
Protesters were there to remind the Queen of the controversial bombing of Dresden by Allied forces in the closing months of the Second World War – and to protest the building of a statue to commemorate Sir Arthur "Bomber" Harris, the Chief of RAF Bomber Command at the time of the raids. In February 1945, the Royal Air Force (RAF) and United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) dropped nearly 4,000 tonnes of high-explosive and incendiary bombs on Dresden, destroying an estimated 6.5 square kilometers of the city and killing between 22,000 – 25,000 people. Debate still rages today about the necessity of the bombing raids and the strategic value of Dresden as a target. The Queen Mother had unveiled the statue commemorating Bomber Harris in Central London in May 1992, just months before the Queen's visit to Germany.
At the service of reconciliation, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh read to the congregation in German. The next leg of their Royal tour was Leipzig, where the Queen received a much warmer welcome.
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