By Amy Walker and Maia Davies
King Charles III will lead the nation in a two-minute silence at 11:00 GMT on Sunday during the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in central London. He is due to lay a wreath as part of the service honouring those who have died in conflict.
The King will be joined at the ceremony by senior members of the royal family and political leaders, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Services will also take place across the UK, with observances planned in Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff.
Around 10,000 armed forces veterans will take part in the Royal British Legion’s march-past through Whitehall, accompanied by roughly 20 World War Two veterans. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey are expected to lay wreaths at the Cenotaph, while Scottish First Minister John Swinney will attend the service in Edinburgh.
Remembrance Sunday is observed on the closest Sunday to Armistice Day on 11 November, when the First World War ended in 1918. This year also marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
The prime minister said the nation would pause “to honour all those who have served our country,” adding that people would reflect on “the extraordinary courage of our armed forces in the world wars and subsequent conflicts, whose service secured the freedoms we cherish today.”
Donald Poole, a 101-year-old veteran of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, will march at the Cenotaph service with the Burma Star Memorial Fund. He said it was “a great honour to be able to pay tribute to the poor souls who have died in all conflicts,” and acknowledged how fortunate he feels to still be alive thanks to those who served.
The national service will be broadcast live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 10:15 GMT.
On Saturday evening, the King attended this year’s Festival of Remembrance at London’s Royal Albert Hall alongside Prince George, Queen Camilla and Catherine, Princess of Wales. The audience stood as the royals entered and a fanfare was played to mark the eve of Remembrance Sunday.
Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria also attended the concert. The programme reflected on the discrimination faced by LGBT service personnel, marking 25 years since the ban on gay people serving in the armed forces was lifted. It was reported to be 12-year-old Prince George’s first time at the annual concert; he sat next to his mother, who wore a handmade poppy made from silk, glass and other natural materials.
During the festival the Royal Family stood and applauded as Chelsea Pensioners—retired British Army veterans—marched across the stage while an orchestra performed the Boys of the Old Brigade.
The Prince of Wales was not present at the concert as he was returning from Brazil, where he had addressed world leaders at the COP30 UN climate summit and visited a remote island.
