King Charles, Prince William and political leaders join thousands to honour those who served and died in conflict as veterans mark 80 years since the end of the Second World War
Second World War veterans received heartfelt applause as they arrived at the Cenotaph in Whitehall for the Remembrance Sunday service, where King Charles led the nation in honouring those who lost their lives in conflict.
The King, dressed in the uniform of a field marshal, laid the first wreath in tribute to the fallen before saluting and stepping back to observe a two-minute silence. The solemn moment was followed by the Prince of Wales, who wore Royal Air Force uniform with the rank of wing commander and placed his own wreath beside his father’s.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also laid a floral tribute, joined by senior political figures including Kemi Badenoch, Ed Davey, Yvette Cooper, Shabana Mahmood and Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle. Representatives from Commonwealth nations and the armed forces also took part in the ceremony.
In a message marking the occasion, 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.”
Speaking on the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, he praised “a generation who stood against tyranny and shaped our future,” adding: “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.”
From a balcony overlooking the Cenotaph, Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales watched the service, both dressed in black. They were joined by other senior royals, including the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent and the Duchess of Edinburgh.
Eight former prime ministers also attended, among them John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak. In Edinburgh, Scotland’s First Minister, John Swinney, laid a wreath at the Stone of Remembrance outside the City Chambers as part of ceremonies held across the UK.
This year’s event carried particular poignancy as veterans and citizens marked eight decades since the Second World War ended in 1945. Around 10,000 members of the armed forces took part in the Royal British Legion’s annual march past, joined by about 20 surviving Second World War veterans, including three D-day veterans.
Among them was 101-year-old Donald Poole, a Royal Army Ordnance Corps technician who served in India during the war. Remembering the announcement of Japan’s surrender, he said: “It is a great honour 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.”
He also spoke movingly of the civilians who endured the war at home. “I want to pay tribute to the fire service who saved so many lives during the Blitz – many of whom lost their own,” he said.
Fellow veterans Henry Rice and Mervyn Kersh, both of whom landed in Normandy in the days following D-day, joined the procession in wheelchairs, greeted by applause from the crowds along Whitehall. Sid Machin, another 101-year-old veteran and one of the last surviving Chindit soldiers from the Burma campaign, also took part.
Machin recalled serving behind enemy lines in the jungle as a teenager, flying in by glider at night to disrupt Japanese supply lines. “We did what we had to do,” he once said. “We were just boys, really, but we knew what was at stake.”
Across the country, services were held at war memorials in towns and villages, where communities gathered to remember those lost in service. The tolling of church bells, the sound of the Last Post and the sight of poppy wreaths laid in silence once again united the nation in reflection and gratitude.