King Charles III leads Remembrance Sunday for first time as monarch

The King led the Remembrance Sunday memorial service at the Cenotaph in London today as the senior royals appeared in military uniform to lay wreaths for the soldiers who had died at war.

• Remembrance Sunday was commemorated at the Cenotaph in London on Sunday, November 13, 2022.
• The King was joined by members of the Royal Family as they marked 40 years since the end of the Falklands War and paid tribute to the soldiers who died at war.
• In other royal news, Harry and Meghan lead Kind List 2022 contributions, with Meghan honoring ‘when women uplift and support other women’

At 11am on Remembrance Sunday members of royalty appeared at the Cenotaph to pay tribute to those soldiers who had died in wartime. The royals, dressed either head to toe in black, or in their military uniform, noted the two minutes silence that was signaled by the Great Clock of Westminster, commonly referred to as Big Ben. The senior members of the family looked somber as they observed this sad occasion.

The King was the first person to lay a wreath at the war memorial. King Charles then saluted the Centotaph as he began the proceedings for the first time since becoming monarch. 

Following the King, a wreath was laid on behalf of his wife, Camilla, the Queen consort who observed the ceremony from the balcony with Catherine, the Princess of Wales.

The Prince of Wales then laid his wreath on the Cenotaph on behalf of himself and his wife and, like his father, saluted the memorial once he had laid this wreath with the Welsh feathers that highlighted William and Kate's new titles in the Royal Family. 

Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex then laid his wreath and saluted the statue. The Prince was then followed by his elder sister, Princess Anne, the Princess Royal. The Duke of Kent's equerry then laid a wreath on the Duke's behalf, as he watched on from the balcony with the Princess Royals' husband, Sir Timothy Laurence.

Led by the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, current political leaders, members of the cabinet, and former Prime Ministers all joined the event by Westminster, Many also had wreaths in hand ready to lay down at the foot of the war memorial that was unveiled more than 100 years ago in 1920.

It is thought that this was a particularly emotional Remembrance Sunday for the Royal Family this year, as it was the first time that this event has been marked since the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Despite this, the royals perfectly carried out this service, which was so close to the Queen's heart. 

Just the night before this event on Saturday, November 12, the Royal Family gathered as Queen was honored with a moving tribute at the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall. The festival highlighted the Royal Family's important links with the various branches of the Armed Forces and specifically focused on the many senior royals who have served in the military.