William urges youngsters to wear poppy as nation pays tribute on Armistice Day

William’s message to children across the UK is to be played out at the Royal British Legion (RBL) Remembrance Assembly on Tuesday morning.

The virtual event brings together children aged 9-14 in schools, libraries, home education and other learning settings across the UK.

In his message, the prince will say: “Armistice Day is an important time for us to stop and reflect – it is a reminder that remembrance is for everyone.

“When we remember, we connect with service in a personal way.

“We learn from the courage of others, and we carry their stories forward, so they are not forgotten.

“It’s not just about the past – it’s about shaping who we become in the future.

Read more: Sir David Beckham pays heartfelt tribute on Remembrance Sunday after receiving knighthood

Read more: Labour-run council’s flag crackdown sees Remembrance Day poppy display axed

“Remembrance teaches us empathy, resilience and responsibility.

“And when we wear a red poppy or take a moment of silence, we are saying, ‘Thank you. We have not forgotten, and we will not forget’.”

William will encourage young people to remember veterans and serving members of the Armed Forces alike, saying: “Through my own military experience, as well as through my work in connection with units across the Royal Navy, the Army and the Royal Air Force, I have seen firsthand the hard work, dedication and duty the Armed Forces carry out to ensure we are protected.

“Coming together for remembrance is a vital way to honour those whose service keeps us safe.

“Even today, as we continue to face a number of conflicts across the world, we honour those who have gone before us, and those who are serving now.

“Their memories matter, their lives matter, and they remind us to be respectful, kind, brave, and thoughtful every day.”

The online learning event created in partnership with the National Literacy Trust will be accessible on YouTube or Zoom from 10.25am, and includes the traditional two-minute silence at 11am, the RBL said.

It will also include firsthand testimonies from Second World War veterans, including 101-year-old George Durrant, who served in Burma from 1944 in the Intelligence Corps, and 100-year-old Prince Albert Jacob, who joined the Royal Air Force aged 17 and travelled to the US and Britain to repair planes.

Meanwhile the Princess of Wales will attend the Service of Remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, which will begin at 10.45am with a two-minute silence at 11am, followed by a wreath laying on the Armed Forces Memorial.

The service will feature the reading of a specially commissioned poem by the arboretum’s poet in residence, Arji Manuelpillai.

“A Sonnet For Us All captures the stories etched into the hundreds of memorials within the National Memorial Arboretum, it invites people to listen, reflect and consider the emotion that was the inspiration for these sculptures,” Mr Manuelpillai said.

“These human connections, and the gentle responsibility to carry love forward, are themes that resonate not only with me, but also with HRH The Princess of Wales, for whom the importance of service and compassion lies especially close to the heart.”

Once the service has concluded, Kate will view newly-dedicated names on the Armed Forces Memorial before meeting veterans in attendance at the service, the arboretum said.

Later on Tuesday, William will join the King and Queen at Windsor Castle where a reception will honour veterans who served in the Pacific during the Second World War.

The event, which the Duke of Edinburgh and the Duchess of Gloucester will also attend, continues the commemorations for the 80th anniversary of VJ Day which took place in August this year.