The Queen and other Members of the Royal Family will attend events to mark the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force
Tuesday 10th July 2018
Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke of Cambridge, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, The Duke of York, The Earl and Countess of Wessex, The Princess Royal and other Members of the Royal Family, will attend a service at Westminster Abbey to mark the centenary of the Royal Air Force.
The Royal Air Force – the world’s first independent air force – was founded on 1 April 1918, independent of the British Army and Royal Navy.
For one hundred years the RAF has defended the skies of Britain, preventing conflicts, delivering aid and combating cyber threats while working in partnership with other Services, from Operation Ruman – the UK’s humanitarian assistance operation in the aftermath of hurricane Irma which hit the Caribbean in September 2017, to the RAF’s Quick Reaction Alert Typhoon Aircraft, providing a UK air defence capability 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Today the RAF is engaged on some 13 missions across 26 countries and is heavily committed on operations both at home and abroad.
To mark its centenary year, special events, activities and other initiatives at local, regional and national levels will run from April to the end of September 2018. The centrepiece of RAF100 will take place on 10 July, with a service in Westminster Abbey, followed by a parade in The Mall and spectacular flypast over Buckingham Palace.
