Today, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined the British Queen Elizabeth II and the members of the Royal Family to honour the brave soldiers who laid their lives for the nation during World War. Remembrance Day Service is one of the most sombre events of the Royal Calender.
Every year at Whitehall, British Monarch lays the wreath at The Cenotaph memorial in central London’s Whitehall to pay tribute to country’s war dead on Remembrance Day, a tradition inaugurated by King George V in 1919. The Cenotaph was unveiled by King George V on 11 November 1920 at the same ceremony which saw the Unknown Warrior laid to rest.
This year’s service also marks the great battles of Monte Cassino, Kohima & Imphal and D-Day in 1944 (end of the Second World War) and remembring the collaboration and friendship of the British, Commonwealth and Allied armies who fought these battles.
The Queen and The Royal Family were joined by the more than 10,000 people from across the country on the Mall and made their way around St James’ Park for Remembrance Sunday as part of a ‘nation’s thank you’ to those who fought in the Great War. World War Two veteran Ron Freer, 104, who is blind, will be the oldest person marching at the Cenotaph this year.
On behalf of Her Majesty, Prince of Wales Charles laid the wreath at Cenotaph. An Equerry laid a wreath on behalf of The Duke of Edinburgh.
Her Majesty the Queen was joined by Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, both future Queen Consorts, at the balcony of Foreign Office.
Prince William and Prince Harry followed their father and laid wreaths at Cenotaph to honour the fallen soldiers followed by politicians and dignitaries while Queen watched from the balcony.
The Prince of Wales lays the first wreath at the Cenotaph on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen on Remembrance Sunday.#WeWillRememberThem pic.twitter.com/B5ds9LpbqI
— BBC Studios Events (@BBCStudiosLive) November 10, 2019
The service began with a 2 minutes silence marked by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery’s single shot on Horse Guards Parade. The silence was ended by a gun salute and the Royal Marines buglers sounding the Last Post. This year marks 100 years since the first two-minute silence on November 11, 1919, marking the moment the First World War came to an end a year earlier. Starting at the same time as the two-minute silence, the service at the Cenotaph honoured the armed forces community, British and Commonwealth veterans, the allies who fought alongside the UK and the civilian servicemen and women involved in the two world wars and later conflicts.
A video of the service.
It was Catherine’s 9th attendance at the annual event. She has attended it every year since her wedding in 2011. For the day, Duchess of Cambridge chose another military-style black coat. Susan from WhatKateWore received the confirmation that Duchess’s coat was designed by her trusty label Catherine Walker.
She was wearing a black Philip Treacy velvet hat with a veil. Thanks to Gabi on Twitter for the id. It looks like the black version of her pink Philip Treacy hat she wore at the wedding of Princess Eugenie in October 2018.
Duchess paired her look with Queen’s Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings. Duchess was also seen picking up a black clutch after the service. Due to the lack of clear pictures, I could not identify it.
Catherine honoured her GrandMother and Great Aunts who worked during World War II as Codebreakers at Bletchley Park by wearing the Codebreakers brooch. The £29.99 brooch is inspired by the rotors of the Enigma machines, from which Allied cryptologists successfully decrypted a vast number of enemy messages during the Second World War, the Codebreakers brooch is an extraordinary tribute to the work of those in signal intelligence.
Yesterday, the Duchess of Cambridge attended the annual Festival of Remembrance with the Royal family. Next, we will see her on November 15th at the opening of the Nook. The beginning and end of the two minutes’ silence will be marked by the firing of a gun by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery.
