Wenger urged the Queen not to go to war after presenting her with Arsenal gift

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger presented Queen Elizabeth II with a decorative cannon in 2007 when his squad received a special invitation to meet the monarch at Buckingham Palace

Wenger, who spent more than 20 years at manager of the London side, was part of a group of Arsenal players and staff invited to Buckingham Palace in 2007. The monarch, who died last week at the age of 96, had officially opened the Gunners' new stadium just months earlier.

Members of the squad have spoken about the encounter in the past, not least Emmanuel Eboue. However, Wenger's interaction with the Queen was very revealing of the manager's personality.

As the players milled around, a number of them were greeted directly by the Queen. These included Thierry Henry, who was in the middle of his final season as an Arsenal player, and World Cup winning midfielder Gilberto Silva.

"You try not to put in your head who you have in front of you," Henry said. "There are no words to describe the experience the Queen has given us, to come here and visit her house.

In a clip shared on social media, Wenger can be seen standing by as the Queen is handed her gift, a likeness to the cannon on the club's badge. However, he is quick to comment as she picks it up, saying "It's not to incite you to make war".

It was not the only time Wenger, who took over at Arsenal in 1996 and left his post in 2018, met the Queen. And, in a post on Instagram over the weekend, the Frenchman paid tribute to the UK's longest-serving monarch.

"I arrived in England almost 26 years ago, in October 1996," Wenger wrote. "During that time, it was an honour to meet Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II twice. Once at Buckingham Palace, and once at Windsor.

"In an ever-changing world, throughout her reign, her sense of duty, and dedication to keeping the nation united are qualities I had huge respect and admiration for.

"The tributes that have been paid by people from all walks of life from around the world, demonstrate how much she meant, to so many. I would like to send my condolences to the Royal Family, and to all those who are in mourning today."

Read more

Queen sports stories

Sport shuts down in honour of Queen

Gary Lineker leads sporting tributes

Premier League clubs pay tribute

EFL postpones Friday night fixtures