London Royal Navy News

To mark the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of 2012, this year’s British Military Tournament will cover the "life and times" of Queen Elizabeth II, starting with the events of 1926 (the year the Queen was born) and finishing with the current-day military engagement in Afghanistan.

The event is described as the largest display of military theatre anywhere in the world and will include:

• More than 600 participants (including active servicemen) and 150 horses.
• The bands of the Royal Marines, the Household Cavalry, the Royal Artillery and the Royal Air Force.

• The horses of the Household Cavalry competing with the motorcycles of the Royal Signals’ White Helmets over an obstacle course which includes jumps and flaming hoops.

• A battle re-enactment featuring the Royal Logistic Corps in a dramatic bomb disposal in Afghanistan.
• The largest massed bagpipe band seen at Earls Court since the Second World War.

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• Royal Navy
• RAF

While the rest of the capital was sleeping, hundreds of soldiers rode on horseback through the streets of London to rehearse the State Procession for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

Members of The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment rode at dawn from the Palace of Westminster along Whitehall to Trafalgar Square, then through Admiralty Arch and along the Mall to Buckingham Palace.

The route was lined with personnel from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, Foot Guards and Massed Bands of the Household Division, the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment and the Queen's Colour Squadron of the Royal Air Force. In total, some 2,000 servicemen and women took part in the rehearsal.

Thousands of flag-waving well-wishers are expected to turn out for Tuesday's spectacle.

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• Armed Forces
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It looks rather different from the boat that will carry the Queen down the Thames in this weekend's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, but today HMS Hurworth is acting the part of the Royal Barge.

The Royal Navy is practicing its formation for the Royal Guard, which will accompany the Queen's boat down the river on Sunday.

Ten naval vessels will surround the Royal Barge, while almost a thousand other boats will take part in the procession.

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• Royal Navy
• Diamond

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• Olympics

"To win in war and succeed in peace."

The crew of HMS Ocean will be hoping to fulfill the second half of the ship's motto, as they help defend the London Olympics.

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• Royal Navy
• Olympics

Royal Navy warship HMS Ocean has arrived in London to take part in security drills ahead of the Olympics.

The ship completes the military presence in London for Operation Olympic Guardian.

Typhoon jets have also been stationed at RAF Northolt, puma helicopters are operating from Ilford, and ground based air defences are being tested with dummy missiles at six sites across London.

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Defence Secretary Philip Hammond was taken on board HMS Ocean by a landing craft, as it made its way up the Thames to Greenwich.

He addressed the ship's company in the hangar before taking a tour of the vessel.

He said:

"There are no specific threats to the Olympic Games but we're going to have very large numbers of foreign visitors in London."

"The world's eyes will be upon us and we want to make absolute sure that we do everything to maintain the security and safety of the Games.

"Ocean's presence on the Thames, I hope, will be a very great reassurance to people attending the Games."

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• Phillip Hammond