UK’s King Charles honours nation’s war dead
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Britain’s King Charles III on Sunday led commemorations for the nation ‘s war dead, along with other senior members of the royal family including his son and daughter in law William and Catherine.
The 76-year-old monarch, who is still undergoing treatment for an undisclosed cancer, laid the first wreath at a sombre ceremony at the Cenotaph memorial in central London after the traditional two-minute silence at 11:00 am (1100 GMT).
Queen Camilla and Catherine, now in remission after her own cancer diagnosis, watched from the balcony of the Foreign Office overlooking the memorial.
Crowds lined the Whitehall area of the capital as political leaders, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer, current and former members of the armed forces, and war veterans, paid their respects to British and Commonwealth soldiers killed in two world wars and other conflicts.
Around 10,000 armed forces veterans took part in a march-past, including around 20 who served in World War II.
Among those who took part was 101-year-old Sid Machin, one of the last survivors of the Burma (now Myanmar) campaign, who served as part of a special forces unit.
Other members of the royal family including Prince William also laid wreaths.
Prince Harry, 41, who is largely estranged from his family after quitting royal duties along with his wife Meghan in 2020, was not present.
Days ahead of the Remembrance Sunday events, however, he penned a piece released by his United States (US) office in which he expressed his pride at being British and urged people not to forget veterans.
The younger son of the king, who did two tours of duty in Afghanistan, said he had witnessed “courage and compassion in the harshest conditions imaginable”.
“But I also saw how easy it can be, once the uniform comes off, for those who gave everything, to feel forgotten,” he said.
On Saturday evening, William and Catherine’s eldest son, Prince George, 12, attended his first tribute for soldiers killed in action at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
It was the first time George, second in line to the throne, had attended the Festival of Remembrance event organised annually by the Royal British Legion, an association dedicated to supporting veterans and their families.
The event, always attended by the monarch and senior members of the royal family, featured readings, prayers, videos and musical performances — including a performance by Rod Stewart.
