Queen Meets Woolwich Barracks Soldiers 31.05.13

Описание: The Queen has paid her respects to Drummer Lee Rigby by meeting officers and soldiers associated with the serviceman killed in Woolwich.

She met, in private, military personnel from Woolwich Station where Drummer Rigby lived and others he worked with in his regiment's outreach team.

The soldier was hacked to death in a knife attack yards from the famous military base on Wednesday last week.

An hour before the Queen arrived in Woolwich to visit the new home of the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery - a mounted, ceremonial unit - Buckingham Palace announced she would mark the death of the soldier by holding the meetings before having lunch in the Sergeant's Mess.

A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said the Queen met "those who co-ordinated the barracks response to the events of last week and some of those who formed part of Drummer Rigby's chain of command".

She stressed that the royal engagement was a longstanding commitment and that "the Queen was privately acknowledging the events of last week".

The Queen's journey to the barracks in south east London did not take her past the hundreds of floral tributes left at the railings.

Lieutenant Colonel Bob Christopher, commander of Woolwich Station, and his team met the Queen, as did staff from the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers' outreach team, Drummer Rigby's regiment, based at the Tower of London.

It is not known how long the Queen chatted to the service personnel, who were not available for a comment afterwards.