The Queen, accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh, and The Duke of Kent, will re-open the National Army Museum, Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea.
Thursday 16th March 2017
Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh and His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent, will re-open the National Army Museum (NAM), London on Thursday 16th March.
Upon arrival, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will be greeted by The Duke of Kent, who will have arrived separately in advance. The Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London (Mr. Kenneth Olisa) will present General Sir Richard Shirreff (Chairman, NAM), Mrs. Janice Murray (Director General, NAM), Cllr. Elizabeth Rutherford (Mayor of Kensington and Chelsea) and General Sir Nicholas Carter (Chief of the General Staff).
After these presentations, the Royal Party move into the museum and will first visit the Army Gallery where, amongst other items on display, The Queen will view Her Majesty’s own uniform from when she held the honorary commission of Brigadier in the Women’s Royal Army Corps (WRAC) 1949-1953. The museum acquired the uniform in 1993, following the disbandment of the WRAC in 1992.
Afterwards, the Royal Party will move into the café area to meets donors and shortly after, staff and volunteers outside the Soldier gallery. The Queen and Their Royal Highnesses will then move through the atrium area onto a stage where words of welcome will be made by the Chairman. Short speeches will also be made by the Chief of the General Staff and Sir Peter Luff (Chair, National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Heritage Lottery Fund).
Sir Peter will then invite The Queen to officially re-open the National Army Museum by unveiling a plaque. The Royal Party will then move outside via the front entrance where Her Majesty will receive a posy from a child of a serving member of the Armed Forces, before departing the National Army Museum.
The National Army Museum will re-open to the public on 30 March 2017 after a three-year £23.75 million re-development project. The Chelsea-based museum has been transformed into five bright thematic galleries – Solider, Army, Battle, Society and Insight – that provide a space to explore and discuss the British Army and its relevance to society from fashion and films to flood defences and, of course, conflict.
Founded in 1960 by Royal Charter and established for the purpose of collecting, preserving and exhibiting objects and records relating to the Land Forces of the British Crown it is a museum that moves, inspires, challenges, educates and entertains. The museum seeks to tell the story of the British Army, the personal experiences of the soldiers who have served in it and to connect the British public and its Army demonstrating how the role of the Army and its actions are still relevant today.
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