Remembrance Sunday: the King leads the UK in silence at the Cenotaph as 10,000 veterans march past

King Charles III led the United Kingdom in the annual two-minute silence at the Cenotaph in Whitehall on Remembrance Sunday, 8 November, at the National Service of Remembrance. The UK government said the King would be joined by members of the Royal Family, the Prime Minister, senior politicians and faith representatives to mark the Armistice of the First World War and all other conflicts involving British and Commonwealth forces.

Members of the Royal Family and senior politicians were due to lay wreaths at the Cenotaph. Afterwards the Royal British Legion’s March Past was to take about 10,000 veterans along Whitehall, representing more than 300 Armed Forces and civilian organisations, while roughly 10,000 members of the public were expected to line the street, watch the march and observe the silence.

Marchers from seven to over 100 years old

According to the government, the youngest person in the march is seven years old and the oldest veterans are over 100, with some of the last surviving veterans of the Second World War, bereaved children and military cadets among the participants. Some veterans have travelled from Canada and Australia to take part.

One of the marchers is RAF veteran Steve Hooper, 43, who served as a mechanical transport driver during the Iraq War and is marching with the Invictus Games Alumni group. He said support from the Royal British Legion through the Invictus Games had helped him after he returned with sleep problems and flashbacks. This year the Legion paid tribute to those who served in more recent conflicts, including Bosnia, the Iraq War and the first Gulf War, said its Director General, Mark Atkinson.

What officials said

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Remembrance Sunday offered a chance to mark sacrifice and offer gratitude, and to reflect on “the selflessness and courage it takes to commit your life to protecting others”. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the weekend was a moment to pause and thank the personnel keeping the country safe, adding that the government has “a moral duty to stand by our veterans and the military families who sacrifice so much”.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the generations who fought in the two world wars “went to war to give us 80 years of peace”. Chief of the Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton said that for the Armed Forces community remembrance is a deeply personal time, and that the same spirit of service continues to drive those who serve today.

6,500 personnel on duty

The government noted that while the nation gathers, 6,500 UK Armed Forces personnel remain deployed on operations and at overseas bases. It said they are supporting NATO allies in Eastern Europe, maintaining the continuous at-sea deterrent and operating around the world to deter aggression.

Separately, the UK Prime Minister is to write to councils in England on Armistice Day, 11 November, asking them to draw up plans to offer accommodation to any veterans sleeping rough ahead of Christmas, according to a government announcement published on Saturday. The two-minute silence is also observed on 11 November, the anniversary of the 1918 Armistice.