Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales each wore three poppies as they honoured Britain’s fallen heroes at the Cenotaph in London.
As tradition dictates, members of the Royal Family attended the annual Remembrance Sunday service, watching as the King and Prince William led the moving ceremony.
Thousands of mourners, including Andy Burnham at his first service as prime minister, bowed their heads for a two-minute silence during the Whitehall ceremony.
The female members of the Royal Family wore black from head to toe as a mark of respect for those who lost their lives serving the nation.
There is no confirmed explanation for why members of the Royal Family wear three poppies on Remembrance Sunday, but several poignant theories have been suggested.
One theory is that the three poppies represent the three branches of the British Armed Forces: the British Army, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force.
It has also been suggested that Princess Kate wears three poppies in memory of her three great-uncles, who were brothers of her great-grandmother and died during the First World War.
Another possibility is that the trio of poppies provides greater visibility for television viewers and the wider public watching the ceremony.
Queen Camilla and Catherine, Princess of Wales wore all black with three poppies at The Cenotaph in London
Britain’s King Charles, Britain’s Princess Anne and Britain’s Prince William lay wreaths
Camilla and Kate watched from the balconies of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) building, which overlooks the Cenotaph on Whitehall.
For the occasion, Kate wore Princess Diana’s Collingwood pearl earrings along with the HMS Glasgow Brooch.
The brooch was presented to her ahead of the official naming ceremony for the Type 26 frigate, which was unveiled this year.
The piece reflects her role as Lady Sponsor of the Royal Navy warship while also celebrating Scottish heritage, maritime tradition and military patronage.
The pair were joined on the balconies by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent and the Duchess of Edinburgh.
About 10,000 veterans took part in the Royal British Legion’s march-past, representing more than 300 Armed Forces and civilian organisations.
Marchers of all ages took part on Whitehall, from bereaved children and military cadets to some of the last surviving veterans of the Second World War.
Charles led the wreath-laying at the Cenotaph, placing the first tribute in memory of those killed in conflicts dating back to the First World War. Prince William followed.
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Dressed in field marshal uniform with a greatcoat, cap and sword, the King saluted as he stepped back from the Whitehall monument after leading the nation in the two-minute silence.
His wreath closely echoed one created for King George VI, featuring 41 paper poppy petals set against an arrangement of black leaves.
Thousands of mourners bowed their heads as they observed a two-minute silence during the ceremony on Whitehall
William, wearing the uniform of a lieutenant colonel of the Household Cavalry with a black cloak and sword, also saluted after laying his wreath.
The Prince of Wales completed seven and a half years of full-time operational military service in 2013. Supporting current and former service personnel remains a central part of his public work.
The Prince was followed by the Duke of Edinburgh and the Princess Royal, who each laid a wreath.
Andy Burnham led a record gathering of serving and former prime ministers at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday.
Mr Burnham was joined by nine former premiers as he laid a wreath in Westminster to honour Britain’s war dead.
Sir John Major, Sir Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer stood behind the serving political leaders.
The attendance of ten leaders at the Whitehall ceremony represents a modern record and underlines the fractured nature of UK politics over the past decade.
It was the first time Sir Keir had attended since being forced from office by Labour to make way for Mr Burnham earlier this year.
It was also the fifth time Ms Truss had attended since her 49-day premiership in 2022, the shortest in British political history.
Former British Prime Ministers, Keir Starmer, Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss, Boris Johnson, Theresa May, David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and John Major
Those taking part included about a dozen of the last surviving Second World War veterans, the oldest of whom is 105.
Jeffrey Brereton, 105, served as a mechanic working on Hurricane aircraft during the Battle of Britain.
He volunteered for the RAF in 1940 at the age of 19, later leaving to join the fire service in 1946, according to the firefighters’ charity.
The youngest marcher was eight-year-old Ronan Doncaster, who took part in honour of his father, a guardsman with the First Battalion, Coldstream Guards, who died in April 2024.