UNITED KINGDOM: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - Arsenal's Emirates Stadium is officially opened by Prince Philip

Britain's Queen Elizabeth cancelled plans to open Arsenal's new Emirates Stadium on Thursday (October 26) because of a strained muscle in her back. Ken Friar, the long-time Arsenal club secretary and a driving force behind the development of the 60,000 all-seater stadium, confirmed that she had pulled out. A spokeswoman at Buckingham Palace said "there is no cause for concern" for the 80-year-old monarch, who has just returned from a three-country trip to the Baltic states. The Queen had been scheduled to meet Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and captain Thierry Henry on a tour of the ground. "Your Royal Highness, my lords, ladies and gentlemen we're all delighted to welcome you here today. Our only one regret is her Majesty who was coming, and we were absolutely thrilled that she agreed to come, is not well enough to do so." said Arsenal Chairman Peter Hill-Wood Standing in for the Queen, Prince Philip later officially opened the 390 million pounds ($734.9 million) stadium in north London where he was introduced to the Arsenal squad by France striker Henry. Buckingham Palace said the Queen had sustained the back injury while staying at her Balmoral country residence. Arsenal began playing at the new stadium in July with an opening match against Ajax Amsterdam after leaving their former home at Highbury at the end of last season. They had moved there in 1913 after beginning life in south London. The club was formed by workers at the Royal Arsenal in 1886 and after initially using the name Dial Square taken from one of the workshops there, were then known as Royal Arsenal from 1886 to 1891.

ITN Source | October 27, 2006

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