Queen uses walking stick at Westminster Abbey service for Royal British Legion

Rear Admiral John Roberts and veteran Naomi Hall speak to ITV News Correspondent Dan Rivers about what the Royal British Legion means to them.

The Queen used a walking stick as she attended a Westminster Abbey service marking the centenary of the Royal British Legion.

The 95-year-old Queen was handed the stick after stepping from her state limousine, and appeared to be moving freely as she walked to her seat for the start of the service.

She used the stick again as she left. It is believed to be the first time she has used a walking aid at a major public event.

The Queen was pictured using a stick in 2003, but this was after surgery to remove torn cartilage from her right knee.

The Queen, who is the Royal British Legion’s patron, did not arrive by the traditional great west door but via the poet’s yard entrance, a shorter route to her seat.

Both developments are understood to be tailored for the Queen’s comfort. Buckingham Palace declined to comment.

The Queen, joined by the Princess Royal, led the nation at Westminster Abbey in marking the 100th anniversary of the organisation, which has been a lifeline to the nation’s armed forces, veterans and the wider military family.

The legion is also famous for its poppy appeal, which encourages public donations in return for the red flower worn in memory of the UK’s war dead.

The charity was founded on May 15, 1921 and brought together four national ex-servicemen organisations established to care for military personnel and their families after the First World War.

The physical injuries of the returning servicemen were not the only issues that needed addressing.

Some men found it difficult to find work, which left their dependants in need.

During the following decades the charity has helped members of the armed forces from every major conflict.

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