Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales each wore three poppies as they joined the nation in honouring Britain’s war dead at the Cenotaph in London.
The Royal Family attended the annual Remembrance Sunday ceremony, where King Charles and Prince William led the country in a moving tribute.
Thousands gathered on Whitehall, including Andy Burnham at his first service as premier, and observed a two-minute silence in memory of those who gave their lives in conflict.
The female members of the Royal Family wore black from head to toe as a mark of respect for the fallen.
The reason members of the Royal Family wear three poppies on Remembrance Sunday has never been officially confirmed, but several meaningful explanations have been suggested.
One theory is that the trio represents the three branches of the Armed Forces: the British Army, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force.
Another suggestion is that Princess Kate wears three poppies in memory of her three great-uncles, the brothers of her great-grandmother, who died during the First World War.
It is also possible that the additional poppies are intended to make the tribute more visible to television viewers and the wider public.
Queen Camilla and Catherine, Princess of Wales, wore black and three poppies at the Cenotaph in London
King Charles, Princess Anne and Prince William lay wreaths at the Cenotaph
Camilla and Kate watched from the balconies of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office building, which overlooks the Cenotaph on Whitehall.
Kate paired her outfit with Princess Diana’s Collingwood pearl earrings and the HMS Glasgow Brooch.
The brooch was presented to her ahead of the official naming ceremony for the Type 26 frigate, unveiled this year.
It reflects her position as Lady Sponsor of the Royal Navy warship while also acknowledging Scotland’s heritage, maritime history and military links.
The two women were joined on the balconies by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent and the Duchess of Edinburgh.
About 10,000 veterans took part in the Royal British Legion’s march-past, representing more than 300 Armed Forces and civilian organisations.
The march brought together participants of all ages, from bereaved children and military cadets to some of the last surviving veterans of the Second World War.
King Charles laid the first wreath at the Cenotaph, remembering those killed in conflicts dating back to the First World War. Prince William followed him.
Dressed in field marshal uniform with a greatcoat, cap and sword, the King saluted as he stepped away from the Whitehall monument after leading the nation in the two-minute silence.
His wreath was closely modelled on one made for King George VI, featuring 41 paper poppy petals set against black leaves.
Thousands of mourners bowed their heads during the two-minute silence on Whitehall
William, wearing the uniform of a Household Cavalry lieutenant colonel along with a black cloak and sword, also saluted after placing his wreath.
The Prince of Wales completed seven and a half years of full-time operational military service before leaving in 2013. Supporting current and former service personnel remains a central part of his public work.
The Duke of Edinburgh and the Princess Royal laid wreaths after the Prince.
Andy Burnham stood alongside a record number of serving and former prime ministers at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday.
The premier was joined by nine former leaders as he laid a wreath in Westminster to honour Britain’s war dead.
Sir John Major, Sir Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer stood behind the current political leaders.
The presence of ten leaders at the Whitehall ceremony set a modern record and underscored the divisions that have shaped British politics over the past decade.
It was the first time Sir Keir had attended since leaving office earlier this year to make way for Mr Burnham.
The ceremony was also Ms Truss’s fifth appearance since her 49-day premiership in 2022, the shortest in British political history.
Former prime ministers Keir Starmer, Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss, Boris Johnson, Theresa May, David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and John Major
The veterans taking part included around a dozen of the last surviving Second World War servicemen and women, with the oldest aged 105.
Jeffrey Brereton, 105, served as a mechanic working on Hurricane aircraft during the Battle of Britain.
He joined the RAF as a volunteer in 1940 at the age of 19, before leaving in 1946 to work for the fire service, according to the firefighters’ charity.
The youngest marcher was eight-year-old Ronan Doncaster, who took part in memory of his father, a guardsman in the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards who died in April 2024.
