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WW1 'sacred soil' ceremony takes place in London | |
(2 days later) | |
A ceremony has taken place in London to mark the arrival of "sacred soil" from 70 WW1 battlefields in Belgium. | |
The soil is going to be laid at a memorial garden marking the 100th anniversary of WW1 in 2014. | The soil is going to be laid at a memorial garden marking the 100th anniversary of WW1 in 2014. |
The soil, collected by British and Belgian schoolchildren and put into 70 sandbags, arrived on the Belgian Navy frigate Louisa Marie on Friday. | The soil, collected by British and Belgian schoolchildren and put into 70 sandbags, arrived on the Belgian Navy frigate Louisa Marie on Friday. |
It went on a ceremonial procession through London before reaching its last resting place at Wellington Barracks. | It went on a ceremonial procession through London before reaching its last resting place at Wellington Barracks. |
On arrival in London, the Louisa Marie moored alongside HMS Belfast and the soil was transferred to the British light cruiser. | On arrival in London, the Louisa Marie moored alongside HMS Belfast and the soil was transferred to the British light cruiser. |
The bags were loaded onto the gun carriage of the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery along with a crucible of soil from all the battlefields. | The bags were loaded onto the gun carriage of the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery along with a crucible of soil from all the battlefields. |
It was escorted by mounted members of the Household Cavalry from the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals, and mounted officers from the Metropolitan Police. | It was escorted by mounted members of the Household Cavalry from the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals, and mounted officers from the Metropolitan Police. |
The route of the procession passed Tower Bridge, St Paul's Cathedral, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, Horse Guards Parade, The Mall and Buckingham Palace. | The route of the procession passed Tower Bridge, St Paul's Cathedral, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, Horse Guards Parade, The Mall and Buckingham Palace. |
It was blessed in a ceremony at the Guards' Chapel at Wellington Barracks - near Buckingham Palace - and will be placed into the ground at the Flanders Fields Memorial Garden | It was blessed in a ceremony at the Guards' Chapel at Wellington Barracks - near Buckingham Palace - and will be placed into the ground at the Flanders Fields Memorial Garden |
The soil will be placed "at the heart" of the garden where the words of John McCrae's famous poem, In Flanders' Fields, will be inscribed. | The soil will be placed "at the heart" of the garden where the words of John McCrae's famous poem, In Flanders' Fields, will be inscribed. |
With the sound of Jerusalem playing in the background, the youngest member of the Friends of the Guards Museum emptied a ceremonial casket of soil into the memorial garden - which will open to the public next year. | With the sound of Jerusalem playing in the background, the youngest member of the Friends of the Guards Museum emptied a ceremonial casket of soil into the memorial garden - which will open to the public next year. |
The sandbags of soil were placed at the entrance of the Guards' Chapel and will be added to the garden later on Saturday. | The sandbags of soil were placed at the entrance of the Guards' Chapel and will be added to the garden later on Saturday. |
More than 1,000 British and Belgian schoolchildren were involved in collecting 70 bags of soil from the battlefields this summer. | More than 1,000 British and Belgian schoolchildren were involved in collecting 70 bags of soil from the battlefields this summer. |
The Guards Museum - which funded the project with help from public donations and corporate sponsors, including a contribution from the Government of Flanders - described the £700,000 project as "unprecedented" and "historic". | The Guards Museum - which funded the project with help from public donations and corporate sponsors, including a contribution from the Government of Flanders - described the £700,000 project as "unprecedented" and "historic". |
Museum curator Andrew Wallis said the garden would stand as a "tangible demonstration of the bond between Britain and Belgium". | Museum curator Andrew Wallis said the garden would stand as a "tangible demonstration of the bond between Britain and Belgium". |
The process of bringing the soil to the UK began on Armistice Day with a ceremony at the Menin Gate in Ypres, attended by the Duke of Edinburgh. |