The British Royal Family led the Nation at the annual Remembrance Sunday Service at The Cenotaph in Whitehall . King Charles III was joined by Queen Camilla, The Prince and Princess of Wales, The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, The Princess Royal and Sir Timothy Laurence, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
Remembrance Sunday is a national opportunity to remember the service and sacrifice of all those that have defended our freedoms and protected our way of life. Every year the British Royal Family led by the Monarch is joined by British Prime Minister, members of the Government, other political leaders and thousands of armed forces representatives for a tribute to those who gave their lives since the world war I during the conflicts and peace-time army missions.
Following the longstanding tradition, King Charles III laid a wreath at the Cenotaph on the behalf of the country. The design of wreath which was made by Poppy Factory, closely resembles the wreath produced for HM King George VI. The wreath’s 41 open style poppy petals are made from bonded fabric and mounted on an arrangement of black leaves, as is traditional for the Sovereign. The wreath’s ribbon bears The King’s racing colours; scarlet, purple and gold. The Royal racing colours were also incorporated into the Wreaths of King George V, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II.
On #RemembranceDay it is a tradition for the Monarch to lay a wreath at the Cenotaph.
📷 King George V in 1924
📷 King George VI in 1942
📷 Queen Elizabeth II in 1957
📷 The King, (when The Prince of Wales in 1972)#WeWillRememberThem #PoppyDay pic.twitter.com/PlU4t9zqJm— Royal Collection Trust (@RCT) November 12, 2023
In 1919, King George V began a tradition of laying a wreath to remember the war heroes. The Cenotaph positioned on Whitehall in London is a ‘great empty tomb’ and has become the central focus for the remembrance and commemoration events in Britain since the First World War.
The King has laid a wreath at the Cenotaph. The Queen watched from the balcony with the Princess of Wales, and her wreath was laid by her equerry Oliver Plunkett. The Prince of Wales is wearing his Officer’s Cloak of The Blues and Royals, in the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. pic.twitter.com/d1l5uyfK8p
— Matt Wilkinson (@MattSunRoyal) November 12, 2023
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Originally in 1919, British architect Edwin Landseer Lutyens (1898-1944) was approached by Sir Alfred Mond, First Commissioner of Works, to design a catafalque – a raised platform to hold a casket or tomb – to stand on Whitehall for the tribute ceremony. It was supposed to be a temporary monument. But in 1920 the temporary wooden and plastic monument was made a permanent symbol of Remembrance with the current design of Portland stone. On 11 November 1920 King George V unveiled the Cenotaph, the national memorial to the ‘Glorious Dead’ of the 1914-1918 war, and afterwards, King George V and Queen Mary attended the burial service for the ‘Unknown Warrior’ at Westminster Abbey.
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The Queen, The Princess of Wales, The Duchess of Edinburgh, The Duchess of Gloucester watched the service from the Balconies of the FCDO. Queen Camilla’s equerry, Major Ollie Plunket, The Rifles, laid a wreath on Queen’s behalf which closely resembles the wreath produced for HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Its 95 closed style poppy petals are made from bonded fabric and the Wreath will bear the colours from HM The Queen’s racing silk – brown, red and yellow.
Then The Prince of Wales, William, laid his wreath while The Princess of Wales, Catherine, watched from the central balcony of the FCDO. William’s wreath featured The Prince of Wales plumes. The wreath also bore a ribbon in Welsh red.
At the eleventh hour, the nation observed the two minutes of silence to remember the fallen. The silence represents the armistice was signed on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918 to end World War I. A single gun on Horse Guards Parade is fired Another round of gunfire signifies the end of the silence and the bugle call ‘The Last Post’ is played.
The @KingsTroopRHA fire from Horse Guards Parade at 11am to mark the start and end of a two minute silence on #RememberanceSunday. pic.twitter.com/u2wGwjoqJm
— The Royal Parks (@theroyalparks) November 12, 2023
The Last post is followed by a religious service and then a bugle call ‘The Rouse’. The ceremony ends with the National Anthem followed by a Veteran March Past where a member of the Royal Family takes the salute. This year The Princess Royal Will be taking the Salute.
What The Princess of Wales wore to the 2023 Remembrance Sunday Service
- Catherine Walker Military Style Coat – (Repeat – 2019 Remembrance Sunday Service)
- Philip Treacy Black Hat – (Repeat – Debuted in 2006 December Sandhurst Parade)
- Queen’s Diamond and Pearl Leaf Earrings – (Royal Jewel)
- Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm brooch – (Repeat – Debuted September 2023)
- Jennifer Chamandi Le 8 “Eye Of The Needle” Gold Buckle Clutch – (New – Thanks to House of Windsor for the id)
