King set to lead Remembrance Sunday service at Cenotaph

King set to lead Remembrance Sunday service at Cenotaph

The National Service of Remembrance will take place at the Cenotaph in central London.
The King will honour the nation’s war dead (Ben Stanshall/PA)

The King is set to lead the UK in a two-minute silence to remember those who died in conflict.

Charles will be joined by members of the royal family and senior politicians who will lay wreaths in London on Sunday at the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph.

About 10,000 veterans will take part in the Royal British Legion’s march past, with over 300 different Armed Forces and civilian organisations represented.

People of all ages will be among those marching – from bereaved children and military cadets, through to some of the last surviving veterans of the Second World War.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “I’m incredibly proud to be honouring those whose sacrifice continues to protect our way of life to this day.

“Remembrance Sunday gives us an opportunity, not only to mark that sacrifice and offer our gratitude, but also to reflect on its significance. To reflect on the selflessness and courage it takes to commit your life to protecting others.

“I want to offer my personal thanks to those who served and those who continue to serve in our Armed Forces communities to this day.”

RAF veteran Steve Hooper, 43, served as a mechanical transport driver during the Iraq War. He will be marching with the Invictus Games Alumni group.

He said: “I saw a lot of trauma in Iraq as an ambulance driver, and when I came back, I was struggling with sleep and having flashbacks. If it wasn’t for the support I received from the Royal British Legion through the Invictus Games, I don’t know where I’d be today.

“I am proud to be marching alongside my fellow team members as we reflect on our recovery journeys and remember all those who weren’t as lucky. I’ll also be thinking about the families who still live with the impact of service and conflict. For me, it’s a time to pause, acknowledge and remember.”

At 103 years old, Women’s Land Army veteran Annie Duplock will be taking part in the march past for the first time.

Ms Duplock joined the Land Army in 1940, aged 16, having lied about her age to enrol.

Based at a farm in Leicestershire for four years, she worked long days milking cows, ploughing fields and harvesting crops, helping to feed the nation during the Second World War.

More than 80 years on, she said: “I feel very honoured to be taking part in the parade and to represent the Land Girls. I’m very excited, although a little apprehensive as I don’t quite know what to expect.

“I think it will be a very emotional day, bringing back memories of all those who didn’t return home. It will be lovely to be there and remember them.”

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “This Remembrance Sunday, we come together to reflect and honour the sacrifices that our Armed Forces made all those years ago in the First and Second World Wars and continue to make today.

“It is our duty to ensure that the immense courage of those who have served our country is never forgotten. They went to war to give us 80 years of peace.

“We are about to raise the first generation for whom fighting a war really is part of history. Our future generations must know the significance of those who served in our national story, that they forged a path for friendship and cooperation that meant no-one in our country has had to fight a war since.

“Today, we remember them, in grief and in gratitude, mindful that their legacy lives on in the freedom we enjoy today.”

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said: “I grew up with my grandfather and great-grandfather’s war medals proudly on display in our living room. Defence runs in my blood and I feel intently the importance of remembrance to those who have served and their families.

“This weekend is a moment to pause and reflect on the enormous debt we owe to our Armed Forces, to pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice defending our freedoms, and to thank the personnel keeping us safe tonight.

“We have a moral duty to stand by our veterans and the military families who sacrifice so much. They are the best of us, and we owe them our support as well as our gratitude and admiration.”

Chief of the Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton said: “Today we honour the courage of all those who have served and died in conflict.

“For the Armed Forces community, remembrance is a deeply personal time during which we reflect on the service of our predecessors and remember the colleagues we have lost.

“That same spirit of service continues to drive the men and women who serve today.”

Mark Atkinson, director general, Royal British Legion, said: “As we come together on Remembrance Sunday, we pay tribute to all those who have served and sacrificed, from generations past to those still serving today.

“This year we have paid tribute to those who served in more recent conflicts, including the challenging operations in Bosnia, the Iraq War and the first Gulf War, and recognised the families who continue to live with the impact of that service.

“From risking their lives in war zones, providing support during emergencies and humanitarian disasters, and spending time away from loved ones, we owe those who serve in the Armed Forces, and the families who stand alongside them, our gratitude. We encourage the nation to pause, reflect and remember their service and sacrifice.”

Original source King set to lead Remembrance Sunday service at Cenotaph

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