King Charles and Princess of Wales both attend Remembrance ceremony

by Mick the Ram

King Charles III led the nation for the emotional two-minute silence of reflection to honour the fallen British and Commonwealth soldiers from two world wars and past conflicts, at the annual Remembrance ceremony, at the Cenotaph in central London.

Choking back tears the monarch, who turns 76 later in the week, then laid the first wreath followed by Prince William, as Princess Kate watched on from the overlooking balcony of the Foreign Office.

She too looked visibly emotional as she stood with Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, at the poignant and sombre event, although missing was Queen Camilla due to a chest infection.

Princess Anne, Prince Edward, senior politicians and representatives from overseas territories & dependencies, countries of the commonwealth, and members of the armed forces, including veterans of World War II, then laid their own tributes.

Poignant service

Remembrance Sunday is observed on the closest Sunday to Armistice Day, marking the historic moment fighting in the first world war came to an end in 1918 at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

At 11am Big Ben’s chimes signalled the start of the two-minute silence and was ended by the sound of a cannon blasting from Horse Guards Parade, followed by a bugler playing the Last Post.

Step up in public appearances

With both the King and Catherine being treated for cancer this year, their public appearances have been severely restricted, but have each steadily stepped up their duties.

Charles recently toured Australia and Samoa, an overseas trip during which his treatment was paused.

Touching sentiment

The previous night he received a standing ovation from the audience at a Royal British Legion event at the Royal Albert Hall, an event at which the Princess of Wales also attended.

Catherine, 42, looked well at that event and then appeared on the balcony in Whitehall the following day wearing three poppies, on her first back-to-back engagements since her cancer diagnosis, and also wore the late Queen Elizabeth II’s earrings, the same pair she wore to Her Majesty’s funeral in 2022.

Camilla not well enough

Queen Camilla however, was advised to stay away as a precaution, with Buckingham Palace putting out a statement to the effect that she is out of action with a “seasonal chest infection”.

It is understood she will mark the occasion “privately at home” and is expected to return to her own public duties later in the month.

Poppies synonymous with Remembrance

Across the UK, poppies are worn each year to mark Remembrance events and commemorate those who died in action.

It is a tradition which has its origins in World War One, after Canadian doctor Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae wrote his famous war poem, In Flanders Fields, following the devastation he witnessed on battlefields in Ypres, Belgium in 1915.

It has since become a symbol of remembering all those who gave up their lives in other conflicts.