King Charles leads Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph as Anne takes special role | Royal | News | Express.co.uk
King Charles is leading the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in central London this morning.
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King Charles lays wreath on Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph
King Charles has been joined by members of the Royal Family, senior politicians and dignatiries at the Cenotaph this morning for the annual National Service of Remembrance.
The service honours the contribution of military and civilian servicemen and women in World Wars One and Two, and other conflicts.
Some 10,000 veterans and 800 armed forces personnel members from all three services will march past the Cenotaph on Sunday, the Ministry of Defence has said.
Big Ben’s chimes and a firing of a gun at Horse Guards Parade by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery signalled the start of the two-minute silence at 11am.
Another gun was fired at the end of the silence, at which point the Last Post is played by the Buglers of the Royal Marines.
King Charles led the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph today (Image: Getty)
Queen Camilla and Kate watched the service from a balcony of the Foreign Office (Image: Getty)
King Charles then laid the first wreath at the Cenotaph. An equerry laid a wreath on behalf of Queen Camilla – who watched the proceedings from a balcony of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) alongside other royals such as Kate, the Princess of Wales and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh.
Prince William – who is wearing the Officer’s Cloak of The Blues and Royals, in the rank of Lieutenant Colonel – Prince Edward and Princess Anne also laid wreaths.
Captain George Hopkins of the Scots Guards laid a wreath on behalf of the Duke of Kent, who had to pull out of the ceremony due to “episodic mobility issues”. His equerry was always due to lay the wreath on his behalf.
Politicians then began to lay their own wreaths.
Members of the Royal Family stand opposite The Cenotaph (Image: Getty)
Prince William lays a wreath at the Cenotaph (Image: Getty)
The Cenotaph, meaning ‘the empty tomb’, was unveiled 1920 to symbolise the unprecedented losses suffered during World War One.
It has come to commemorate all members of the Armed Forces who have lost their lives in conflict since 1914.
Once all wreaths had been laid, the large crowd of onlookers watching the Remembrance Day ceremony in Whitehall sang God Save The King.
Charles then exited Whitehall back into the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office building, followed by senior royals including the Prince of Wales. Those stood on the balcony turned and headed inside as well.
Anne has a key role at the event, as she will take the salute on Horse Guards Parade for the march past of the ex-service and civilian associations following the ceremony.
There is a strong police presence at the event, with officers lining both sides of the road and standing around the monument.
Las night senior members of the Royal Family attended the Festival of Remembrance (Image: Getty)
Bosses have doubled the number of officers on duty in the capital, with 1,375 officers expected today, and the Cenotaph has a dedicated 24-hour police presence until the conclusion of Remembrance events.
It comes after around 150 pro-Palestinian protesters were detained – though not all were arrested – on Saturday night after breaking away from the main group following a 300,000-strong march through central London.
Rishi Sunak condemned the “wholly unacceptable” actions by both far-right groups and “Hamas sympathisers” on the pro-Palestinian march, and put pressure on police by saying “all criminality must be met with the full and swift force of the law”.
The Prime Minister said the ugly scenes in central London on Armistice Day “utterly disrespects” the spirit of remembrance as police confirmed 126 arrests with nine officers injured.
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