Princess Anne launched the Royal British Legion's 2008 Poppy Appeal in Gloucestershire Tuesday.

The Royal, who lives at Gatcombe, near Stroud, officially opened this year's appeal at Kemble Airport.

She was joined by Tina Thompson, from Bourton-on-the-Water, and her son Aiden, three, who feature in the British Legion's poster campaign.

The heart-wrenching image features mother and son walking along a beach with the Poppy Man, where Aiden's father Mick Thompson should be.

Mr Thompson died in a car accident three years ago while working as an army chef in Cyprus. The image is meant to represent the support offered by the British Legion to forces families in times of need, for which the Poppy Appeal raises money.

At yesterday's launch, an RAF crew from helicopter command delivered boxes of poppies in a Chinook from RAF Odiham and presented them to Princess Anne, while standard bearers from the Royal British Legion formed a guard of honour for her.

Meanwhile, in Exeter, Royal Marine Ben McBean, 21, who lost an arm and a leg while serving in Afghanistan earlier this year, was invited to the appeal launch.

He was praised as a "real hero" by Prince Harry, who also served in the Helmand province where Mr McBean was wounded in a land mine blast. The commando, from Plymouth, Devon, was joined by David Hart, who was seriously injured in a suicide bombing in 2004 while serving with the Territorial Army in Kabul.

After unveiling the Legion's symbolic Poppy Man, Mr McBean said: "I am not the only guy who has been injured, so for me to be picked to unveil Poppy Man is a privilege.

"Hopefully it will make more people aware of the poppy appeal."

At Tidworth barracks in Wiltshire a life-size Poppy Man was displayed on an army tank.

Poppies are now available to buy from shop counters and street vendors in Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and across the region.