Second World War veterans have outnumbered former prime ministers for what could be the last time at the national Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph in London, as the number attending from that conflict fell to about a dozen, down from 20 last year, while former premiers reached a record nine.
King Charles led the national two-minute silence at 11:00 GMT on a stone-grey autumn morning before laying the first wreath at the Cenotaph in Whitehall. The Prince of Wales followed, along with the Duke of Edinburgh and the Princess Royal.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham attended the ceremony for the first time as the current occupant of No 10 Downing Street. He laid a wreath and said the event was a time to "reflect on the selflessness and courage it takes to commit your life to protecting others". He also announced he wanted to tackle homelessness among ex-service personnel to "ensure that any veteran sleeping rough is offered appropriate accommodation before Christmas".
Reform UK's leader, Nigel Farage, laid a wreath for the first time. Only leaders whose parties hold at least six seats in Parliament are entitled to take part; defections from the Conservatives have taken Reform beyond that threshold to eight MPs.
Among those attending were Sir John Major, Sir Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Lord Cameron, Baroness May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer.
About 10,000 armed forces veterans took part in the Royal British Legion's march-past after the service, with more than 300 military and civilian organisations represented. The veterans included 12 from World War Two, the oldest thought to have taken part this year being Jeffrey Brereton, aged 105, who volunteered for the RAF in 1940 at 19 and served as a mechanic on Hurricane aircraft during the Battle of Britain. The youngest taking part was eight-year-old Ronan Doncaster, who walked in honour of his father, a guardsman with the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards who died in April 2024.
Among those marching for the first time was 103-year-old Annie Duplock, who joined the Land Army in 1940 as a 16-year-old after lying about her age. "I feel very honoured to be taking part in the parade and to represent the Land Girls. I'm very excited, although a little apprehensive as I don't quite know what to expect," she said. "I think it will be a very emotional day, bringing back memories of all those who didn't return home."
Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales watched from a balcony above the Cenotaph in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office building. Some spouses of former prime ministers joined Burnham's wife on a balcony overlooking Whitehall.
In Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, the Irish taoiseach, Micheál Martin, and Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Bryant attended a memorial service. The 1987 event was targeted by an IRA bomb that killed 11 people on the day and a 12th victim who never woke from a coma. In Scotland, First Minister John Swinney led tributes outside Edinburgh City Chambers, with a military parade down the Royal Mile.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The dwindling number of World War Two veterans at the Cenotaph marks the fading of living memory of the conflict, making each Remembrance Sunday a more historic commemoration.
- The record attendance of nine former prime ministers underscores the continuing political significance of the annual event and the cross-party commitment to honouring the fallen.
- The participation of Reform UK's leader for the first time, enabled by a change in seat count, reflects a shifting political landscape that now includes a new party at the wreath-laying ceremony.
Background
Remembrance Sunday is held on the second Sunday in November, the nearest to Armistice Day on 11 November, the anniversary of the end of World War I. The national ceremony at the Cenotaph in central London has been held for more than a century. The monument, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, was first built in 1919 from plaster and wood as a temporary structure, then replaced in 1920 with a permanent stone version. It became the UK's national memorial to those who died in the First World War and was rededicated in 1946 to include those of the Second World War.
Key Perspectives
King Charles III: led the two-minute silence and laid the first wreath at the Cenotaph, continuing a tradition begun by his great-grandfather King George V in 1920.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham: called the event a time to "reflect on the selflessness and courage it takes to commit your life to protecting others" and announced a goal to ensure any veteran sleeping rough is offered accommodation before Christmas.
Mark Atkinson (Royal British Legion director general): said: "As we come together on Remembrance Sunday, we pay tribute to all those who have served and sacrificed, from generations past to those still serving today."
What to Watch
- Whether the number of World War Two veterans able to attend falls below 12 next year, and whether this year will indeed be the last time they outnumber former prime ministers.
- Progress on the prime minister's pledge to house all homeless veterans before Christmas.
- Whether Reform UK's leader will continue to qualify for wreath-laying in future years, as party seat counts may shift.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 3 sources: 12 supported.
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- SupportedSecond World War veterans outnumbered former prime ministers at the Cenotaph service, possibly for the last time.World news | The Guardian: “Second world war veterans outnumbered former prime ministers for what could be the last time at the national service of remembrance at the Cenotaph in central London.”
- SupportedA record nine former prime ministers were lined up to lay wreaths.BBC News: “the number of former prime ministers reached a record high, with nine lined up to lay wreaths”
- SupportedNigel Farage laid a wreath for the first time.BBC News: “And for the first time the leader of Reform UK, Nigel Farage, had enough MPs in Parliament to qualify to lay a wreath, alongside other party leaders.”
- SupportedThe number of Second World War veterans taking part fell to 12 from 20 last year.BBC News: “there were 12 participants in the march-past compared with 20 last year.”
- SupportedKing Charles led the two-minute silence at 11:00 GMT.BBC News: “At 11:00 GMT, as the first strike of Big Ben echoed from the nearby Houses of Parliament, the big two-minute silence filled the usually frenetic streets”
- SupportedAndy Burnham attended for the first time as the current occupant of No 10 Downing Street.BBC News: “Andy Burnham was attending for the first time as the current occupant of No 10 Downing Street.”
- SupportedBurnham said the event was a time to “reflect on the selflessness and courage it takes to commit your life to protecting others”.BBC News: “Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the annual event was a time to "reflect on the selflessness and courage it takes to commit your life to protecting others".”
- SupportedBurnham said he wanted to tackle homelessness among ex-service personnel and “ensure that any veteran sleeping rough is offered appropriate accommodation before Christmas”.BBC News: “And he announced that he wanted to tackle the problem of homelessness among ex-service personnel to "ensure that any veteran sleeping rough is offered appropriate accommodation before Christmas".”
- SupportedAbout 10,000 armed forces veterans took part in the march-past.BBC News: “before a march-past by 10,000 armed forces veterans.”
- SupportedAnnie Duplock said, “I feel very honoured to be taking part in the parade and to represent the Land Girls. I'm very excited, although a little apprehensive as I don't quite know what to expect,”BBC News: “"I feel very honoured to be taking part in the parade and to represent the Land Girls. I'm very excited, although a little apprehensive as I don't quite know what to expect," she said.”
- SupportedDuplock said, “I think it will be a very emotional day, bringing back memories of all those who didn't return home.”BBC News: “"I think it will be a very emotional day, bringing back memories of all those who didn't return home. It will be lovely to be there and remember them."”
- SupportedJeffrey Brereton, aged 105, was thought to be the oldest veteran taking part this year.The Standard London: “The 105-year-old thought to have taken part in this year’s ceremony is Jeffrey Brereton”