Arsenal make Royal visit

Arsene Wenger and his Arsenal team are to meet the Queen, four months after a back injury forced her to miss the official opening ceremony of the north Londoners' new Ashburton Grove headquarters.

Wenger and the likes of captain Thierry Henry, Theo Walcott and Freddie Ljungberg have been invited to Buckingham Palace for tea.

They will take a tour of the State Apartments with the Arsenal board and other staff members, before the party meets the Queen in the Bow Room.

The Duke of Edinburgh filled in for his 80-year-old wife last October after straining a muscle in her back while holidaying at Balmoral. A small silver model cannon he was given at Arsenal's new state-of-the-art 60,000-capacity ground will be on show at the Palace for the reception.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: "The Queen was disappointed about not being able to officially open the new Arsenal stadium due to her back strain, especially as so much effort had been put in by so many people behind the scenes.

"Her Majesty therefore decided to host a tea at Buckingham Palace to thank those involved in the project for all their hard work and to have a chance to meet some of those she would have seen on the day."

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