VANCOUVER (CBC) - Princes William and Harry joined thousands of people gathered in London Wednesday for a sunset pageant aimed at raising awareness and money in support of British troops wounded in action.

The Royal brothers have taken up the cause of wounded troops to lobby for better treatment and are patrons of the City Salute event.

Crowds cheered as Typhoon jets flew overhead and the elite Household Cavalry marched by during the hour-long spectacle at St. Paul's Cathedral, which was lit by colourful floodlights.

CBC's Adrienne Arsenault, reporting from the event, said there is a growing sense in Britain that returning soldiers are not being treated as well as they should be.

At the evening extravaganza, buckets were passed around for donations. Funds will go toward building a swimming pool and gym complex at Headley Court, a defence medical rehabilitation centre, and to help set up and run homes for families of injured personnel at both Headley Court and another centre.

Some Britons said it's embarrassing that money should have to be raised for soldiers to have proper facilities at military hospitals.

"It's crazy that that has to happen," one woman attending the event said. "They should have their own hospitals. They shouldn't have to be queuing up for the national health wards."

The event garnered lots of media attention in Britain where several networks carried the event live.

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