Is it Remembrance Sunday today? King Charles led the National Service of Remembrance at London’s Cenotaph on Sunday, as the nation was to fall silent for two minutes. About 10,000 veterans were expected to march in the Royal British Legion’s annual parade.
The parade was to bring together more than 300 military and civilian groups, including young military cadets, grieving children and a small number of remaining Second World War veterans. That mix placed the day’s formal commemoration alongside people still carrying the memory of conflict.
Cenotaph wreaths in London
Members of the royal family and key political figures were due to lay wreaths at the Cenotaph alongside The King. The service tied the national silence to the parade itself, with the royal and political presence concentrated at the memorial rather than spread across separate events.
Andy Burnham described the day as a chance to honour sacrifice and reflect on it. “I’m incredibly proud to be honouring those whose sacrifice continues to protect our way of life to this day,” he said ahead of Remembrance Sunday.
Annie Duplock joins the parade
Among those taking part was Annie Duplock, a 103-year-old veteran of the Land Army. She enlisted in 1940 when she was 16 and spent four years working at a Leicestershire farm during the Second World War.
Duplock said she felt honoured to represent the Land Girls and expected an emotional day. “I’m very excited, although a little apprehensive as I don’t quite know what to expect,” she said.
Steve Hooper and the veterans
Steve Hooper, a former RAF mechanical transport driver during the conflict in Iraq, was due to join the Invictus Games Alumni contingent. He said he had seen trauma in Iraq and struggled after returning, and he linked his participation to the support he received through the Royal British Legion and the Invictus Games.
He said he would march alongside fellow team members as they reflected on recovery journeys and remembered those who were not as fortunate. For readers watching the service, the most immediate point is the scale: thousands of veterans, multiple generations and a small number of surviving Second World War veterans were brought into one national commemoration on Sunday.
