The Queen has unveiled a new memorial to honour the thousands of British Armed Forces who have been killed in conflict since the end of World War II.

Constructed by a County Down firm of stonemasons, the £6 million National Armed Forces Memorial is a stone circle in Alrewas in Staffordshire and while it bears the name of 16,000 service personnel killed already, it also includes space for almost as many names again.

The memorial, designed by architect Liam O'Connor and built by McConnell and Sons of Kilkeel, honours those who died in combat and training as well as those killed in acts of terrorism and includes troops who died in the Falklands, Iraq, Afghanistan and Northern Ireland.

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The unveiling was also attended by the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, as well as Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the families of some of those whose names are on the memorial.

The Queen hereself paused in personal reflection when she took a moment to examine the name of the Earl Mountbatten, her cousin, who was killed by a Provisional IRA bomb in 1979.

The Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan William led prayers at the event and tributes to individual servicemen and women were read out by family and friends.

The memorial is due to open to visitors on October 29.

(KMcA)