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Remembrance Sunday: thousands gather to honour the fallen Remembrance Sunday: thousands gather to honour the fallen
(about 4 hours later)
Royal family and politicians join veterans at Cenotaph, while services held across UKRoyal family and politicians join veterans at Cenotaph, while services held across UK
Thousands of veterans and service personnel marched past the Cenotaph in London as Remembrance Sunday services were held at churches, cemeteries and war memorials across Britain in tribute to those killed in past and recent conflicts. Thousands of veterans marched past the Cenotaph in London on Remembrance Sunday as Britain paid its respects to the fallen of past conflicts.
The prime minister, Boris Johnson, and the opposition leader, Jeremy Corbyn, joined other party leaders at the memorial to “The Glorious Dead” on Whitehall. The Queen led commemorations at the memorial to “The Glorious Dead” in Whitehall, while services were held at churches, war memorials and cemeteries across the country.
Senior members of the royal family were present alongside military leaders, faith community leaders and representatives from Commonwealth nations. They stood with heads bowed as Big Ben tolled 11am, and a two-minutes’ silence was marked by the firing of a gun by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery and buglers sounded the Last Post. The prime minister, Boris Johnson, and Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn joined other party leaders in laying wreaths on the 100th anniversary of the first Remembrance Day in 1919.
The Prince of Wales laid two wreaths, one on behalf of the Queen and his own wreath. The Queen watched from a nearby balcony overlooking the memorial, which had been unveiled by her grandfather, George V, when in 1919 he decreed the first two-minutes’ silence to be observed at 11am to mark the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice. They stood with heads bowed as Big Ben struck 11am, and a two-minutes’ silence was marked by the firing of a gun by the King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery and a bugler’s Last Post.
This was the 100th ceremony at the Cenotaph, following a tradition first begun after the first world war when thousands flooded into London and the memorial became a focal point for the bereaved. The Prince of Wales laid a wreath on behalf of the Queen, who watched the ceremony from a balcony overlooking the memorial first unveiled by George V in 1919.
An equerry laid a wreath for the Duke of Edinburgh, who was not present after retiring from royal duties two years ago. While serving in the Royal Navy, he was mentioned in dispatches for his role in the Battle of Matapan in the second world war. After the service, a large crowd cheered as veterans, and others involved in armed service personnel organisations and charities, performed the traditional march past. Some used wheelchairs, mobility scooters or walking sticks and were well into their tenth decade. But, medals glinting in the autumnal sunshine, they passed the Cenotaph and saluted, eyes left.
The dukes of of Cambridge and Sussex also laid wreaths while their wives looked on, as did the Duke of York. Ron Freer, 104, from Kent, was thought to be the oldest veteran taking part in the march past. Before the ceremony, he said he felt “hugely honoured” and planned to march alongside 100 other blind veterans.
Five former prime ministers – Sir John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Theresa Maym – were among those paying tribute. The Taxi Charity for Military Veterans said London cabbies had made more than 1,000 free taxi journeys as part of the Poppy Cabs initiative, which helps with veterans travel in the capital funded by the drivers themselves.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of D-Day, the Battle of Kohima in India, the Battle of Arnhem in the Netherlands, and the Bottle of Monte Cassino in Italy. Five former prime ministers – Sir John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Theresa May – were among those paying tribute. They joined senior military leaders, faith community leaders and representatives of other Commonwealth nations.
Thousands of veterans, their medals glinting in the autumn sunshine, performed a traditional march past. The crowd cheered as the veterans, the more elderly among them in wheelchairs, on motability scooters or leaning on walking sticks, passed the Cenotaph and saluted, eyes left. The Duke of Edinburgh, 98, a second world war veteran who served with the navy and was mentioned in dispatches for his part in the Battle of Cape Matapan, was not present. He retired from official royal engagements two years ago.
The march past salute was taken by the Duke of York, who was accompanied by Ben Wallace, the defence secretary. The dukes of Cambridge and Sussex laid their own wreaths as their wives watched from nearby balconies along with other members of the royal family. The march-past salute was taken by the Duke of York, who was accompanied by the defence secretary, Ben Wallace.
The Taxi Charity for Military Veterans said London cabbies made more than 1,000 free taxi journeys as part of the Poppy Cabs initiative, which helps veterans plan their travel to attend the service, and is funded entirely by the drivers themselves. For the first time, the ambassador of Nepal placed a wreath in honour of the contribution the Gurkha regiments made to Britain’s military campaigns. Wreaths were also laid for the the first on behalf of the intelligence services, to coincide with the 100th anniversary of GCHQ and the 110th anniversaries of MI5 and MI6.
In a video released on his Twitter account before the ceremony, Corbyn paid tribute to the work of the armed forces. He said: “We remember the many brave people from Britain and all across the world who put their lives on the line making huge sacrifices in two world wars which cost the lives of millions, and in all other conflicts since. And we stand together to say: Never again.” As the nation fell silent to remember the fallen, a second world war Dakota plane released 750,000 poppies over the white cliffs of Dover, as hundreds of people packed the nearby Battle of Britain memorial. The former US military transport plane was flanked by two Spitfires as it flew low over the Kent coast to release the biodegradable poppies.
A campaign to ensure Remembrance Sunday can be celebrated by everyone “irrespective of nationality, creed or colour” has been backed by MPs, the faith community and former military leaders. Called “Remember together” and coordinated by the Royal British Legion and think tank British Future, it encourages people from different background to commemorate their shared history 75 years after major battles such as D-Day. WO Roy Briggs, 94, one of five RAF veterans on board, said he spent the flight thinking of a Lancaster crew he knew who lost their lives during a mission. “I am 94, and they are still 20 and 21. They will never be anything else to me,”he said.
In Edinburgh, the first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, attended the official wreath-laying ceremony at the Stone of Remembrance.
In Enniskillen, where 12 people were killed and 68 injured at the Remembrance Sunday IRA Poppy Day bomb attack in 1987, the Irish prime minister, Leo Varadkar, was among dignitaries from both side of the Irish border to lay a wreath.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of D-Day, the Battle of Kohima in India, the Battle of Arnhem in the Netherlands and the Battle of Monte Cassino in Italy.
Boris Johnson tweeted he would be thinking of those over the centuries who had given so much to protect the country. “I will especially remember the men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice in war, so that today we can live in peace.”
Corbyn paid tribute to the work of the armed forces in a video tweeted before the ceremony. In it he said: “We remember the many brave people from Britain and all across the world who put their lives on the line making huge sacrifices in two world wars which cost the lives of millions, and in all other conflicts since. And we stand together to say: ‘Never again.’”
A campaign to ensure Remembrance Sunday can be celebrated by everyone “irrespective of nationality, creed or colour” has been backed by MPs, the faith community and former military leaders. Coordinated by the Royal British Legion and the British Future thinktank, Remember Together encourages people from different background to commemorate their shared history 75 years after major battles of 1944.