Gallipoli centenary marked by Queen and UK leaders

The Queen is attending UK ceremonies marking the centenary of the Gallipoli campaign in World War One.

Following a two-minute silence she laid a wreath at the Cenotaph, Whitehall.

She is being joined by Prince William and party leaders at the memorial parade, ahead of a service at Westminster Abbey.

A second day of services in Australia, Turkey and New Zealand are also being held to mark the landing of allied forces in Gallipoli, 100 years ago.

In London, the Princess Royal took part in a dawn service at Hyde Park Corner.

Crowds gathered for the ceremony, during which Princess Anne laid a wreath at Wellington Arch.

The eight-month campaign on the Gallipoli peninsula, in modern day Turkey, was one of the 

bloodiest of the war and the first to involve troops from Australia and New Zealand.

Earlier the Prince of Wales, together with Prince Harry, attended a ceremony at the Anzac commemorative site in Turkey.

At the Cenotaph, the Queen joined those gathered in a two minute silence, paying tribute to the 131,000 troops who died during the Gallipoli campaign - including 25,000 British military personnel.

Descendants of veterans and representatives from countries involved in the operation are attending the ceremony.

And the principal party leaders, who are breaking off from the general election campaign, are also among those involved.

Elsewhere, the Duke of Edinburgh joined a service of remembrance at St Paul's Cathedral in London.

On Saturday afternoon, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, who is patron of the Gallipoli 

 Association, will take part in a service of commemoration at Westminster Abbey. During the service the Queen will lay a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior.

Among other events being held on Saturday:

Australia has been remembering its dead at a ceremony at the Lone Pine site

Turkey is holding a service at the Turkish 57th Regimental Memorial

New Zealanders are remembering their dead at the other upper level battleground of Chanuk Bairn Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael joined veterans and members of the public to mark the anniversary at the Scottish National War Memorial at Edinburgh CastleAt dawn on 25 April 1915, thousands of allied troops launched an amphibious attack on the strategically-important Gallipoli peninsula, which was key to controlling the Dardanelles strait, a crucial route to the Black Sea and Russia.The Gallipoli campaign is most frequently associated with the forces of the Australian and New Zealand army corps, the Anzacs, but of the more than half a million allied troops who were involved in the operation, more than four hundred thousand came from Britain.