Queen, 95, uses walking stick for extra support at Westminster Abbey

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The Queen used a walking stick for support today as she arrived for a service of thanksgiving to mark the centenary of the Royal British Legion at Westminster Abbey.

The 95-year-old monarch, who is the patron of the armed forces charity, was accompanied by her daughter Princess Anne as she stepped out of a car in London in the autumn sunshine this morning.

The Queen is rarely seen with a walking stick, but she has previously been photographed using one on a few occasions including at engagements in 2003 and 2004 – although that was after she had a knee operation.

She left King Edward VII Hospital in London using a heavy duty one after the operation, and also used a wooden one at a Sandringham church service two weeks later. A few days later, she used another adjustable stick when she unveiled a set of bronze gates on the Sandringham estate, using it as a means of gesturing during the event.

Today, she was said to have been using the stick ‘for comfort’ for the first time – and while no specific medical reason was given, the Abbey’s entrance could have influenced her decision because it is cobbled and uneven.

The Queen was handed the stick after stepping out of her state limousine, and appeared to be moving freely as she walked to her seat for the start of the service. The monarch used the stick again as she left.  

She 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 said to have been tailored for her comfort, but Buckingham Palace declined to comment. 

Walking stick experts told MailOnline that the Queen was using ‘more of a telescopic walking pole with trigger grip and wrist loop’ rather than a traditional walking stick or cane, and that it is ‘more of an outdoors sports stick’.

Paul Simmonds, the owner of London-based business WalkingSticks.co.uk, told MailOnline: ‘It has an unusual grip but appears to be a comfortable companion and the Queen’s go-to walking stick for occasions such as this.

‘Reassurance and support are top on the list of walking stick requirements. Although the Queen doesn’t appear to rely on her walking stick entirely, it may provide her with that all important sense of additional support that a walking stick offers. The Queen even has a wrist loop attached to the front of the stick. 

‘This helps on two fronts; the walking stick is always at hand and easy to grasp when you need it, and you tend never to leave it behind, even with The Queen’s busy schedule.’

And Christine Naysmith, director at The Stick & Cane Shop, a family-owned walking stick company in West Lothian, said: ‘It’s an old trekking pole with cork handle of unknown brand to me – probably a household one that was used on a trekking trip up the mountains. 

‘She shouldn’t really be using this type of walking stick in the first place. The mechanism inside which holds the telescope sections in place, is not suitable for use as a mobility aid. If you were to lean heavily on it, it would slowly sink into itself.

‘It’s a shame as I have the perfect walking stick to go with her outfit. However, this is the Queen we are talking about and she’s a country lady and holds true to the make do and mend motto.’

The service aimed to highlight the Royal British Legion’s legacy built over the last century and its work supporting and commemorating those from the UK and Commonwealth communities in the armed forces.

The Queen and Anne joined a congregation representing those the organisation supports, including serving members of the armed forces, veterans, and their families. 

Also in attendance were members of the charity, supporters, staff and volunteers, as well as representatives from a range of community and partner organisations and government.

During the service, Anne gave a reading and the charity’s national president led the Act of Rededication, reaffirming its commitment to its work and service.

An anthem by composer John Rutter, based on Psalm 26, which was originally commissioned for the 75th Anniversary of VE Day, was performed publicly for the first time, by the choir.

Readings were also given by members of the armed forces community, with the service forming part of a programme of activity by the Royal British Legion which is helping to celebrating its centenary.

The Very Reverend David Hoyle celebrated the Royal British Legion’s ability to stitch ‘together our shattered experience’ and make us ‘whole’, and said it has become the bridge between ordinary men and women and those ‘who have been set apart by serving in the forces’.

He also questioned whether the tendency of crowds to cheer departing troops but be absent when the wounded returned meant ‘if we will really learn lessons from this pandemic’ or give in to the voices ‘that want to turn the page’.

Retired Lieutenant General James Bashall, the Royal British Legion’s national president, took part in a re-dedication, reaffirming the charity’s commitment to its work, and the Princess Royal gave a reading from the Bible.

The Dean told the congregation: ‘The Legion stands between us and the men and women who have been set apart by serving in the forces. The Legion knows the reality of what that is.

‘The Legion remembers truths that some would urge us to forget. The Legion speaks into our silence. The Legion stitches back together our shattered experience and makes us whole.’

He went on: ‘War poets have observed again and again that we cheer and clap when armies march out. Later, when the wounded are being ferried back, the cheering tends to stop. We want to move on. We always want to move on. 

‘I do wonder if we will really learn the lessons from this pandemic, or whether we will give in to all the voices that want to turn the page.

‘But the Legion always remembers and tells truths we must not forget. The Legion is constant, builds a future out of a past that must not be set aside.’

General Sir Nick Carter, Chief of the Defence Staff, and Victoria Cross hero Colour Sergeant Johnson Beharry also gave readings at the service which was attended by members of the military, veterans and their families from the UK and Commonwealth.

The charity was founded in the aftermath of the First World War on 15th May 1921, when representatives of the four national organisations of ex-serviceman came together at the Cenotaph to create the British Legion.

Its founding mission was to fight for the rights of those who had given so much and come back to so little – and it now aims to provide lifelong care and support to serving and ex-serving personnel and their families.

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.

This week, Victoria Cross hero Colour Sergeant Johnson Beharry hailed the Royal British Legion’s centenary as a ‘landmark moment’ ahead of the service.

Readings were given by C/Sgt Beharry, Sir Nick and Sara Jones, whose husband Lieutenant Colonel Herbert ‘H’ Jones was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross for his bravery at the Battle of Goose Green during the Falklands Conflict.

C/Sgt Beharry, of the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment, said: ‘This is a landmark moment for the RBL, and I am proud to be here to celebrate it.

‘The charity is very close to my heart. For 100 years it has tackled the key issues facing the armed forces community that mean so much to me, and I know they will continue supporting us long into the future.’

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.

Retired Lieutenant General James Bashall, the RBL’s national president, said the centenary was a ‘very proud moment’ for all those associated with the legion and it was an honour to have their patron the Queen and Anne as guests at the service.

He said: ‘In our centenary year, we remain committed to our mission to ensure that those who have given so much for their country get the fair treatment, support and recognition they deserve.

‘And, as we look ahead to the next century, we invite the next generation to continue our vital work in the years to come.’ 

General Sir Nick Carter, Chief of the Defence Staff, will be among the congregation for the service and the outgoing head of the armed forces will be joined by members of the military, veterans and their families from the UK and the Commonwealth.

Naomi Hall, an RAF and Afghanistan veteran supported by the RBL as she recovered from physical and mental health injuries, gave a reading today.

Ms Hall said: ‘It is a great honour to be asked to help mark the centenary of an organisation that has done so much for me and my military comrades for the last 100 years, and a privilege to do so in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen.

‘When I was at my lowest ebb, the RBL was there for me and has been ever since. My road to recovery has been a long journey and I could never have imagined it would lead to this day.’