戦う／戦い of the divas: Katherine Jenkins and Hayley Westenra go 長，率いる to 長，率いる for prized 役割 of 軍隊s Favourite

By Elizabeth Sanderson
Updated: 01:22 BST, 20 September 2009

She’s sung for British 軍隊／機動隊s in Iraq, Afghanistan and Cyprus ? and even for Chelsea pensioners.

But glamorous blonde mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins is losing her 役割 as the 軍隊s Sweetheart to a young New Zealand-born singer, Hayley Westenra.

Ms Westenra, 22, will 最高の，を越す the 法案 at the 王室の British Legion’s 年次の Festival of Remembrance at the 王室の Albert Hall on November 7, 取って代わるing Ms Jenkins, who has 成し遂げるd at the prestigious concert for the past five years.

長，率いる-to-長，率いる: Brunette Hayley Westenra takes on Katherine Jenkins to be the new 軍隊s sweetheart

It is the 最新の in a 一連の 激変s in the Welsh singer’s career.

Just before last year’s Festival of Remembrance, Ms Jenkins, 29, 明らかにする／漏らすd that she had taken コカイン, ecstasy and cannabis as a 十代の少年少女.

She also left her 全世界の／万国共通の 記録，記録的な／記録する label to 調印する a £6million を取り引きする Warner Music in a 企て，努力，提案 to 割れ目 the American market.

And last month, she parted from her 経営者／支配人 of six years, Brian 小道／航路. Their lawyers are in 会談 to work out a 解決／入植地.

A source の近くに to Ms Jenkins said that she believed as recently as two months ago that she would be appearing as usual in 前線 of the Queen and a television audience of millions at the British Legion concert.

Ms Westenra, who has been a 信頼できる 支持者 of 軍隊s’ charities since she 発射 to fame as a singer six years ago, has also been 新採用するd by the British Legion to be the 直面する of this year’s Poppy 控訴，上告.?

Ms Jenkins has had an eventful? 関与 with British 軍隊s. In an interview in today’s Live magazine, she 収容する／認めるs she believed that she was going to die when an RAF ヘリコプター in which she was travelling over Iraq was 攻撃する，衝突する by a ground-to-空気／公表する ミサイル.

‘I was on my way to 成し遂げる for the 軍隊／機動隊s when suddenly there was this incredibly loud noise and the ヘリコプター just dropped out of the sky,’ she says.?

‘I thought, “This is it...I’m done.” But somehow the 操縦する landed.’

In Afghanistan she was unknowingly put in danger when her ヘリコプター was used as a おとり for another 航空機 carrying the 長，率いる of the 省 of Defence.

Ms Westenra, who last year travelled to Basra to 成し遂げる for British 軍隊／機動隊s, has a 深く，強烈に personal 利益／興味 in the work of the British Legion, thanks to a long family tradition of 戦時 service.

Her 広大な／多数の／重要な-uncle, 騎兵大隊 Leader Jerry Westenra, was one of the bravest RAF エースs of the Second World War, 収入 the Distinguished 飛行機で行くing Cross and 妨げる／法廷，弁護士業 in 空中戦／乱闘s with the Luftwaffe and the Italian 空気／公表する 軍隊 over Greece, North Africa and フラン.

Hayley said: ‘Jerry is someone to be incredibly proud of. But in October 2007, I took part in the 90th 周年記念日 記念 of the 戦う／戦い of Passchendaele and discovered one of my 広大な／多数の／重要な-広大な／多数の／重要な-uncles had been killed on the 前線 line.

‘I 設立する the 指名する of 私的な Frederick Alan Westenra of Canterbury, New Zealand, on one of the plaques at the Tyne Cot 連邦／共和国 War 記念の in Ypres.

'From that point onwards, I became keen to support the 武装した 軍隊s wherever and whenever possible. To appear at this year’s Festival of Remembrance is such a 広大な／多数の／重要な honour.’

Russell Thompson, the British Legion’s director of 国家の events and fundraising, said: ‘Katherine has been a tremendous 支持者 for many years and continues to be.

‘This year, we have a different show with different performers but we’re certainly looking 今後 to working with Katherine again in the 未来.’

A 広報担当者 for 29-year-old Ms Jenkins said of the Festival of Remembrance: ‘She’s done it for the past five years, more than any other person. Now she wants to let other people 成し遂げる.’