The service is held at the Cenotaph, the national monument commemorating “The Glorious Dead” on Whitehall in London. Below is the Cenotaph when it was unveiled on Armistice Day in 1920 by King George.  
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 And the scene today. 

We learn more from this BBC piece. 

For more than a century, this national Remembrance event has been held around the Cenotaph.

The monument had been originally built in 1919 as a temporary, plaster and wood structure. But it proved so popular with the public that it was replaced in 1920 with a permanent version, in the same design but in stone.

It was opened at 11:00 on 11 November 1920 by King George V. His great grandson, King Charles III, was there again, on an overcast morning 106 years later, to continue paying respect.

The King, the Princess Royal, the Prince of Wales, and the Duke of Edinburgh as they walk to the Cenotaph.

The Queen and the Princess of Wales share a smile as they watch from a balcony at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

The King, Prince William, and Princess Anne.

The Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duke of Kent, and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. 
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A wider shot of the Queen and Princess of Wales. 

Among the dignitaries taking part in today’s ceremony for the first time, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Nine former Prime Ministers also attended: Sir Keir Starmer, Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss, Boris Johnson, Theresa May, Sir David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Sir Tony Blair, and Sir John Major. 

The King laid the first wreath, stepped back from the memorial, and saluted. 

The Princess Royal. 

The Prince of Wales.

The Duke of Edinburgh. 

Another view of the Queen and Princess.

The Duchess of Edinburgh. 

After wreaths were laid, they prayed and sang a hymn. The BBC has more.  

After the wreath laying procession has concluded, Archbishop of Canterbury Dame Sarah Mullally leads those gathered at the Cenotaph in prayer, before the band performs a hymn.

She is the first female to hold the role as senior bishop of the Church of England. All 105 previous Archbishops of Canterbury have been men, starting with St Augustine in 597 AD.

Below, the Archbishop. 

The King during a moment of reflection. 

Then it was time for the march past the Cenotaph. Below, the Chelsea Pensioners as they formed up at Horse Guards Parade.

Another unit headed to the march past. 

Members of the WAAF WRAF RAF(W) Association, (Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, Women’s Royal Air Force, Royal Air Force Women’s Branch) as they leave Horse Guards Parade.

Below, members of BLESMA, an organization assisting serving and ex-servicemen and women who have suffered life-changing limb loss or the use of a limb, an eye, or loss of sight. We return to the BBC’s coverage. 

The occasion marked a big moment of reflection in a chaotic world, our royal correspondent at the service in Whitehall writes.

As the ceremony in Whitehall concluded, some 10,000 veterans took part in a march-past through Whitehall.

Among them are about 12 World War Two veterans – 103-year-old former Land Girl Annie Duplock told the BBC she expected it to be an “emotional day, bringing back memories of all those who didn’t return home”.

Ms. Duplock during today’s march past.

More about Ms. Duplock comes via this article in The National. 

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.

After the march, she said she was “here to represent all the land girls” and added that it was “hard to explain” how the ceremony had felt.

Below are more Second World War veterans: Jeffrey Brereton, Betty Withers, Bill Jones, Michael Woods, Ron Cunningham, and Donald McAngus.

The National has background on Mr. Brereton in this story. 

The oldest Second World War veteran at the national Remembrance Sunday parade was nicknamed “Lucky” during the war and had never been to the Cenotaph before. 

Jeffrey Brereton, 105, was a Royal Air Force mechanic in the Second World War, before leaving the army to join the fire service in 1946.

Mr Brereton added: “I didn’t have any basic training at all with the RAF; it was just straight in.”

The 105-year-old said he was posted with the 605 Royal Auxiliary Squadron during the Battle of Britain in 1940, and that he was thinking about his squadron during the ceremony.

Below is Mr. Brereton today.

I believe this may be Betty Withers, seen in the group photo of World War Two veterans above.
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Here you see a member (members?) of the Spirit of Normandy Trust, a charitable group set up to perpetuate the memory of those who fought to preserve freedom in 1944. 

Members of the UK Afghanistan Veterans Community. 

Members of the Submariners Association as they march past the memorial. 

An elevated view of the march.

More than 10000 veterans and active-duty personnel marched today, watched by a large crowd.

And this view offers a glimpse of the wreaths laid at the Cenotaph.

The Duke of Edinburgh took the salute this year. Below, the Queen’s Own Highlanders Regimental Association marches past the Duke, the Secretary of State for Defense, the Rt. Hon. Wes Streeting MP (left), and the Royal British Legion National President, Vice Admiral (Rtd) Paul Bennett CB OBE.

Now for our look at what Kate wore. We begin with her bespoke Catherine Walker coat, a tailored double-breasted design with padded shoulders, princess seams, a sharply pointed velvet collar, asymmetric closure, and velvet buttons.

The Princess debuted a new hat brought back a hat by Jane Taylor London. The ‘Decima’ hat ($2940) is a made-to-measure piece, “crafted from luxury felt for a beautifully soft yet structured finish. Its classic silhouette is elevated by a refined bow detail… this versatile hat is secured with a discreet comb for a comfortable, seamless fit that stays in place all day.” NOTE: The Princess wore this hat last November to the National Arboretum. (I thought it was familiar, but that is content that was lost in the site debacle, so I couldn’t find it in my files.)

The Princess wore her hair up. 

All the better to showcase the Collingwood Pearl and Diamond Earrings and her three poppies. Some believe the three poppies represent the Princess’s great-uncles who died in action in World War I. 

She also wore her HMS Glasgow Brooch designed by James Porter and Son, one of Scotland’s oldest jewelers.  The brooch was “inspired by the crest of the Royal Navy warship HMS Glasgow” and was first noted in May 2025, when the Princess officially named the HMS Glasgow. The jeweler explains the brooch is “Crafted from sterling silver; it features a depiction of St Kentigern — patron saint of Glasgow — framed by the Scottish thistle.”

VIDEOS: 
ITN’s Royal Family Channel offers more than 11 minutes of coverage from today’s ceremony.

 Here is the Sky News coverage. 

 And here is more than two hours of coverage provided by the UK government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport. 

 

You may recall that Prince George escorted his mother to this event last year because Prince William was traveling back from the Earthshot Awards and the COP30 summit in Brazil.

That was not an issue this year, as the Prince of Wales could attend. 

The annual event is put on by the Royal British Legion, honoring the service and sacrifices of the British and Commonwealth Armed Forces community.  The King and Queen led the Royal Family contingent at tonight’s Festival. 
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The Princess Royal and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence (not seen in this photo), were also at Royal Albert Hall.
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The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh attended (the Duke is not shown in this image). 
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As did the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester (the Duke is not seen in this photo). 
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Here is a wide shot of the Royal Box.

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are in the box next to the Royal Box. You also see UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham and his wife, Marie-France van Heel, in front of the Edinburghs.

The Royal British Legion provides background on the event. 

Through personal testimony and storytelling, through music and ceremony, the Festival of Remembrance expresses the nation’s gratitude to our Armed Forces personnel, past and present. We celebrate the core values of the Armed Forces: putting others before themselves, devotion to duty and unfailing professionalism.

In the Festival of Remembrance, we come together to honour those who defend our freedoms and way of life: including serving personnel, veterans, their families as well as those who have lost their lives in service. As the Armed Forces community adapts to new challenges, it remains crucial to recognise and honour their service and sacrifices.

Below, Chelsea Pensioners entering the hall. The Pensioners are residents of the Royal Hospital Chelsea Retirement and Nursing Home.

Alfie Boe performed Run with the Band of the Royal Air Force Regiment.

A muster of forces is part of the program every year.

 This includes personnel from the Royal Navy, the Army, the Royal Air Force, the Merchant Navy, the Royal British Forces, and Civilian Services. 

The King, Prince, and Princess of Wales as they watched the event.

We learn more from this piece in The Telegraph. 

They paid tribute to Army personnel past and present, honouring veterans of the Gulf War, the Iraq War and operations in Bosnia.

They listened to stories from veterans told through their personal letters. Known as “blueys” for the distinctive light-blue colour of the airmails, these were sent home to loved ones from conflict zones.

And from coverage by Wales Online. 

Personal stories were at the heart of the evening, with contributions from people who had served in conflict, relatives who had lost loved ones and families living with the lasting effects of military service.

The programme marked significant anniversaries linked to operations in Bosnia, the end of the Gulf War and the Iraq War.

The ceremony concludes with poppy petals falling silently from the ceiling, followed by the national anthem. 

Now for our look at what Kate wore for this year’s Festival of Remembrance, beginning with her Alessandra Rich silk pleated midi dress.

Crafted of lightweight silk crepe de chine, the dress has a fitted bodice with a high neck, dropped waist and full pleated skirt, puffed mutton-style sleeves, a slit skirt on the left side, and decorative buttons at the left shoulder.

The dress was first noted when worn to the Service of Thanksgiving for Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey in 2022. For tonight’s appearance, the Princess removed the shoulder buttons.

This evening’s footwear is also by Alessandra Rich; the Princess wore the label’s black leather slingbacks ($850) with a pointed toe and 4.1″ stiletto heel. Thank you to Middleton Maven for this ID.

Her handbag is also familiar, the ‘Celeste’ clutch in black velvet (no longer available) by Jimmy Choo. 

The Princess brought back her Betty Suede Square-Buckle Belt ($140) by Paris-based ba&sh.

The Princess’s jewelry included the late Queen Elizabeth’s diamond frame earrings, the Irish Guards regimental brooch, and the Lock & Co. poppy brooch first seen last year.

The Lock & Co. blog offers details on the brooch, referencing milliner Izzy (Isabel) Ager. 

Isabel created a limited series of handcrafted poppy pins – each one a small work of art, made here at No. 6 St. James’s Street.

Trained at the Royal School of Needlework in Hampton Court Palace, Isabel combines traditional Raisedwork and Goldwork techniques – both used for Royal ceremonial garments and military uniforms – to handcraft each poppy pin.Only four have been made, each symbolising honour, reflection, and craftsmanship in its purest form. Each piece took around 12 hours to make with profits donated to the Royal British Legion.

These photos are from last year, and they show the detail well.

Here is one more photo from this evening. 

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Also today, a very quick review of what the Princess wore when visiting Dose of Nature, a pioneering mental health charity that supports people facing challenges by combining psychology, nature connection, and one-to-one guidance.

The Princess visited the organization’s Richmond site on October 21st; the photos were released yesterday. In this image, you see the Princess with Dose of Nature founder Dr. Alison Greenwood (center) and clinical lead, Dr. Georgina Gould.

The Princess spent time with staff, volunteers, and Dose of Nature program participants, hearing how connecting with nature has helped them recover.

We learn more about the Princess’s visit through the Dose of Nature story on its site. 

Among them was Tom, who first came to Dose of Nature as a participant, and now works for us while also volunteering as a Nature Guide himself. Tom spoke about his own journey, and the role Dose of Nature had played in his own recovery, helping him build confidence, resilience and a stronger sense of connection to the natural world.

Kate said to him: “Our journey has been very very different, but it’s so wonderful to hear about your nature connection and how it’s been so healing for you, and I felt the same.

Now for a very quick review of what the Princess wore. It appeared she brought back her Barbour X Alexa Chung Jacket. 

And she repeated her Blundstone Original Vegan Chelsea Boots. 

Her earrings are familiar: Missoma’s Rhodochrosite Gold Mini Pyramid Charm Hoops ($140) in 18k Gold-Plated Vermeil on Sterling Silver. 

The Treehouse is part of EACH (East Anglia Children’s Hospices), an organization for which the Princess is Royal Patron. You see her above with Kevin Clements, the organization’s chief executive—more from this People story by Simon Perry.  

The charity is one of her longest-standing royal commitments, and the visit marked a meaningful return to the place where she delivered her first public speech as a royal in March 2012, less than a year after marrying Prince William.

Fourteen years later, Princess Kate returned to see how the charity continues to support children and families facing serious illness, highlighting what her office described as the “transformative impact of the care, compassion and connection” it provides.

Here you see the then-Duchess of Cambridge in 2012. 

The Princess began today’s visit by donning a hard hat and reflective vest to look at the construction underway at the Treehouse.

The Ipswich Star’s live coverage of today’s visit gives us details on the project. 

The project will provide new facilities, including a hydrotherapy pool, a wellbeing and therapies suite, a larger car activity area, and a dedicated space for teenagers. 

There will also be an additional bedroom and expanded kitchen and dining facilities.

The new facilities are designed to give children and young people more opportunity to play, explore, express themselves and spend time with others.

The expansion is expected to be completed in 2028. 

The Princess then moved to the facility’s Wellbeing Hut, where she spent time with mothers taking part in a bereavement support group. 

We return to the People article, quoting CEO Kevin Clements.

Princess Kate also spent time with mothers who’ve lost a child. “We’ve been supporting them through bereavement counselling and group work,” Clements says. “She spent some real quality time speaking with them all as a group and expressing a great deal of empathy with them all individually. It was extremely sensitively done.”

Clements also noted that the royal “hugged them all individually at the end of the meeting and had pictures taken with them all. It was a moving moment.”

Next on the agenda, time in the music room. 

The Princess took part in a music therapy session. We go back to the People piece one more time.

Princess Kate also spent time with children and families receiving care at The Treehouse, learning about the creative therapies offered by the hospice, including music therapy and sensory experiences.

These activities are part of EACH’s holistic approach to care, designed to support children’s emotional, social and developmental well-being.

The charity’s philosophy centers on helping seriously ill children enjoy the best possible quality of life, recognizing that they have the same needs as other children — including friendship, fun, family time, activities and laughter. EACH also provides vital support to the families caring for them.

Below, I believe that is four-year-old Primrose Harvey waving at the Princess. Primrose has hypoplastic right-heart syndrome, a rare congenital heart defect. 

The Ipswich Star provides details.

The little girl’s mother Katie told the princess that Primrose has had three heart surgeries, including one at six days old and another only two weeks ago. Kate told Primrose’s mother: “Super brave girl and brave parents too.”

Mrs Harvey said it was “lovely” to speak to the Princess of Wales about her daughter and the support they receive. She said: “It’s really nice for her to come here and see first-hand how much they do for families.”

She called The Treehouse a lifeline, giving Primrose a safe place to join activities and parents a chance to meet others in similar situations.

Here you see the Princess with 13-year-old Charlotte Freegard.

Scotland’s The National provides background in this article. 

Charlotte Freegard, 13, who has a rare genetic muscle disorder called nemaline myopathy, sang Perfect by Ed Sheeran through a microphone for Kate who clapped and told her she was “brilliant”. As the princess sat beside the girl at a piano she said: “Charlotte, that was beautifully sung. Well done you.”

We go back to The National’s story. 

Kate said it was good for the children to have so much musical equipment and asked Charlotte: “You’re able to express yourself and really enjoy yourself?” to which the girl replied: “Definitely.”

The Princess also spent time in the Treehouse sensory room, a soothing, calm space for children and families.

After the Princess wrapped up her time at the Treehouse, she headed to a second engagement. Below, she is with Mark Pendlington, the Lord-Lieutenant of Suffolk.

Her second stop was at Café 98 in Hoveton, the first and only EACH restaurant.

The café is located inside the EACH retail store in Hoveton. Above, you see the Princess with EACH retail director Ian Nicholson. The Daily Mail’s coverage provides details on today’s visit. 

…when she walked in, customers enjoying a cup of tea and browsing the rails couldn’t believe the future Queen had stopped by. 

As she headed over to the counter to greet catering Manager Morgan Neary, a group of ladies called her over, asking: ‘Do you want to see our shopping?’ ‘Oh yes please,’ Kate said, darting over to them. ‘Do you come in here quite a bit?’

Essie Landsborough, 75, who sat opposite Ms Ashton, said ‘yes’ as she rifled through her carrier bag and pulled out a box of two port sippers. Looking at the boxes, Prince William’s wife said: ‘You never know what you’re going to find [in a charity shop]. That’s what’s so nice. It feels a bit more like a treasure hunt.’ 

Interrupting with a tone of surprise, Ms Landsborough said: ‘Do you go to charity shops?’ ‘Yes, I do,’ the princess said. ‘I love going round a charity shop. When I was at university in St Andrew’s, there were a lot of charity shops.’

Looking at the box on the table, these two ladies appear to be Ms. Landsborough and Ms. Ashton.

The Princess also heard about the charity’s retail operation. 

The Princess toured the shop and spent time helping to sort clothing donations.

We return to The Mail’s story. 

The princess was then introduced to Christine Rich, who showed her how items were prepared for sale before they sorted items together, deciding which ones could be sold and which poorer-quality items would be sold as scrap fabric.

Catherine held several of the items up against her as she was sorting through them, and when Ms Rich noticed the label was still on a pink chiffon blouse, she exclaimed: ‘Who would pay £105 for a blouse?’ Before realising she was in the company of a princess, she quickly moved onto the next item.

When Catherine spotted a moth hole in an otherwise immaculate coat, she asked if it could still be sold in the shop.

She was told they had an imperfect rail, and Mr Nicholson interjected: ‘We’ll double the money now, as you touched it!’

After finishing inside the store, she met people gathered outside.

One last snippet from The Mail. 

The princess then walked over to greet the well-wishers, talking about the sudden drop in temperature after the unseasonably warm start to the month and the upcoming half-term break with her children.

While her visit was initially kept under wraps due to the cafe’s small size, word quickly spread, and locals gathered outside to meet Kate. While chatting to them, the princess asked children if they were on half term.

One youngster told her that it’s his last day today, and she replied: ‘My children break up tomorrow and I can’t wait to have them all home.’

Now, for our look at what Kate wore.

We begin with her Victoria Beckham separates. The Katherine Jacket ($1390) in ‘green’ features a tailored, single-breasted silhouette with notched lapels, patch pockets, shoulder pads, and a center-back vent. The jacket has a boxier cut than the Princess often wears and is made from a polyester/virgin wool blend with a touch of elastane for stretch and ease of movement. 

The Princess paired the blazer with the brand’s Alina Trousers ($790), a high-waisted style that is slightly fitted through the thigh before flaring into a flared leg. The trousers have front and back patch pockets, a front zipper, and belt loops. The trousers are lined and made from the same fabric as the jacket. 

Beneath the jacket, the Princess appeared to wear Victoria Beckham’s Marie Wool Jumper ($850) in the ‘dark grey melange’ colorway, crafted from 100% merino wool with saddle-shoulder detailing.

Thank you to Middleton Maven for quickly identifying these pieces.

The Princess accessorized with the Victoria Beckham Portofino Mirror Belt ($390) in burgundy, which she first wore in late September while visiting West Sussex and learning about its volunteer minibus system.

We saw the return of the Gianvito Rossi Lyell Ankle Boots (originally $1995, now sold out) in black leather, a pointed-toe style with a two-inch chunky heel. This is the boot Middleton Maven ID’d as being worn to Leeds in September.

The Princess brought back her Kiki McDonough Green Amethyst Pear Drop Earrings ($1330) in 18K yellow gold with green amethyst (prasiolite) stones. The earrings were first noted at an Early Years engagement in 2023. A quick note for those in the US: Kiki McDonough now has a dedicated US site.

If anyone is interested in donating to EACH, this link will take you to their page.

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Two quick fashion collaboration notes to share: 

• The ELIE SAAB H&M Collection launched today. The capsule line includes womenswear, menswear, plus a range of accessories, like footwear and scarves.

• John Lewis x Rixo, two brands the Princess has worn, also have a capsule collection.  This one offers 44 styles of separates, dresses, and accessories. 

VIDEO:

The Royal Family Channel offers more than 20 minutes of coverage of the visit in this video.