King leads nation in memory of war victims

King Charles led the nation in two minutes’ silence in memory of those who lost their lives in the two world wars and other conflicts.

Tens of thousands of veterans and civilians joined the king in paying their respects to the fallen at the annual National Service of Remembrance ceremony at the Cenotaph in central London.

The king was accompanied by other members of the royal family, including the Prince and Princess of Wales, and political leaders.

Events are taking place across the country to mark Remembrance Sunday, which is celebrated on the Sunday closest to Armistice Day.

The king laid the first wreath on behalf of the nation. Dressed in the Royal Navy uniform of the Admiral of the Fleet, he saluted after stepping back from the cenotaph.

The king was followed by Queen Camilla’s equerry, Major Ollie Plunket, who laid a wreath on her behalf as she is currently recovering from a respiratory infection.

Prince William, Prince Edward and Princess Anne followed, then Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and the country’s other political leaders.

Kemi Badenoch laid a wreath for the first time, a week after he was elected the new leader of the Conservatives.

There were also a number of representatives from the new Labor government, including Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Foreign Secretary David Lammy.

The Princess of Wales watched, as usual, from the balcony of the Foreign Office, next to the Duchess of Edinburgh.

This weekend’s memorial events are among Catherine’s first official appearances following her recent cancer treatment.

Also watching from balconies were Nigel Farage, leader of the British reform movement, and Carla Denyer, co-leader of the Green Party. It is tradition that only the leaders of parties with six or more seats in parliament and the leaders of the largest party from each of the decentralized countries lay a wreath.

Members of the armed forces, including World War II veterans, then laid their wreaths before beginning a march through Whitehall, which lasted more than an hour.

The thousands-strong group, representing 326 different armed forces and civilian organizations, marched past the Cenotaph. Each group received a wreath that was presented in addition to the wreaths already placed.

The day’s commemoration had officially begun at 11 a.m., when Big Ben rang to signal the start of the two minutes of silence. It ended with the sound of a cannon shot from the Horse Guards Parade, followed by a bugler playing the Last Post.

World War II veterans told the BBC what the day meant to them.

“For me personally, I come here to remember my shipmates, Army veterans, the Royal Air Force and the Merchant Navy,” said Navy veteran Henry Rice.

“I thank God I survived, I got away with it.”

Joe Randall, 101 years old, said, “Your mind goes back a little too, memories and talking to old guys like us. It was a beautiful day.”

But most of the ex-servicemen and women attending the ceremony were veterans of more recent conflicts.

Iraq war veteran Karl Hinnett, who suffered serious burns when his vehicle was set on fire, said: “On our march to the Cenotaph it is a very important moment to realize where we have come from and what we have been through.”

“We are often called the unexpected survivors and I am just very grateful to be alive and here.”

Falklands bomb specialist veteran John Phillips, who lost an arm in an explosion, said he is thinking of a colleague who did not survive the blast.

“Many veterans will tell you that it is very important that these people are remembered forever and that their stories are told forever.”

Services are held in almost every city in the UK – with some of the largest gatherings in Belfast, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Plymouth, Liverpool and Manchester.

In Belfast, Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill took part in the official ceremony, making her the first senior Sinn Féin figure to do so.

Several Sinn Féin politicians have laid wreaths at the Cenotaph in Belfast in recent years, but they have not previously attended the main Sunday ceremony.

In Cardiff, soldiers marched past the town hall towards the ceremony at the Welsh National War Memorial in Cathays Park.

Prime Minister Eluned Morgan hailed the memorial as “as important as ever” in a speech ahead of the service.

The King, Prince William, Catherine and other senior royals also attended the Festival of Remembrance event at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday evening.

Catherine is gradually returning to public duties following her cancer treatment earlier this year.

The king, who has also been treated for cancer, received a standing ovation from the audience upon his arrival.

Sunday’s concert and service at the Cenotaph are among the most important events in the royal calendar.

Queen Camilla has withdrawn from both events as she is recovering from a chest infection. It is hoped that she will feel well enough to return to her royal duties in the coming days.

Sunday’s events come the day before Armistice Day, the moment the First World War ended, at 11 a.m. on the 11th day of the 11th month, in 1918.

Commemorative events will take place in Britain and related countries on Monday.

Just like on Remembrance Day, there will also be a two-minute silence on Armistice Day in every country when the clock strikes 11am.