London - UPI
Queen Elizabeth and her husband, who both served in the British military in World War II, are planning a trip to France for the 70th anniversary of D-Day. Buckingham Palace announced Monday the June 5-7 visit will be a state one, the Daily Mirror reported. The royal couple will be guests of President Francois Hollande at the Elysee Palace and will attend events in Paris as well as the D-Day ceremonies June 6. The queen, then Princess Elizabeth, served as a mechanic in the Auxiliary Transport Service during the war. Prince Philip, who began the war as a midshipman, rose to be the youngest first lieutenant in the British navy at the time, and served with distinction in the Pacific and Mediterranean. While the queen, who turns 88 in April, continues to maintain a busy schedule, she has cut back on foreign travel. The only other overseas visit she and her husband are expected to make this year is one to Rome, making up for a trip that was canceled in March 2013 when the queen became ill.