THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE WILL ATTEND COMMEMORATIONS MARKING THE BATTLE OF AMIENS
Wednesday 8th August, 2018
The Duke of Cambridge will attend commemorations marking the centenary of the Battle of Amiens on Wednesday 8th August. The visit is being undertaken at the request of Her Majesty’s Government.
The event will be held at Amiens Cathedral, and is organised by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, in partnership with the Governments of Australia, Canada, France and the USA. The commemorations will tell the story of the Battle of Amiens, which heralded the Hundred Days Offensive and started the path to the Armistice in November 1918. Around 2,000 guests will attend the ceremony, which will feature readings including diary extracts, letters, poems and personal accounts from those who were there.
The Duke will give the opening reading at the ceremony, before meeting descendants of those who fought at the battle. His Royal Highness will also lay flowers in the Chapel of Allies alongside representatives from the partner countries, as a reaffirmation of friendship between the Allies, Germany and the city of Amiens.
Starting on 8th August 1918, the Battle of Amiens marked a turning point in the First World War. The Allied forces, made up of British, Australian, Canadian, French and US soldiers, advanced over seven miles on the first day of the battle, a campaign which eventually led to the signing of the Armistice. This ceremony is an opportunity to tell the stories of those who fought and to reflect on the significance of the Battle, which marked the beginning of the end of the First World War.
