Prince Edward opens new museum at Commonwealth War Graves Commission

His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent paid a visit to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) to officially open its new museum in Maidenhead.

The museum details the origin and work of the CWGC to commemorate the 1.7 million people of the Commonwealth who lost their lives in the first and second world wars.

Prince Edward, president of the CWGC, visited the newly refurbished headquarters in Marlow Road which now houses a number of unique artefacts on display for the first time, including a passport issued to King George V in 1922.

The commission's president also talked with staff about their plans for the centenary of the First World War in 2014 during his visit today.

His Royal Highness said: "For more than 40 years, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead has been home to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission which operates in 153 countries worldwide.

"Our efforts to commemorate the fallen of two world wars will come into sharp focus during the forthcoming centenary of the First World War."

The CWGC will ensure that sites used to mark the anniversary are maintained and it will install more than 500 information panels to keep visitors informed.

Thousands of headstones will be re-engraved so each is legible, with new websites and phone apps also being launched next year to keep people up to date with the centenary events.