In his first Remembrance Sunday ceremony as king, Charles III laid a wreath in memory of the country’s and the Commonwealth’s war dead, while the UK’s new prime leader, Rishi Sunak praised Ukraine’s defenders. In the past, the 73-year-old king filled in for his unwell mother Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away in September at the age of 96.
From the foreign ministry’s balcony, which overlooked the Cenotaph in the heart of London, she had been seeing the yearly service ever since 2017.
The late Queen Elizabeth II was compelled to skip the event the previous year due to a back ailment, which came only a few weeks after an unexpected overnight hospital admission. Hence, Charles put a wreath on her behalf.
In a ceremonial field marshal uniform, he lay his first wreath at the war monument as the current king and commander-in-chief of the British military.
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After laying the ring of red plastic poppies—national Britain’s memorial—Charles remained still.
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A ribbon in the king’s favourite horseracing colours of crimson, purple, and gold was tied around the wreath, which was set atop black foliage.
Big Ben rang out 11 times, and two minutes of quiet were held thereafter to commemorate the restoration of the Great Clock in the neighbouring Houses of Parliament.
The quiet was broken by cannon fire, and the Last Post was sounded in front of everyone by buglers.
(With inputs from agencies)
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