King Charles III, surrounded by thousands of veterans, led the traditional Remembrance Sunday commemorative ceremony at the foot of the Cenotaph. The Prince of Wales was present alongside him at the monument, while other members of the royal family watched the ceremony from the balconies of the Foreign Office.
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King Charles III leads Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Cenotaph
On November 11, 1918, at 11 a.m., an armistice agreement was signed between the belligerents, ending the First World War. Armistice Day is a public holiday observed in many countries across the continent. In the United Kingdom, celebrations are held over several days, including the Sunday closest to November 11, known as Remembrance Sunday.
Like every year, the British royal family was present in large numbers this Sunday in the Whitehall district, where the Cenotaph is erected, to attend the ceremony paying tribute to British soldiers. The equestrian statue of Charles 1isthe Cenotaph and the monument to women of the Second World War are located in this area. King Charles III, 75, led this ceremony on November 10, 2024, surrounded by his eldest son, Prince William, 42, his brother, the Duke of Edinburgh, 60, and his sister, the Princess Anne, 74 years old. Charles, William, Edward and Anne took turns laying a wreath poppies at the foot of the Cenotaph.
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Prince William, Prince Edward, Princess Anne accompany King Charles III in front of the Cenotaph
As early as 1919, King George V decided to mark the first anniversary of the Armistice by organizing a banquet on November 11. On November 11, 1920, a burial ceremony for an unknown soldier was held at the Cenotaph, a new memorial built to honor the memory of soldiers who fell during the First World War. In subsequent years, tribute ceremonies were organized to mark the armistice. After the Second World War, the ceremony was moved to the Sunday closest to the Armistice and we now commemorate all the soldiers who died for the homeland, during all military operations.
The Cenotaph was designed by British architect Edwin Lutyens. Cenotaph means “empty tomb”. It symbolizes the unprecedented losses suffered during the First World War and has become the main venue for Remembrance ceremonies.
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The Princess of Wales makes a rare appearance on the balcony
Other members of the royal family who do not take an active role during the ceremony attend and observe it from one of the three balconies of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office which overlook the Cenotaph. The Duchess of Edinburgh, Vice-Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester watched the ceremony from one of the balconies. The Princess of Wales, whose appearances are rare this year due to her cancer, was also present. Already the day before, Princess Catherine had attended the Festival of Remembrance, a charity concert organized each year on the Saturday evening before Remembrance Sunday.
The Princess of Wales has attended very few events this year due to her chemotherapy treatment. Princess Catherine finished her treatment just before the start of the school year and is courageously returning to some activities little by little. Queen Camilla, on the other hand, was absent this year for health reasons. All this week, Queen Camilla was replaced by Princess Anne and the Duchess of Gloucester, due to a lung infection that forced her to cancel all her engagements.
A squire therefore laid a wreath in the name of Queen Camilla who was not present. Usually, she watches from the balcony as the squire places the crown in her place. A squire also laid the Duke of Kent's wreath. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and other politicians laid a wreath.
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