King to lead nation in silence on Remembrance Sunday

LONDON: The King will lead the nation in a two-minute silence on Remembrance Sunday to commemorate those who have died in conflict.

Members of the royal family and senior politicians will lay wreaths during the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph to mark the Armistice of the First World War and all other conflicts involving British and Commonwealth forces.

The Royal British Legion’s veteran parade will see 10,000 veterans march past the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London. Of the individuals marching this year, 326 different armed forces and civilian organisations will be represented.

Thousands of people are expected to line Whitehall to take part in the annual two-minute silence, according to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in the Second World War and the 25th anniversary of the end of the war in Kosovo.

It also marks the 75th anniversary of Nato and the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale between the UK and France.

More than 800 sailors, soldiers and aviators will be on duty on Remembrance Sunday, representing their services at the Cenotaph and at commemorative services at Westminster Abbey and Westminster Cathedral.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the “courage and sacrifice of so many over the generations” brings the country together on Remembrance Day “in a spirit of the most profound gratitude and respect”.

Sir Keir said: “This weekend, we come together to honour those who laid down their lives to keep our country safe. “The freedoms we enjoy today – our democracy, our values, our way of life – have been hard-won over generations.

“We are forever in debt to those brave souls who fought to defend this country, and who made the ultimate sacrifice.

“We honour them today and always. We remember them today and always.”

In all, close to 6,000 personnel will be deployed on operations and overseas bases around the world on Remembrance Sunday.

Defence Secretary John Healey said it was a “duty” to “educate future generations about their courage and commitment to defending Britain”.

Mr Healey added: “On Remembrance Sunday, we unite behind our armed forces community and honour those who gave their lives for our freedom.

“We think of those who fell liberating Europe on D-Day 80 years ago. And we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country in the conflicts before and since.”

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said “people of all ages” will be among those marching – from bereaved military children of the Scotty’s Little Soldiers charity through to D-Day veterans of the Spirit of Normandy Trust.

Defence Minister Al Carns, who served in Afghanistan, will also parade past the Cenotaph as part of the Royal Marines Association.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said every generation “owes a debt to those who fought and fell”, and “it is our duty to ensure their sacrifices are never forgotten”.

Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said Remembrance Sunday was both a “national commemoration and a deeply personal moment of reflection as we contemplate the sacrifice of those who gave their lives so that we today might be free”.

Philippa Rawlinson, director of remembrance at the Royal British Legion, said: “We owe those who choose to serve in the armed forces our gratitude and this weekend we encourage people to take a moment to reflect and remember their service”.