As King conducts the Remembrance ceremony, the nation becomes silent.

 

In honour of those who died in the two world wars and other conflicts, King Charles has led the country in two minutes of silence.

At the annual National Service of Remembrance service held at the Cenotaph in central London, tens of thousands of veterans and civilians joined the King in honouring the fallen.


Political leaders and other members of the Royal Family, such as the Prince and Princess of Wales, joined the King.

Remembrance Sunday, which is observed on the Sunday closest to Armistice Day, is being commemorated nationwide with events. 

On behalf of the country, the King lay the first wreath. He stepped back from the Cenotaph and saluted, wearing the Admiral of the Fleet's Royal Navy uniform.

Major Ollie Plunket, Queen Camilla's equestrian, escorted the King and laid a wreath on her behalf because she is presently recuperating from a chest ailment.


Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and the other political leaders of the nation came after Prince William, Prince Edward, and Princess Anne.

One week after being chosen as the new Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch lay a wreath for the first time.

Additionally, some members of the new Labour cabinet were there, including Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.


As usual, the Duchess of Edinburgh and the Princess of Wales watched from the Foreign Office balcony.

The Remembrance ceremonies this weekend are some of Catherine's first public appearances since her recent cancer treatment.

 Carla Denyer, a co-leader of the Green Party, and Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, were also observing from balconies. Only the leaders of the main party in each of the devolved countries, as well as the heads of parties with six or more members in Parliament, are customarily allowed to lay a wreath.

After laying their wreaths, military personnel, including World War II veterans, started a march down Whitehall that took more than an hour to finish.

The march passed the Cenotaph with thousands of participants representing 326 different military and civilian organisations. A wreath was passed to each group to join the ones that had previously been positioned.


At 11:00, Big Ben chimed to begin the two-minute silence, marking the official start of the day's observance. A bugler playing the Last Post and the sound of a cannon bursting from Horse Guards Parade marked its conclusion.

 Veterans of World War Two spoke to the BBC about the significance of the day for them.

Naval veteran Henry Rice stated, "I personally come here to remember my shipmates, Army veterans, Royal Air Force, and Merchant Navy."


"I just thank God I survived - I got away with it."

"Your mind goes back a bit as well, memories and talking to the old chaps like ourselves," said Joe Randall, 101. It has been an amazing day.

 However, veterans of more recent conflicts made up the majority of the ex-servicemen and ex-servicewomen attending the ceremony.

"Marching at the Cenotaph, it’s a really important moment to appreciate where we’ve come from and what we’ve gone through," said Karl Hinnett, an Iraq war veteran who was severely burned when his car was set on fire.


"We're often referred to as the unexpected survivors and I'm just really grateful to be alive and be here."

John Phillips, a veteran of the Falklands bomb specialist who lost an arm in a blast, said he considers a coworker who perished in the disaster.

"A lot of veterans will tell you that it's crucial that these individuals' stories and memories be preserved forever."

Nearly all of the UK's towns and cities are hosting services, with Belfast, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Plymouth, Liverpool, and Manchester hosting some of the largest crowds.

Michelle O'Neill, the First Minister of Northern Ireland, was the first senior Sinn Féin representative to participate in the formal event in Belfast.


In past years, a number of Sinn Féin politicians have deposited wreaths at Belfast's Cenotaph, but they haven't been present at the major Sunday event.

 Military personnel marched past Cardiff's City Hall on their way to the Welsh National War Memorial ceremony in Cathays Park.

In a speech before to the service, First Minister Eluned Morgan praised the memory service as "important as ever."

Along with other senior royals, the King, Prince William, and Catherine attended Saturday night's Festival of Remembrance event at the Royal Albert Hall.

After undergoing cancer treatment earlier this year, Catherine is gradually going back to her public obligations.


The audience gave the King, who has also had cancer treatment, a standing ovation upon his arrival.

One of the most significant occasions on the royal calendar is Sunday's service and concert at the Cenotaph.

Due to her recuperation from a chest ailment, Queen Camilla has withdrew from both celebrations. Within the next few days, it is hoped she will recover enough to resume her royal duties.


The ceremonies on Sunday take place the day before Armistice Day, which commemorates the end of World War One at 11:00 on the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918.

Events for Remembrance are scheduled for Monday around the United Kingdom and its allies.

 As on Remembrance Sunday, Armistice Day will also see two minutes of silence as the clock strikes 11:00 in each country.