The Countess of Wessex has officially opened a home for veterans in Bedfont which is named in her honour.
Prince Edward's wife, Sophie, visited Countess of Wessex House, which was built for vulnerable and disabled ex-servicemen and women and their families, on Monday (March 23).
Cadets from the 94th Feltham Air Training Corps (ATC) formed a guard of honour as the countess arrived at the building in Staines Road, Bedfont.
She then met former members of the British Armed Forces living at the 36-home complex, which includes a therapeutic garden.
Sophie is a patron of Stoll, which manages the accommodation. The charity has been providing homes for injured servicemen and women since being set up by theatre impresario Sir Oswald Stoll during the the First World War.
Countess of Wessex House was built on the site of a derelict former children's home and cost £7.5m to build.
The Royal British Legion and the Homes & Communities Agency were among the major donors for the building, which welcomed its first residents in August.
Stoll's chief executive Ed Tytherleigh said: "The Countess of Wessex House is the largest new project for veterans in England in the past year and everyone at Stoll was delighted that our patron, after whom it is named, has visited and formally opened this wonderful facility.
"The development replicates our other sites – including a therapeutic garden, extensive training and communal areas with a kitchen where we will provide a wide range of activities, an IT suite and tuition.
"A support worker will be on-site during the working week offering the same personalised, holistic support given to all the veterans Stoll works with.
"This is an exciting new phase in Stoll's life and I am delighted to have been part of this project."
