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The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh to open The Wing near Folkestone before proceeding to Canterbury Cathedral

The Queen will open a new visitor centre near Folkestone today before unveiling statues at Canterbury Cathedral.

Her Majesty, accompanied by her husband HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, will visit the National Memorial to the Few in Capel-le-Ferne to open The Wing, a museum about the Battle of Britain.

The royal party will then travel to Canterbury where the Queen and the Duke will attend a service at the cathedral, and unveil statues of themselves to mark the Diamond Jubilee.

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Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her official 90th birthday. Library image.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her official 90th birthday. Library image.

Click HERE for live coverage of Her Majesty's visit throughout the day.

The Wing visitor centre is a new attraction intended to teach people about the deeds of the Few, the brave pilots who defended Britain during its darkest hour.

The Queen will meet some of the remaining pilots who fought the Luftwaffe in the skies above southern England, and experience Scramble, an interactive display intended to bring the Battle of Britain to life for visitors.

She will also visit the memorial at the top of the cliffs, unveiled by the late Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in 1993.

The event will include a flypast by a Spitfire, a Hurricane and Typhoon, which the royal party will watch from the balcony of the new Cockpit Cafe.

Watch: The Queen's forthcoming visit to Kent

After travelling to Canterbury Cathedral, Her majesty and the Duke will unveil the royal statues, carved by sculptor Nina Bilbey.

The works were commissioned by Friends of Canterbury Cathedral, and will stand by the cathedral's west door, opposite statues of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

The Queen's trip to Kent marks the second royal visit this year.

Earlier this month the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton visited the Turner Contemporary in Margate.


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