Queen salutes Canadian regiments in First World War commemoration
Michelle Zilo
CTV News
19 Apr 2015
The Queen joined three Canadian military regiments in London, to commemorate the regiments' role in a historic First World War battle.
The Calgary Highlanders, Royal Hamilton Light Infantry and the Canadian Scottish Regiments are in Europe to mark the 100-year anniversary of the Second Battle of Ypres, where Germany used chemical weapons on a large scale for the first time.
The commemoration took place at London's Green Park on Sunday, after which Queen Elizabeth joined the regiments for a reception at Canada House, the Canadian high commission in London.
The Queen, who is colonel-in-chief of the Calgary Highlanders, was joined by her husband Prince Philip, colonel-in-chief of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, and Princess Alexandra, colonel-in-chief of the Canadian Scottish Regiment.
"(It's) very unusual for the Queen to attend an event in London on a Sunday afternoon, but it’s a mark of high esteem for this regiment that she's colonel-in-chief of, and also for the significance of the anniversary," said CTV News royal commentator Richard Berthelsen.
The regiments' visit to London is part of a European commemorative pilgrimage continuing the traditions of the original Battalions of the 1st Canadian Division who took part in The Battle of Saint Julien, a battle within the Second Battle of Ypres.
