WWII veterans join King for Remembrance ceremony at Cenotaph
Reuters
King Charles will lead the nation in remembrance of those who lost their lives in two world wars and other conflicts at the Cenotaph in central London.
The King will be joined at the National Service of Remembrance by other members of the Royal Family, including the Prince and Princess of Wales. Queen Camilla will not be at the ceremony as she recovers from a chest infection.
Events to mark Remembrance Sunday – observed on the closest Sunday to Armistice Day – will take place around the country with two minutes of silence at 11:00 GMT to commemorate those who died in war.
The weekend’s Remembrance events are the first major appearances for Catherine following her recent cancer treatment.
The King will lay the first wreath on behalf of the UK at the Cenotaph. He will be followed by Prince William and Princess Anne, then Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and the country’s other political leaders.
Members of the armed forces, including veterans of World War II, will then lay their wreaths.
The Princess of Wales will be watching on from the balcony of the Foreign Office.
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Earlier in the morning, veterans gathered near Guards Memorial on the Horse Guards Parade ahead of the Royal British Legion’s march past the Cenotaph.
A military band marched at the Parliament Square end of Whitehall.
As the beginning of the ceremony approached, a hush fell over the thousands who had come to pay their respects.
At 11:00, Big Ben will chime to signal the start of the two-minute silence. It will be ended by the sound of a cannon blasting from Horse Guards Parade followed by a bugler playing the Last Post.
Services will be held in almost every town and city across the UK – with some of the biggest gatherings expected in Belfast, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Plymouth, Liverpool and Manchester.
In Belfast, Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill is due to take 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 previous years, but they have not attended the main Sunday ceremony.
Remembrance Sunday around the UK
King Charles, the Prince and Princess of Wales and other senior royals also attended the Festival of Remembrance event at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday night.
It was Catherine’s first major formal appearance since finishing chemotherapy.
She 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 when he arrived.
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The concert and the service at the Cenotaph on Sunday are among the most important events on the royal calendar.
Queen Camilla has withdrawn from both events as she is recovering from a chest infection. It is hoped she will be well enough to return to royal duties within the coming days.
Sunday’s events come the day before Armistice Day, which marks the moment World War One ended, at 11:00 on the 11th day of the 11th month, in 1918.
Remembrance events are due to take place on Monday across UK and allied nations.
As on Remembrance Sunday, Armistice Day will also see two minutes of silence as the clock strikes 11:00 in each country.
