The Queen and Prince Philip honoured Australia's war dead during a short and tightly choreographed visit to the Australian War Memorial earlier today.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Headed `Buckingham Palace', the card accompanying their floral wreath of red carnations simply read ``In Memory of the Glorious Dead - Elizabeth R and Philip''.
The Queen served as a driver and mechanic with the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service during WWII while Prince Philip served with distinction in the British navy.
More than 1000 Canberrans, including 500 school children from across the ACT, braved intermittent showers to catch a glimpse of the Queen as she entered and left the AWM on what officials said was her seventh visit.
Her ensemble, accessorised with a black bag and black gloves, include a taupe coat and hat over a teal and cream floral print dress.
The monarch wore pearl earrings.
On her first visit to the memorial in 1954 she was escorted by its founder, Charles Bean.
Her official escorts for this visit were AWM council chairman, General Peter Cosgrove (retired) and Parliamentary Defence Secretary, Senator David Feeney.
As the Last Post was played by Corporal Luke Glasson, a trumpeter and bugler with the Duntroon Royal Military College Band, a single poppy from the royal wreath fell to the floor of the Hall of Reflection at the foot of the tomb of the unknown soldier.
Get your eight-page special souvenir pictorial lift out on the Queen's visit to Australia and the ACT in tomorrow's Canberra Times.
After the wreath laying ceremony General Cosgrove and Senator Feeney escorted the royal party to the Afghanistan memorial which bears the names of 21 of the 29 Australians who have died there since 2001.
The names of the eight latest casualties will be unveiled at the Remembrance Day Ceremony to be held in just under a fortnight's time.
After signing the memorial's guest book for the seventh time, the Queen met veterans and serving members of the Defence community.
The Times was told the Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Ray Griggs, and the Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Geoff Brown, were present. Major General John Caligari represented the Chief of Army.
Neither the Chief of Defence Force, General David Hurley, or the Deputy Chief of Defence Force, Air Marshal Mark Binskin, were able to attend.
Ken Gillam, the president of the Rats of Tobruk Association, said he had first met the Queen while she was still the Princess Elizabeth in England in June 1940.
Her father, the King, had been inspecting fortifications his unit was working on during the Battle of Britain.
"It was nice to see her again,'' he said. "I was going to chat her up but decided 'not in front of the other people'.''
Today's visit to the AWM was the Queen's last formal engagement in Canberra.
She visits Melbourne tomorrow before travelling to Perth for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
