Kate appears alongside Charles as royals commemorate Remembrance Sunday
The King has led the country in the national service of remembrance at the Cenotaph this morning to mark Armistice Sunday, as the Princess of Wales watched on following her cancer treatment.
Thousands of veterans, military personnel, government officials, and the Royal family fell silent for two minutes to honour the Armistice of the First World War and remember the servicemen and women who died in conflicts involving British and Commonwealth forces.
Some 11 Second World War veterans were known to be attending today’s Cenotaph commemoration.
The King laid the first wreath at the Whitehall ceremony, followed by a wreath on behalf of Queen Camilla, laid by her equerry. The Queen remained at home as she recovered from a seasonal respiratory bug, Buckingham Palace said.
Wreaths were also laid by the Prince of Wales, Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Princess Royal, Princess Anne.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and opposition leader Kemi Badenoch also paid their respects, followed by the leaders of other political parties and Cabinet ministers.
As is tradition, all of Britain’s living ex-prime ministers are attending the event alongside Sir Keir.
During the service, the Princess of Wales viewed the proceedings from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office centre balcony and took part in the solemn two-minute silence before viewing the veterans’ march past.
The princess, 42, has made just a handful of public appearances so far in 2024, after she underwent major abdominal surgery in January and then was diagnosed with cancer.
In a video the princess released in September, she revealed she had finished her chemotherapy treatment, and spoke of how she was “looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months”.
But she added her focus was “doing what I can to stay cancer free”.
It comes as she attended the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance on Saturday evening, alongside Charles, who is also having treatment for cancer.
The King, who received a standing ovation and applause upon entering the Royal Albert Hall, was sitting next to the Princess Royal, with the Queen absent from the Festival and also due to miss Sunday’s Cenotaph ceremony to ensure she makes a full recovery from a chest infection, and to protect others from any risk.
Camilla, 77, pulled out of an Olympic and Paralympic reception at the Palace and the opening of the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey earlier this week after developing the seasonal respiratory bug following her long-haul tour to Australia and Samoa and spa break in India.
She is said to have dearly wanted to pay tribute in person to the nation’s fallen servicemen and women this weekend.
The Royal British Legion’s veteran parade following the service will then see 10,000 veterans, representing 326 different armed forces and civilian organisations, march past the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in the Second World War and the 25th anniversary of the end of the war in Kosovo.
It also marks the 75th anniversary of Nato and the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale between the UK and France.
More than 800 sailors, soldiers and aviators will be on duty on Remembrance Sunday, representing their services at the Cenotaph and at commemorative services at Westminster Abbey and Westminster Cathedral.
