A poignant memory. King Charles III attended the annual Remembrance Day Service at The Cenotaph, his first since becoming England’s reigning monarch.
“On #RemembranceSunday, members of The Royal Family attended the National Service of Remembrance, with The King, The Prince of Wales, The Earl of Wessex and The Princess Royal laying wreaths at the Cenotaph,” a statement on the royals’ Instagram read on Sunday, November 13. “A wreath was laid on behalf of The Queen Consort, who joined The Princess of Wales, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, The Duke of Kent, Princess Alexandra and Sir Tim Laurence to watch the service from the @foreigncommonwealthoffice balcony.”
His Majesty, 73, Prince William, Prince Edward and Princess Anne all partook in the annual march, which concluded with each member of the foursome laying wreaths. The group’s spouses — Queen Consort Camilla, Princess Kate, Countess Sophie and Tim Laurence, respectively — watched the procession from the balcony of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Remembrance is celebrated each November, as the royals and the British citizens remember veterans who’ve served the Commonwealth. To show their support, many individuals wear poppy pins on their lapels. The Princess of Wales, 40, and the queen consort, 75, each added three floral brooches to the shoulder of their black coats.
The royals carried out public appearances throughout the weekend to commemorate Remembrance, concluding with Sunday’s service. Charles is the latest monarch — after his September accession — to lay a wreath on the Cenotaph tomb, following the tradition set by King George V in 1920.
Sunday’s outing also featured the royals marching at attention past 10,000 waiting veterans. Edward, 58, took the salute on behalf of his family.
This year’s Remembrance is particularly poignant for Charles, marking his first time laying a wreath and presiding over the festivities as the king. The former Prince of Wales succeeded his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, as the ruler of the British Commonwealth territories earlier this year following her death. (The late queen died at the age of 96 in September.)
“My mother’s reign was unequaled in its duration, its dedication and its devotion,” Charles — whose coronation is scheduled for May 2023 — told the Accession Council on September 10, after he was officially proclaimed the country’s new monarch. “Even as we grieve, we give thanks for this most faithful life. I am deeply aware of this great inheritance and of the duties and heavy responsibilities of sovereignty which have now passed to me.”
He continued at the time: “In taking up these responsibilities, I shall strive to follow the inspiring example I have been set in upholding constitutional government and to seek the peace, harmony and prosperity of the peoples of these Islands, and of the Commonwealth Realms and Territories across the world.”
Scroll below to see more photos from the royals’ appearance at the Remembrance Day Service:
