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Wootton Bassett is renamed Royal Wootton Bassett
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16-10-2011 3:15pm#1The Wiltshire town of Wootton Bassett was today renamed Royal Wootton Bassett in a ceremony attended by around 20,000 people.
The town has been given the honour by the Queen due to the fact that, between 2007 and earlier this year, the town honoured Britain's war dead.
When RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire was temporarily closed for runway repairs British soldiers in Union Flag-draped coffins were flown into RAF Lyneham not far from Wootton Bassett and were taken through the town's main street to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxfordshire.
One day in 2007, when the first repatriations through the town took place, about 20 of the town's people lined the main road as the hearses passed by. Eventually word spread of the ceremony throughout the country and, since then, every time Britain's war dead passed through the town thousands of people from around the country converged on the little market town to pay their respects.
However, the ceremony ended in September when RAF Lyneham closed. Repatriated dead troops are now flown into RAF Brize Norton in
Oxfordshire.
But to thank the town Prime Minister David Cameron petitioned the Queen to award it with a Royal prefix.
The Queen said it was "an enduring symbol of the nation's admiration and gratitude".
Princess Anne attended today's ceremony and was driven down the High Street to the stage for the parade and the presentation of the Letters Patent. Also present were the Prime Minister and the new Defence Secretary Philip Hammond.
The town also got a new Coat of Arms, which was waved as little flags by the crowd during the ceremony.
The town has long used unofficial Arms consisting of a chevron between three lozenges: the granted design adapts this to reflect the Royal favour accorded in recognition of Wootton Bassett’s role in recent repatriations of fallen servicemen and women. The new coat of arms of Royal Wootton Basset is: Argent a chevron ingrailed gules between in chief two Lozenges and in base a Lion passant guardant Or. The lion passent is the mark of the royal favour and it is a visible heraldic sign of that favour.
Flypasts of a C-17 Globemaster and a C130 Hercules took place over the town. A Vulcan bomber was also due to fly over.
Wootton Bassett will be the first royal town created since King Edward VII gave the title to Royal Tunbridge Wells in 1909.
The only other royal town in England is Royal Leamington Spa in the Midlands, granted the accolade by Queen Victoria in 1838.
Wootton Bassett officially re-named royal town
By Josie Ensor
16 Oct 2011
Sky News
The new Royal Wootton Bassett signs have been unveiled
Wootton Bassett has been officially re-named with the prefix "Royal" by Princess Anne, in honour of its role in the repatriation of British military personnel killed in war.
The Wiltshire town was delivered the Letters Patent by the Princess Royal on behalf of the Queen, making it Royal Wootton Bassett.
The decision to award the town with the royal prefix was the Queen's following a petition from David Cameron, the Prime Minister.
The Queen said it was "an enduring symbol of the nation's admiration and gratitude".
The town became famous as thousands of people began to turn out to pay their respects to the fallen service men and women who died in Iraq and Afghanistan who had been repatriated at nearby RAF Lyneham, starting in April 2007.
Wootton Bassett's role finished at the end of August when the base for repatriations moved to RAF Brize Norton with the town of Carterton taking over as the place for grieving families and members of the public to pay their respects.
Up to 20,000 people were expected to attend the re-naming ceremony.
The town has hosted numerous repatriations since the closure of RAF Brize Norton in 2007 for runway repairs. Here mourners grieve as hearses carry the bodies of Corporal Richard Green, Rifleman Jonathon Allott and Rifleman Liam Maughan, all from 3rd Battalion The Rifles and Lance Corporal Tom Keogh, from 4th Battalion The Rifles, and Corporal Stephen Thompson, from 1st Battalion The Rifles
Relatives of Cpl Stephen Walker, 40, who was killed in an explosion while on foot patrol with the Afghan Army in Sangin, Helmand Province, blow kisses at his coffin last year
Prime Minister David Cameron stood alongside new Defence Secretary Philip Hammond, who was attending in his first official engagement since taking over the role from Liam Fox on Friday.
Princess Anne was received by the Lord Lieutenant, John Bush, before the town's mayor, Cllr Paul Heaphy, showed her around an exhibition in the local library of appreciation gifts received by the town.
The Princess was then driven down the High Street to the stage for the parade and the presentation of the Letters Patent.
The town crier, Owen Collier, who has had a new uniform created for the event, announced her arrival.
Many people watched Sunday's ceremony from buildings overlooking the town's high street
The commemoration included parades by representatives from the armed forces, accompanied by the Wootton Bassett Band.
The Band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, Collingwood, also took part and they marched to a piece of music entitled Wootton Bassett, written by Captain Pete Curtis, a Royal Marines director of music.
Following speeches, the flag bearer broke the new Royal Wootton Bassett flag, a ceremonial and historic moment when a new flag is raised for the first time.
The master of ceremonies, Cllr Steve Bucknell, then invited Canon Thomas Woodhouse to bless the town's new coat of arms.
Flypasts of a C-17 Globemaster and a C130 Hercules took place over the town. A Vulcan bomber was also due to fly over.
http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/160898392
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