Visitors to war cemeteries can rarely fail to be moved. Yesterday in Bayeux thousands of British D-Day veterans choked back their emotions in a moving pilgrimage to honour lost friends.

They had come to pay their respects in a joint British-French service to commemorate the Normandy landings, attended by the Queen, French president Jacques Chirac and Prime Minister Tony Blair.

But away from the assembled leaders at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery, in Bayeux, the day's real VIPs stood in brilliant sunshine on the cemetery's manicured lawns among the horse chestnut trees and the rows upon rows of white gravestones.

Veterans were solemn and tearful as the names brought back faces from their youth.

And as the hot midday sun shone over Normandy, the Queen and Mr Blair took time to meet some of the former soldiers, sailors and airmen who were among 12,000 people at the service in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Normandy landings.

The Queen was greeted with applause and cheering when she arrived with Mr Chirac for the start of the ceremony.

Wearing a lilac dress and hat, she rose to her feet along with the rest of the congregation to sing the hymn I Vow To Thee My Country. The Duke of Edinburgh gave a reading from the Bible, Ephesians chapter six.

Prayers were said for peace and for those who had come to the ceremony to mourn their lost loved ones, before a bugler sounded The Last Post.

Then thousands of veterans who were present with their families, along with all the dignitaries at the service, soldiers and the media, paused for a minute's silence.

Only a light breeze moved in the trees as, in the distance, the medieval spires of Bayeux cathedral glinted in the sun.

Many of the veterans wept quietly, clearly finding the occasion overpowering.

Also present were the prime ministers of Australia and New Zealand, and the Duke of Gloucester.

President Chirac had been delayed arriving at the Anglo-French ceremony, in Bayeux, because his flight by helicopter was affected by fog.

During his reading, Prince Philip said: "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

Dozens of veterans served as standard bearers throughout the hour-long service, and 1,400, most of them in their 80s, were on parade.

For a few the heat was too much and medical teams were called to help those who fell ill.

At least three D-Day veterans were taken to hospital after collapsing during the ceremony at Bayeux.

The oldest veteran at the parade was British-born Gordon Church, aged 96.

Mr Church served in the Royal Artillery during the Normandy campaign and travelled 12,000 miles from his home in Melbourne, Australia, to pay his respects at Bayeux.

Before the service, he met Mr Blair and Australian prime minister John Howard.

"I fought at El Alamein, Sicily, and D-Day and it's very important for me to come here," he said.

Many old soldiers and their families walked among the immaculately-kept graves looking for loved ones and old friends.

Arthur Jones, 80, from Fairwater, Cardiff, visited his brother William's grave in Bayeux for the first time since he was killed on June 7, 1944 aged 19.

Mr Jones said his brother was fighting with the South Wales Borderers when he was killed attempting to take a bridge at Sully.

"This is a sad day for me but it is a long time. I have seen the grave in photographs but this is the first time in 60 years I have come to see it.

"For the first 11 years we did not know what had happened to Bill as he was listed as missing. It was not until 1955 that they finally notified us about what had happened and then we had a grave.

"I remember sitting at my table composing his epitaph, 'In cherished memory of dear Bill, he died so very young, always remembered'."

Mr Jones also served in the Normandy campaign in the RAF. Before yesterday he had never attended any memorial service, but he said: "This is the last time that it's going to take place.

"I'm not one for cemeteries. I try to remember my brother as he was, but after all these years that's hard."

Captain David Render was a lieutenant in the Sherwood Ranger Yeomanry commanding a squadron of tanks during the Normandy campaign.

The 79-year-old said that, as a troop leader, his life expectancy was only 14 days as his regiment fought their way through into Germany.

Capt Render, from north London, said he felt gratitude but also guilt that he had survived and had been lucky enough to drive his Cromwell tank into Bremen by the end of the war.

"You have to realise that these people in this cemetery did their bit to keep me alive and all the veterans here today. I almost feel guilty about still standing up."