King leads Remembrance Sunday service at Cenotaph as nation pays tribute to veterans

Charles took centre stage at the National Service of Remembrance in London at the Cenotaph as he led the nation with a two-minutes' silence.

He was joined by other members of the royal family and senior politicians before they laid wreaths to honour the fallen.

Charles, wearing a field marshal uniform with a ceremonial frock coat, saluted as he stepped back from the monument in Whitehall.

His wreath closely resembles one produced for King George VI, with 41 paper poppy petals mounted on an arrangement of black leaves, as is traditional for the Sovereign’s wreaths, and adorned with a scarlet, purple and gold ribbon and bow.

The colours of the ribbon and bow are from the King’s racing silk.Charles holds numerous military ranks and affiliations including Captain General of the Royal Marines, Colonel-in-Chief of The Parachute Regiment and Royal Honorary Air Commodore of Royal Air Force Marham.

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The Prince of Wales, dressed in Royal Air Force uniform in the rank of Wing Commander, saluted after laying his wreath at the Cenotaph.

William, who in 2013 completed seven-and-a-half years of full-time operational military service, promotes the roles and welfare of current and former service personnel as a key part of his work

The prince was followed by the Duke of Edinburgh, with wreaths also laid on behalf of the Duke of Kent and the Princess Royal.

A wreath was also laid on behalf of the Queen by Major Ollie Plunket of The Rifles.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and other senior politicians have laid wreaths at the Cenotaph to honour the nation’s war dead.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle were among the other political figures who laid floral tributes the service.

Earlier, veterans of the Second World War were applauded by crowds as they were positioned close to the Cenotaph.

Some 10,000 armed forces veterans took part in the Royal British Legion’s march-past while about 20 Second World War veterans attended, 80 years on from the conflict’s end.

Around a dozen people wearing military uniforms and poppies, were pushed in wheelchairs in Whitehall.

A respectful applause rang out and one of the veterans saluted.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “This Remembrance Sunday, we pause as a nation to honour all those who have served our country.

“We reflect on the extraordinary courage of our armed forces in the world wars and subsequent conflicts, whose service secured the freedoms we cherish today."

Read more: Queen pays tribute to war dead ahead of Remembrance Day

Sir Keir continued: “Eighty years since the end of the Second World War, we remember a generation who stood against tyranny and shaped our future. Their legacy is peace and our duty is to protect it.

“Such sacrifice deserves more than silence, which is why this Government remains committed to supporting veterans, their families and those who serve.

“Today, we remember, and we renew our promise to uphold the values they fought for.”

Among those set who marched is 101-year-old Donald Poole, a Royal Army Ordnance Corps technician who handled defective explosives or enemy ammunition.

Originally from Bromley, Kent, he was serving in India in 1945 when Japan’s surrender was announced, sparking an impromptu celebration.

He said: “It is a great honour to be able to pay tribute to the poor souls who have died in all conflicts and I know how lucky I am to still be here thanks to all those who have fought and served, past and present.

“I also want to pay tribute to the civilian services who suffered during the Second World War, particularly the fire service, who saved so many lives during the Blitz – many of whom lost their own.”

Sid Machin, another of the six 101-year-olds who marched, is one of the last surviving “Chindit” soldiers from the Second World War’s Burma campaign.

As a young man of about 19, Mr Machin landed behind enemy lines in a glider at night in the jungle, as part of a special forces unit in Burma (now Myanmar), which wreaked havoc on Japanese supply lines and infrastructure.

Mr Machin, from Dorset, said: “I am proud to be marching at the Cenotaph today with the Chindit Society to mark the end of an emotional year remembering my own and my comrades service in the Far East.

“It was tough but we just had to get on with it and watch out for each other. I will be thinking of everyone I served with and especially those that didn’t make it home.”

Eileen Marshall, 98, is one of just three female Second World War veterans who marched at the Cenotaph this year.

Ms Marshall, from Ilkley in West Yorkshire, left home in 1944 aged 17 to join the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS).

After initial training, she was drafted to HMS Ganges, where her role involved looking after the officers’ quarters.

She said: “Serving in the WRNS was one of the happiest times of my life, but also one of the saddest, especially when sailors were lost at sea, including my cousin.

“On Remembrance Sunday, I will be marching with the HMS Ganges Association to honour all those who gave their lives, including my husband Ray, who served with the Highland Regiment and passed away in 1994. I will proudly wear his medals as I remember him and all the fallen.”

Chief of the Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton said: “From the Cenotaph in London to memorials in towns and villages across the United Kingdom, and wherever our armed forces serve around the world, we pause to remember their courage, their sacrifice and their enduring legacy.

“We shall remember them.”