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Princess Anne attends Gallipoli ceremony marking 110th anniversary of WWI battle

Princess Anne, representing the United Kingdom, stands in solemn tribute during a wreath-laying ceremony on Turkey’s Gallipoli Peninsula to mark the 110th anniversary of the World War I battle. Veterans wearing traditional headgear march past a war memorial at the site. (Photo: The Royal Family/X)

Princess Anne, the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and sister of King Charles III, represented the United Kingdom at a dawn ceremony Friday on Turkey’s Gallipoli Peninsula marking the 110th anniversary of a World War I battle, The Associated Press reported.

The Gallipoli campaign is seen as a defining moment in the histories of Australia, New Zealand and Turkey.

Marked by heavy casualties on both sides, the campaign was a disastrous defeat for the allies against the then-Ottoman Empire backed by Germany. Although the battle later helped cement friendship among the three countries, it remains a highly sensitive subject in Australia and New Zealand.

The event honored Australian and New Zealand soldiers who died during the ill-fated 1915 campaign.

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Australia’s Governor-General David Hurley also participated in the ceremony, which included prayers and wreath-laying. Princess Anne read from soldiers’ letters and paid tribute to those who fought on all sides.

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