Royalty touched down in a helicopter in Hendon for the relaunch of the RAF Museum.

The newly refurbished RAF Museum London reopened on Friday with a visit from The Earl of Wessex, who landed at the opening ceremony in a 32 Sqn helicopter.

The Earl of Wessex was joined at the opening ceremony by other VIPs, including Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier, Kuwait ambassador Khaled Al-Duwaisan and Viscount Trenchard, the grandson of the founder of the RAF 1st Viscount Hugh Trenchard.

Maggie Appleton, RAF Museum CEO, said: “It was a pleasure and an honour to have The Earl of Wessex open our transformed London site in the RAF’s centenary year.”

The RAF Museum had been closed for redevelopment, but reopened for the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the RAF, and in time for a celebration of Armed Forces Day on 30 June.

The museum now includes a new restaurant and visitor centre as well as three new galleries covering the first 100 years of the RAF, its role today, and how technology is shaping its future.

Appleton also said: “Our new exhibitions not only explore the Royal Air Force’s extraordinary history and people, but also give visitors the opportunity to look ahead into the cutting-edge future of the service.”

The museum has also launched a new digital project, “RAF Stories”, to encourage the public to build online scrapbooks of their own and their families’ experiences of the RAF over the years.