The UK fell silent on Wednesday to mark Armistice Day, with a two-minute silence observed at 11:00 during ceremonies across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Armistice, an agreement to end the fighting of World War One as a prelude to peace negotiations, began at 11:00 on 11 November 1918. The ceremony at the Cenotaph in Whitehall also marked the 110th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme.
A national remembrance service took place at the Cenotaph in London, where Defence Secretary Wes Streeting laid a wreath. In Parliament, Andy Burnham paid tribute to “all those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country” and praised the “courage and bravery of all our Armed Forces.”
In Staffordshire, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester laid a wreath at the Royal British Legion National Remembrance Gardens. Among the hundreds gathered was Geoffrey Spencer, 101, who joined the RAF in 1943. He told the BBC he felt “lucky” to be one of the last surviving World War Two veterans, adding that he had “two very narrow escapes” during his service. He said he survived a crash landing and that, on a different mission, one of the planes he was with was lost, with 22 men on board. People who served in more recent conflicts, from the Falklands to Afghanistan, were also present.
Commemorations took place nationwide. In Scotland, the one o'clock gun at Edinburgh Castle fired at 11:00 to mark the start of the two-minute silence, with commemorations also at the Scottish National War Memorial and Glasgow's George Square. In Conwy, north Wales, school pupils read out the names of the fallen. The mayor, Sian Grady, said coming together for remembrance was “still as relevant today as it ever was.” Wreaths were laid during a service at the Portsmouth World War One Memorial in Hampshire; people gathered at the Tommy statue in Dover, and a service was held at Leeds's Victoria Gardens War Memorial. Serving personnel and wreath bearers joined a Poppies to Paddington train journey from Penzance, Cornwall, to London; the train stopped at stations along the route.
Across Europe, French President Emmanuel Macron attended a ceremony in Paris where a wreath was laid at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
On Remembrance Sunday, King Charles led the nation in a two-minute silence in London, then laid a wreath at the Cenotaph before a march-past by 10,000 armed forces veterans.
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- SupportedThe UK marked Armistice Day with a two-minute silence at 11:00 on Wednesday across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.BBC News: “A national remembrance service took place at the Cenotaph in London, with a two-minute silence observed at 11:00 during ceremonies across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.”
- SupportedAndy Burnham paid tribute to “all those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country” and praised the “courage and bravery of all our Armed Forces” in Parliament.BBC News: “Later, at the start of Prime Minister's Questions in Parliament, Andy Burnham paid tribute to "all those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country" and praised the "courage and bravery of all our Armed Forces".”
- SupportedA 101-year-old World War Two veteran was among those attending.BBC News: “Geoffrey Spencer, 101, who joined the RAF in 1943, was among the veterans attending the event.”
- SupportedGeoffrey Spencer said he felt “lucky” to be one of the last surviving World War Two veterans.BBC News: “He told the BBC he felt "lucky" to be one of the last surviving World War Two veterans”
- SupportedSpencer said he had “two very narrow escapes” during his service.BBC News: “adding that he had "two very narrow escapes" during his service.”
- SupportedSpencer survived a crash landing; on a different mission, a plane he was with was lost with 22 men on board.BBC News: “Spencer described having survived a crash landing and, on a different mission, he said one of the planes he was with was lost completely, with 22 men on board.”
- SupportedThe Armistice began at 11:00 on 11 November 1918 and was an agreement to end the fighting of World War One ahead of peace negotiations.BBC News: “The Armistice, an agreement to end the fighting of World War One as a prelude to peace negotiations, began at 11:00 on 11 November 1918.”
- SupportedThe Cenotaph ceremony also marked the 110th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme.BBC News: “The ceremony at the Cenotaph in Whitehall also marked the 110th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme.”
- SupportedDefence Secretary Wes Streeting laid a wreath at the Cenotaph.BBC News: “Defence Secretary Wes Streeting laid a wreath at the Cenotaph”
- SupportedThe Duke and Duchess of Gloucester laid a wreath at the Royal British Legion National Remembrance Gardens in Staffordshire.BBC News: “In Staffordshire, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester laid a wreath at the Royal British Legion National Remembrance Gardens.”
- SupportedConwy mayor Sian Grady said coming together for remembrance was “still as relevant today as it ever was.”BBC News: “Sian Grady, Mayor of Conwy, said the coming together for remembrance was "still as relevant today as it ever was".”
- SupportedOn Remembrance Sunday, King Charles led a two-minute silence in London, laid a wreath at the Cenotaph, and was followed by a march-past of 10,000 armed forces veterans.BBC News: “On Remembrance Sunday, King Charles led the nation in a two-minute silence in London to honour veterans who had died in conflict. He laid a wreath at the Cenotaph before a march-past by 10,000 armed forces veterans.”