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Queen lays special wreaths at Armistice Day service

Sophie ParkerWiltshire
News imagePA Media The Queen shakes hand with a smartly dressed veteran, who stands in a line of other veterans holding wreaths and many in uniform. All are in front of a dark green GWR train.PA Media
Queen Camilla spoke to veterans at Paddington Station after a journey from Chippenham

Queen Camilla delivered specially-made poppy wreaths to an Armistice Day service.

The Queen earlier boarded a train in Chippenham, Wiltshire, bound for London to take part in Great Western Railway's (GWR) Poppies to Paddington initiative.

Wreaths, made by veterans, community groups and schools, were laid as part of the GWR's scheme, with the Queen adding her own to the collection.

She also met veterans at the station during the service on the anniversary of the end of World War One.

The Queen travelled on the 09:28 GMT service to London from the Wiltshire station as part of the initiative, where wreaths are placed on early morning train services and brought to Paddington station for a special service.

After her journey, the Queen placed a wreath of poppies at the war memorial at Platform One at Paddington before the start of the two minutes' silence.

News imagePA Media Primary school pupils hand Queen Camilla a poppy wreath made from crochet. She is speaking to one of them and a few adults dressed in black surround them. They are on a Chippenham train platform, with the big sign for the town behind them.PA Media
Pupils from Monkton Park Primary School were able to hand their crocheted wreath to the Queen

Pupils at Monkton Park Primary in Chippenham, Wiltshire, crocheted more than 60 poppies for a wreath presented to the Queen earlier.

Mum Gemma Hopkins, who runs a crochet business, helped with the project.

"I teach roughly two adults a month and they don't get on anywhere near as well as the children do," she added.

Pupil Isabelle said her class was taught the poppy was a "symbol for the soldiers and the battlefield because it is the only flower that would grow after the war".

Pupil Jacob added: "It's really cool to know they're going to be on a big display."

News imagePA Media Queen Camilla bends down to place her wreath at a memorial in Paddington station. It is surrounded by a display of small wooden crosses with poppies on. Behind her, a choir is singing.PA Media
The Queen placed her wreath at the memorial in Paddington station

Richard Reeves, the chairman of Chippenham's banch of the Royal British Legion went to see the pupils at work and said he was "blown away".

"When I was at school, the war wasn't history, it was too close to us.

"It was never talked about, and now they're learning about war, the horrors of war, trying to rebuild after the war, which is a lot of things to take in for them.

"But they are beginning to understand all of that, even at the tender age we see here.," he added.

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