and the release
of six doves.
The Princess Royal's personal standard was also unfurled and a bugler played
The Last Post and Reveille.
| | Princess Anne also enjoyed a tour of
the plots of the regiments, for which she is Colonel-in-Chief, and was shown around The Normandy Veterans' garden.
Irene Rush with the posy of flowers.
Irene Rush, aged 93, believed to be one of the oldest surviving members of the Women's Section, presented HRH The Princess Royal with a posy of flowers during the ceremony.
She said, " I was astounded to be asked to be involved in the ceremony - I only found out about it on Saturday but it is an honour for me.
"It is wonderful to see so many people here and the garden itself is an excellent tribute to members of the women's section of The Royal British Legion. I have last so many of my contemporaries in recent years but it is nice to know their work will always be remembered here."
Princess Anne also planted a tree whilst on her visit.
Princess Anne planting the tree.
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