Prince Charles lays wreath at the Cenotaph as nation falls silent for Remembrance Sunday

8 November 2020, 11:01 | Updated: 8 November 2020, 11:57

Prince Charles lays a wreath at the Cenotaph
Prince Charles lays a wreath at the Cenotaph. Picture: PA

The Queen has led the nation in marking Remembrance Sunday, as people around the UK paid their respects at home due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The 94-year-old monarch was joined by family members and the Prime Minister in commemorating the nation's war dead at the scaled-back service at the Cenotaph in London.

The Prince of Wales, Duke of Cambridge, Princess Royal and Earl of Wessex laid wreaths at the ceremony, which was held outdoors with guests required to observe social distancing.

The nation fell silent for two minutes at 11am as the annual service at the Cenotaph in London went ahead.

The ceremony was held outdoors and guests were required to observe social distancing.

The event was broadcast live on multiple channels, with people encouraged to take part in the two-minute silence at home.

The Duke of Cambridge also laid a wreath
The Duke of Cambridge also laid a wreath. Picture: PA

The Queen, dressed in a black hat and coat, looked on from a balcony at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office building, as Charles laid a wreath on her behalf.

The Duchess of Cambridge and Duchess of Cornwall looked on from a separate balcony, while the Countess of Wessex and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence were on a third balcony.

The Duke of York did not take part in the event, having stepped down from official royal duties following fierce criticism after his Panorama interview about his friendship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Boris Johnson was joined by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and former prime ministers Sir John Major, Tony Blair, David Cameron and Theresa May.

Members of the Royal Navy march down Whitehall ahead of the Remembrance Sunday service
Members of the Royal Navy march down Whitehall ahead of the Remembrance Sunday service. Picture: PA

The Duke of Sussex, who stepped down as a working member of the royal family and now lives in California, was not at the ceremony but spoke about what serving his country means to him.

Captain Sir Tom Moore on Remembrance Sunday commemorations

In a podcast to mark Remembrance Sunday, Harry, who spent 10 years in the armed forces, said: "Being able to wear my uniform, being able to stand up in service of one's country, these are amongst the greatest honours there are in life.

"To me, the uniform is a symbol of something much bigger, it's symbolic of our commitment to protecting our country, as well as protecting our values.

"These values are put in action through service, and service is what happens in the quiet and in the chaos."

LBC spoke exclusively to war hero Captain Sir Tom Moore, who raised £33m for the NHS during the first wave of coronavirus.

Speaking to LBC's Tom Swarbrick, he said today was "a very special day".

"For every year I've remembered all those who died previously and today I've given my special thoughts to those who have given their lives.

"Never ever had I any anti-feeling against my country. I was fighting for all my family and all my best friends, I was fighting for them. Never ever was there any ill feeling or hatred towards anyone.

"To say was I scared? No. At 22 you are not the sort of people that get scared. What I was fighting for I felt was a good cause... for so many other people who were not in a position to fight."

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