The king laid his floral tribute at the base of the monument in Whitehall during the annual Remembrance Sunday service, which was attended by thousands of medal-wearing veterans, military families and members of the public. The monarch had played the role on the Queen’s behalf as the Prince of Wales in recent years but, as the first chimes of Big Ben rang out at 11am. and began a two-minute silence, stood before the Cenotaph in his role as head. of the state for the first time. A volley from a gun fired by the Royal Army’s Royal Horse Artillery from nearby Horse Guards Parade rang out to mark the start of the moment of silent reflection and another loud blast marked its end. The start of the two-minute silence was also marked by Big Ben striking 11 times, representing the resumption of full operations for the recently refurbished large clock in the nearby Houses of Parliament. After the buglers from the Royal Marines played the last position, the king laid down his wreath. His design was an homage to those used by George VI’s late mother and grandfather, with a ring of red artificial poppies set on black leaves, with a ribbon in the king’s red, purple and gold colours. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer, other party leaders, senior cabinet members, military chiefs and high commissioners also paid their respects by laying wreaths. In a statement, Sunak, attending his first Remembrance Sunday ceremony as prime minister, said as people fell silent they would “honor the memories of the men and women we lost and pay tribute to Ukraine’s brave soldiers as they continue to fight for freedom”. The ceremony was attended by seven former Prime Ministers, including Liz Truss. A short service followed with the laying of the main wreaths, with the Bishop of London, Dame Sarah Mullally, offering a prayer. He said to those assembled: “O Almighty God, grant, we beseech thee, that we who here commemorate those who died in the service of their country and crown may be so inspired by their spirit of love and fortitude that, forgetting all selfish and unworthy motives, we can live only for your glory and for the service of mankind through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The king and members of the royal family sang the hymn O God, Our Help in Ages Ago. This year’s Remembrance Sunday ceremony took place on the 40th anniversary of the Falklands War. The 10,000 veterans who marched past the Cenotaph included 400 who fought in the 1982 conflict. One of them, retired Brigadier Jon Mullin, who served as a lieutenant in the 9th Parachute Squadron Royal Engineers, said: “I wanted to be part of a national event to honor all those people who did this great feat of arms and gave it their all together, and much has happened in the intervening years. I think it is important that the nation does not forget the sacrifices.” Chief of the Defense Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin told Sky’s Sophy Ridge that Remembrance Sunday was always painful, but especially this year. “I think there’s a particular poignancy this year with both the loss of her majesty and another loss of a World War II veteran,” he said. “I also think it’s painful when we once again have the specter of war in Europe and all that entails, and a country that has been invaded and is fighting for its freedom.” King Charles, who served in the Royal Navy in the 1970s, had represented the Queen and laid wreaths on his mother’s behalf since 2017, while she watched from a Foreign Office balcony overlooking the Cenotaph in central London.
