Duke of Kent marks 80th anniversary of the bombing of Dresden

The Duke of Kent travelled to Germany to mark the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Dresden.

The Duke represented King Charles III at the poignant ceremony in Dresden. He has served as Royal Patron of the Dresden Trust since its creation in 1993 and of the British German Association since 1994.

During three days in February 1945, nearly 4000 tonnes of bombs were dropped by the Allies on the city of Dresden. The Dresden Trust was established to help build the bridges of friendship between the citizens of Dresden and the people of the United Kingdom.

The Duke took part in a moment of reflection at the Frauenkirche, which had been completely destroyed during the bombing and was subsequently reconstructed between 1994 and 2005.

He then attended the official commemoration at the Dresden Town Hall and took part in the annual human chain event where citizens formed a ring around the old town of Dresden. In the evening, he attended a performance by the Dresden Philharmonie of Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem at the Dresden Kulturpalatz.