Princess Royal hails Turkish friends and presses importance of remembrance

The Princess Royal has hailed Turkish friends and emphasised the importance of passing on the tradition of remembering those who have fallen in war.

Anne was speaking at a service to mark the 110th anniversary of the Gallipoli campaign at Turkey’s Canakkale Martyrs’ Memorial.

She made her address on the peninsula where soldiers from the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, France and Turkey died in the 1915 clash.

Anne said it was a “great and solemn honour” to attend the service, remembering the sacrifice on all sides of the “unforgiving campaign”.

More than 100,000 troops died in an ill-fated campaign during the First World War by the UK and allies to capture the Dardanelles Strait in what is now north-west Turkey.

The assault in 1915 was intended to wound the then Ottoman Empire and cut off a key connecting water route between the Aegean Sea and the Black Sea, a move which would have also aided Russia.

Anne is set to deliver a message from the King who attended Gallipoli services for the 90th and 100th anniversaries.

She will attend memorial services on Thursday and also visit the grave of Lieutenant Colonel Charles Doughty-Wylie, who was decorated with a Victoria Cross for his service during the Gallipoli campaign.

She is expected to pay tribute to the fallen of all nationalities, as well as the wounded, and their families, some of whom are to attend the services.

Anne is also set to emphasise the importance of preserving their memories and handing the torch of remembrance to the next generation.

On Friday, Anne is expected to attend a dawn service to mark the 110th anniversary of the landing of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps on the beaches of Gallipoli.

March 25 is known as Anzac Day and is marked across the two southern hemisphere countries.

Many from Australia and New Zealand have also travelled to Turkey for the anniversary.