King Charles leads solemn Remembrance Sunday service at Cenotaph

King Charles III led the nation in a solemn two-minute silence on Remembrance Sunday in London to honour veterans who had died in conflict. On a stone-grey autumn morning, he laid a wreath at the Cenotaph in Whitehall before a march-past by 10,000 armed forces veterans. That included a shrinking number of World War Two veterans, with 12 taking part this year, including 103-year-old Annie Duplock, who described it as a “very emotional day”.

Meanwhile, the number of former prime ministers reached a record high, with nine lined up to lay wreaths, while Andy Burnham attended for the first time as the current occupant of No 10 Downing Street. For the first time, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage had enough MPs in Parliament to qualify to lay a wreath alongside other major party leaders. Prime Minister Andy Burnham laid a wreath at the Cenotaph Queen Camilla and Catherine, Princess of Wales, watched the event from the balcony of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office The Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal were among the royals in attendance, along with military chiefs, senior politicians, diplomats, and faith leaders, watched by large crowds squeezed behind railings along Whitehall.

Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales watched from a balcony above the Cenotaph in the Foreign Office. Among the flags on the roof of that Whitehall building was the Ukrainian blue and yellow. It went up when Russia invaded and four years later it is now visibly frayed – a reminder of the length of that war and of current threats. At 11:00 GMT, as Big Ben’s first strike echoed from the nearby Houses of Parliament, the two-minute silence filled the usually frenetic streets before the playing of the Last Post.

The King closed his eyes, and the crowds in Whitehall paused in thought, a rare moment of calm in the capital. Veterans arrived at Whitehall ahead of the service The poignant parade past the Cenotaph included representatives of about 340 different military and civilian groups, from the Royal Naval Association and the Royal Marines Association to Transport for London and the Royal National Lifeboat Institute.

Alongside them marched flotillas of disability scooters and families helping veterans in wheelchairs. Those who took part in WW2 are now increasingly frail – and there were 12 participants in the march-past compared to 20 last year. The oldest participant this year was aged 105. “In everlasting remembrance” the King wrote on the wreath he laid at the Cenotaph Annie Duplock had joined the Land Army at the age of 16 Taking part for the first time was 103-year-old Annie Duplock, who had been part of the Land Army that had helped feed the country at war.

She had joined the Land Army in 1940 as a 16-year-old, having lied about her age, and worked on a farm in Leicestershire. “I feel very honoured to be taking part in the parade and to represent the Land Girls. I’m very excited, although a little apprehensive as I don’t quite know what to expect,” she said. “I think it will be a very emotional day, bringing back memories of all those who didn’t return home.

It will be lovely to be there and remember them.” (Top left to bottom right) former Prime Ministers Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss, Boris Johnson, Theresa May, Lord Cameron, Gordon Brown, Sir Tony Blair and Sir John Major Archbishop of Canterbury Dame Sarah Mullally led those gathered at the Cenotaph in prayer Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the annual event was a time to “reflect on the selflessness and courage it takes to commit your life to protecting others”.

He earlier announced that he wanted to tackle the problem of homelessness among ex-service personnel to “ensure that any veteran sleeping rough is offered appropriate accommodation before Christmas”. Mark Atkinson, the director general of the Royal British Legion, said: “As we come together on Remembrance Sunday, we pay tribute to all those who have served and sacrificed, from generations past to those still serving today.” Remembrance events took place across the country as thousands gathered to pay their respects to those who died in past conflicts.

First Minister of Scotland John Swinney placed a wreath at the Stone of Remembrance outside the City Chambers during an event in Edinburgh. Veterans, military personnel and cadets also marched through the centres of British cities such as Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds. A silent poppy drop was held as part of the Festival of Remembrance at Durham Cathedral while wreaths were laid at Canterbury Cathedral.

Separately, the Duke of Sussex was seen attending a Remembrance service in the market town of Brackley in Northamptonshire. For more than a century, the national Remembrance event has been held around the Cenotaph. The monument was built as a focal point for honouring those who had fought and died in World War One, including those who had no grave, and as a place to mourn for those families who might not be able to visit war cemeteries overseas.

The word “cenotaph” means “empty t