Brave Kate Middleton watches on as dutiful Prince William and King Charles lay wreathes at emotional Remembrance Sunday memorial service – as the nation falls silent in tribute to the glorious dead

The Princess of Wales today lead the nation alongside the King and the Prince of Wales in remembering Britain’s war dead on Remembrance Sunday.

Charles and William were among those in the capital taking part in a two-minute silence at 11am to honour those who died in conflict, with similar events taking place nationwide – as hundreds of emotional veterans this morning gathered at the Cenotaph.

And Princess Kate has carried out her second consecutive day of royal duties for the first time since it was revealed earlier this year she was being treated for cancer.

Wearing a black, military-style jacket with epaulettes, she could be seen wearing her traditional three poppies as she joined the nation in two minutes of silence. The touching tribute remembers her great-grandmother’s three brothers, who all lost their lives in the First World War. She also wore a silver Queen’s Dragoon Guards brooch, a reference to her role as the regiment’s Colonel-in-Chief.

Kate watched today’s Whitehall event from above, on the nearby Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office balcony in central London, alongside Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh.

The Princess appeared emotional as she quietly closed her eyes in remembrance, bowing her head in respect. In a touching moment following the ceremony, the Duchess of Edinburgh could be seen laying a tender hand on her shoulder as they left the balcony together.

Last night she attended the Festival of Remembrance ceremony at London’s Royal Albert Hall, alongside her husband William. 

Members of the royal family, together with senior politicians, have laid wreaths during the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph to mark the Armistice of the First World War and all other conflicts involving British and Commonwealth forces.

The Royal British Legion’s veteran parade was expected to involve 10,000 veterans, representing 326 different armed forces and civilian organisations, marching past the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London.

And thousands of people were anticipated to line Whitehall for the annual event, including a two-minute silence at 11am, while current Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was joined by eight former PMs – a record number – to lay wreaths.

Meanwhile, Michelle O’Neill is facing a furious backlash across the political divide in Northern Ireland over her decision to become the first Sinn Fein leader to attend a Remembrance Sunday event.

Ms O’Neill will lay a laurel wreath at the Cenotaph in Belfast this morning in her role as First Minister, alongside DUP deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in the Second World War and the 25th anniversary of the end of the war in Kosovo.

It also comes alongside the 75th anniversary of Nato and the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale between the UK and France.

More than 800 sailors, soldiers and aviators will be on duty on Remembrance Sunday, representing their services at the Cenotaph and at commemorative services at Westminster Abbey and Westminster Cathedral.

They included Christian Lamb, 104, who served in the Second World War as a Wren and was the oldest among the number. Alongside her was 101-year-old Joe Randall, of the RAF.

Speaking to the BBC, Ms Lamb called it: ‘Unbelievable, so moving.’

She continued: ‘I didn’t remember anybody in particular. I just couldn’t believe it was so extraordinarily moving, that there is all those many people, young creatures mostly, who died there, and there they all were.

‘And we, all these years later, are watching an extraordinary situation and are able to say thank you for their sacrifice, which was so sad.

‘To think there was so many of them. But at least there were a lot of them who came to say thank you. It’s been the most extraordinary experience.’

Just seven D-Day veterans joined this year’s march, with elderly servicemen in wheelchairs.

Kate, 42, wore Bahrain Pearl Diamond Drop Earrings, from the late Queen Elizabeth’s private collection, which were also worn by the late Princess Diana in 1982.

The mother-of-three wore her brunette locks neatly tied up into a chic black fascinator with feathered detail and a netted veil.

The earrings were crafted from pearls gifted to the Queen and Philip from the ruler of Bahrain at the time of their wedding in 1947. The monarch famously wore the jewels in her first Royal Command portrait by Dorothy Wilding in July 1952.

Kate first wore them in 2016 for the Remembrance Day service at Westminster Abbey, and also wore them to attend Prince Philip’s funeral in 2021.

Speaking about the significance of her choice, Laura Taylor, jeweller at Lorel Diamonds, said: ‘By wearing these earrings, Kate aims to honour the Queen’s legacy and the tradition of wearing pearls for moments of reflection and remembrance, echoing the late monarch’s preference for understated elegance on such occasions.’

She added: ‘Pearls are deeply associated with respect, dignity, and calm, offering a subtle yet elegant appearance that makes them particularly fitting for events of remembrance.

‘The late Queen Elizabeth frequently chose pearls for national mourning and reflective occasions, valuing their subdued beauty. By wearing these meaningful pieces, Kate not only honours her personal connections to Diana and the late Queen but also embraces the solemnity of the events in a way that feels both respectful and deeply personal.’

Also in attendance was Princess Anne and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, alongside the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent. 

Kate has made just a handful of public appearances so far in 2024, after she underwent major abdominal surgery in January and then was diagnosed with cancer.

In a video the princess released in September, she revealed she had finished her chemotherapy treatment, and spoke of how she was ‘looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months’.

The King, who received a standing ovation and applause upon entering the Royal Albert Hall last night, was sitting next to the Princess Royal.

But the Queen was absent from the Festival and is also due to miss today Cenotaph ceremony to ensure she makes a full recovery from a chest infection, and to protect others from any risk.

In her place, her Equerry Major Oliver Plunkett laid her wreath at the Service of Remembrance.

Camilla, 77, pulled out of an Olympic and Paralympic reception at the Palace and the opening of the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey earlier this week after developing the seasonal respiratory bug following her long-haul tour to Australia and Samoa and spa break in India.

Of the Remembrance weekend, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the ‘courage and sacrifice of so many over the generations’ brings the country together on Remembrance Day ‘in a spirit of the most profound gratitude and respect’.

And Defence Secretary John Healey said it was a ‘duty’ to ‘educate future generations about their courage and commitment to defending Britain’.

According to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport ‘people of all ages’ will be among those marching today – from bereaved military children of the Scotty’s Little Soldiers charity through to D-Day veterans of the Spirit of Normandy Trust.

Thousands of veterans were this morning lining up in the middle of Whitehall as they prepare to take part in the Royal British Legion’s march past the Cenotaph.

A military band performed as it marched at the Parliament Square end of the central London street.