Every second Sunday of November, the UK remembers its military veterans, both living and dead, in a fixed ceremony to commemorate the end of the First World War.
King Charles III and the British royal family led the wreath-laying ceremony at the Cenotaph in central London, a monument commemorating the dead of the Great War and subsequent wars and conflicts.
Thousands of military veterans, active-duty personnel, and members of the public in attendance joined the rest of the country on Sunday (November 12) in a two-minute silence at 11:00, the exact time the First World War ended.
King Charles III leads Prince William, Prince of Wales and Princess Anne, Princess Royal to attend the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph on November 12, 2023 in London, England. Every year, members of the British Royal family join politicians, veterans and members of the public to remember those who have died in combat.
Laying Poppy Wreaths
Aside from the king, his son William, Prince of Wales, and his siblings - Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, and Princess Anne - laid their poppy wreaths at the Cenotaph. The royal spouses, Queen Camilla and Princess Catherine, were also seen on the balcony overlooking the Cenotaph.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Opposition Leader Sir Keir Starmer, and the Westminster leaders of the UK's political parties also laid their own wreaths. Also in attendance were British Home and Foreign Secretaries Suella Braverman and James Cleverly, respectively, who laid their wreaths on behalf of the UK's intelligence community - particularly MI5 and MI6.
High commissioners of Commonwealth countries and the ambassadors of Ireland and Nepal also laid their wreaths before members of the Royal British Legion and military veterans did so while marching past the Cenotaph.
For the first time in 70 years, nuclear test veterans marched past the Cenotaph wearing a medal acknowledging their contribution.
In addition, Royal British Legion's Anthony Metcalfe told the BBC that among those who would participate in the parade was a 100-year-old Normandy Landing veteran.
Read Also: King Charles Presides First State Opening of Parliament as UK Monarch
Armistice Altercations
Meanwhile, on Saturday (November 11), dueling protests from pro-Palestine supporters and English hooligans put the Metropolitan Police (Met) on edge.
Prior to Remembrance Weekend, the Met imposed an exclusion zone surrounding the Cenotaph, as well as in the US and Israeli embassies, to control the flow of protesters in London.
Pro-Palestinian protestors heckled British Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove while he was walking towards London's Victoria Station, while English hooligans - mostly football fans but also composed of far-right groups - attempted to enter the Cenotaph exclusion zone, the Met said.
Nine officers were injured as a result of the protests, the BBC reported.
While no major protests were scheduled for Remembrance Sunday, policing operations would continue, with more or less 1,400 officers deployed amid commemoration events in the British capital.
Related Article: Met Imposes Exclusion Zone Surrounding Cenotaph Ahead of London's Remembrance Weekend
