LONDON (AP) – King Charles III laid flowers in memory of fallen soldiers in central London on Sunday as the Princess of Wales looked on. It's a further sign that the royal family is slowly returning to normalcy at the end of a year that saw two members of the British royal family die. The most popular royal family has been sidelined by cancer.
Remembrance Sunday is a totemic event in the UK, with the King leading senior royals, political leaders, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his eight living predecessors, and envoys from Commonwealth countries, in Portland. Lay flowers at the cenotaph, which is a stone monument. As a center for commemorating the nation's war dead. It is held on the second Sunday in November to commemorate the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I in 1918 at 11:00 on the 11th of November.
After leading the nation in a two-minute silence, Charles, dressed in the uniform of a Royal Navy admiral, placed a poppy at the base of the Cenotaph in memory of those who died in conflicts since World War I. He laid out a wreath.
His eldest son and heir to the throne, William, left a unique floral tribute featuring the Prince of Wales's feathers and a new ribbon in Welsh red.
As is tradition, his wife Kate, dressed in drab black, watched from the balcony of the nearby Foreign and Commonwealth Office Building. Queen Camilla, who would normally be standing next to the princess, was absent as she is recovering from a chest infection.
This is the first time since the beginning of the year that Duchess Kate has performed official duties on two consecutive days. On Saturday, she attended the Royal British Legion Memorial Festival at the Royal Albert Hall.
LONDON, UK – NOVEMBER 10: Duchess Kate and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh attend the annual memorial service at the Cenotaph on November 10, 2024 in London, England. Every year, members of the British royal family join politicians, veterans and members of the public to commemorate those who have died in combat. (Photo credit: Alberto Pezzali – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
After laying flowers, about 10,000 veterans, including veterans of this century's wars, particularly in Afghanistan and Iraq, marched in front of the memorial. As time passed, there were only a few veterans of World War II.
Charles' ceremonial role as commander-in-chief of the armed forces is a holdover from the days when kings led their armies into battle. However, the ties between the monarchy and the military remain very strong, with soldiers pledging allegiance to the king and members of the royal family supporting soldiers through various charities. Charles and William served in the military on active duty before entering full-time royal duties.
“They show us the same respect that we have shown them through our military service,” said Victor Needham Crofton, a veteran of the 1956 Suez Crisis and then in Kenya. (91 years old) said.
Charles was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February and was forced to take a two-month break from the public eye to focus on treatment and recovery. Just a few weeks later, Kate announced her cancer diagnosis and took most of the year off to undergo chemotherapy.
The King has been in good form in recent months, recently completing an arduous tour of Australia and Samoa. Duchess Kate, who made her first public appearance since her diagnosis at the monarch's birthday parade in June, is gradually returning to royal duties.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – NOVEMBER 10: Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince William, Prince of Wales, King Charles III, and Princess Anne during a national memorial service at the Cenotaph on November 10, 2024 in London, England. Every year, members of the British royal family join politicians, veterans and members of the public to commemorate those who have died in combat. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Prince William reflected this week on the strain his cancer scare is putting on the royal family.
“I'm so proud of my wife and what my father has done,” William told reporters on Thursday at the end of a four-day trip to South Africa. “But from a personal family perspective, it was certainly brutal.”
While the Cenotaph was the focus of a national commemoration ceremony, communities across Britain held their own ceremonies on Sunday.
Needham-Crofton, who served in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers until a truck accident ended his military career, was due to take part in a local service in Eastbourne, on England's south coast.
He has dedicated much of his time to honoring and helping veterans, including volunteering for 20 years with a taxi charity for veterans. As with some of his army's missions, fundraising was quite a challenge as he had to stand in front of London Underground stations to collect coins to fund the group's activities.
“I respect all veterans and want to do what I can for them,” he told The Associated Press. “It's really a brotherhood. Even if you don't know each other, you feel a kinship with the veterans you meet. That's very important to me and I will continue to do that for the rest of my life.”
