King Charles and Princess Catherine attend a Remembrance Sunday event in the UK as they both slowly return to duty

Remembrance Sunday is a totemic event in the United Kingdom, with the monarch led by members of the royal family, political leaders including Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his eight living predecessors, and Commonwealth envoys in laying wreaths at the Cenotaph, the Portland stone monument that serves as the central place of honor. those killed in the war.

The service is held on the second Sunday in November to mark the signing of the armistice ending the First World War “at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” in 1918. Across the UK, services are held at the same time to remember the dead.

After a two-minute silence, the buglers of the Royal Marines played the last post, and Charles led the wreath-laying part of the service.

The 75-year-old King, dressed in his Royal Navy Admiral of the Fleet uniform, laid a wreath of poppies at the foot of the Cenotaph in recognition of those who fell in conflicts dating back to the First World War.

His eldest son and heir to the throne, William, left his own floral tribute – with a Prince of Wales feather and a new ribbon in Welsh red.

Dressed in somber black, his wife Kate watched from the balcony of the nearby Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, as is tradition. Queen Camilla, who would have stood by the princess’ side, was not present as she recovered from a chest infection.

This is the first time since the beginning of the year that Kate has two consecutive days of public official engagements. She attended the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday.

After laying wreaths, about 10,000 veterans, including those who fought in the wars of this century, especially in Afghanistan and Iraq, paraded past the Cenotaph. Over time, only a handful of World War II veterans were present.

Charles’ ceremonial role as commander-in-chief of the armed forces is a legacy from the days when the monarch led his troops into battle.

But the bond between the monarchy and the military remains very strong, with members of the military taking an oath of allegiance to the king and members of the royal family supporting military personnel through various charities. Charles and William served active duty in the military before assuming regular royal duties.

“They show us respect, as we showed them by serving,” said Victor Needham-Crofton, 91, an Army veteran who served during the 1956 Suez Crisis and later in Kenya.

Charles was diagnosed with an undiagnosed form of cancer in February, forcing him to take a two-month hiatus from public appearances while he focused on his treatment and recovery. Just weeks later, Kate announced her own cancer diagnosis, sidelining her for most of the year as she underwent chemotherapy.

The King has been in good form in recent months and recently completed a grueling trip to Australia and Samoa. Kate, who made her first public appearance since her diagnosis during the monarch’s birthday parade in June, is slowly returning to public duties.

Prince William reflected this week on the pressure the cancer scare has placed on the royal family.

“I’m so proud of my wife, I’m proud of my father, because he dealt with the things they did,” William told reporters Thursday after wrapping up a four-day trip to South Africa.

“But from a personal family point of view, it was, yes, it was brutal.”

While the Cenotaph was at the center of a national service of remembrance, communities across the UK held their own ceremonies on Sunday.

Needham-Crofton, who served in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers before a lorry accident ended his military career, had planned to attend a local service in Eastbourne on England’s south coast.

He spent much of his time honoring veterans and trying to help them, including 20 years as a volunteer with the Taxi for Military Veterans Charity. Like some of his military assignments, raising the cash was quite a chore as it involved standing outside London Underground stations and collecting pennies to help fund the group’s efforts.

“I like to respect all veterans and do what I can for them,” he told The Associated Press.

“It’s a real brotherhood. Even if you don’t know a veteran you meet, you feel a kinship with them. That’s very important to me. I’ll be like that for the rest of my life.”