The Royal family gathered at the Cenotaph for this morning's Remembrance Sunday ceremonies in London.
It marks a year of historic change and the first time the service has been led by a king in over seven decades.
For the first time, the new Queen Consort joined the new Princess of Wales on the balcony of the Foreign Office in Whitehall.
King Charles III arrives.
As the clock struck eleven, a two-minute silence was observed. The silence represents the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918 when the guns of Europe fell silent. The time is marked by the firing of a field gun on Horse Guards Parade.
From GOV.UK: "Every year, the two minute silence for the remembrance service on Whitehall is conducted with military precision. On Horse Guards Parade the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery fire their First World War guns to mark the start of the silence, and a Corps of Army Music bugler from the Household Division marks its end at precisely the same time that the guns fire again, 120 seconds later."
Her Majesty laid a wreath every year of her reign until 2017.
Queen Elizabeth II laid a wreath at the Cenotaph almost every year of her reign until 2017, when she asked the then Prince of Wales to do so on her behalf. #RemembranceSunday pic.twitter.com/hUGELxh4Jv
— Majesty/Joe Little (@MajestyMagazine) November 13, 2022
Prince William wore his RAF Uniform.
William laid a wreath for the first time as Prince of Wales.
The King lays his wreath...
...continuing generations of history.
A Wreath is laid at the Cenotaph by His Majesty The King.
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) November 13, 2022
This tradition was started by King George V in 1920, who unveiled the Cenotaph, and has been continued by every Monarch since.#LestWeForget#RemembranceSunday pic.twitter.com/Y7NG3Bz7VI
The Countess of Wessex watches on.
Sophie, The Countess of Wessex, stands on a balcony at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) on Whitehall, during the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph in London. #RemembranceSunday #LestWeForget 📸@aaronchownhttps://t.co/vnXyNAH1lG pic.twitter.com/sOKeNRVtt6
— Derek Momodu (@DelMody) November 13, 2022
The new prime minister, Rishi Sunak.
Members of the Royal Air Force lay wreaths.
A minute to reflect and remember.
UK falls silent on Remembrance Sunday as the King leads the nation in honouring servicemen and women who died in past conflictshttps://t.co/a8KuGMochy pic.twitter.com/N649FuUsfG
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) November 13, 2022
The royals sing a hymn.
The National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in Whitehall is a unique expression of homage devoted to the memory of those who have given their lives in war.
It was originally conceived as a commemoration of the First World War's dead by King George V in 1919, but after the Second World War the scope of the ceremony was extended to focus on the dead of both wars. Remembrance Day, or Memorial Day, is observed in Commonwealth countries.
The march past is an annual event for British and Commonwealth former military and civilian service personnel, allowing them to honour the fallen of the British Armed Forces.
On the 'eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month' in 1918 the Armistice was signed.
“The greatest day in the world's history. The armistice was signed at 5. a.m. & fighting ceased at 11… & at 11. we went on to the balcony” – Queen Mary writes in her diary on 11 November 1918. The flag below was waved by Queen Mary on Armistice Day.
Today, 9,800 people from around 300 different Armed Forces and civilian associations will line up on Horse Guards Parade for the march past the Cenotaph, as organised by the Royal British Legion.
The Princess departing after the ceremony.
The Princess was regal in Catherine Walker for the solemn day.
Lest we forget.
Thank you Charlotte…such a lovely post. I absolutely love this dress, or coat dress on Kate. I love the hat, especially the back with her hair in, what it seems, a soft ponytail. The back design of the hat with her hair is beautiful. My only quibble to me is that the coat dress and hat don’t compliment each other. The coat dress to me is very chic, so the hat should be as well. I would have chosen a smaller hat to compliment her outfit. The hat seems a bit casual and over powering. I love them both, just not together.
ReplyDeleteJoanne in CA
I felt the exact same way. Beautiful unique pieces but the formal earrings with the big, and bit more casural hat just didn't seem to go with the structure of the coat.
DeleteI couldn’t have said it better! Love the pieces just not together. But always lovely to see the Princess of Wales!
DeleteI agree Joanne. It's all just...too much together
DeleteThank you for a lovely posit Charlotte, lest we forget. HM looked lovely, HRH the PoW looked lovely, HRH the Countess of Wessex looked lovely - but that was a very bad look. The Coubtess works almost as hard as the Princess Royal, and IMHO should have been in the box with the Consort the PoW. This is shortsighted.
ReplyDeleteThe Countess was with the Gloucesters and the Duke of Kent shared a third balcony with Sir Tim. I agree Sophie works very hard and is a great asset but Camilla is the Queen Consort and Catherine is the next Queen Consort.
DeleteI wouldn't read it as a snub. it's very obvious Sophie is a much loved family member and her hard work is appreciated.
DeleteThe members of the Royal Family are positioned according to rank. It has nothing to do with who works hard, or who is popular. What you see as a slight, is decades, if not centuries old traditions and protocols.
DeleteI like this black coat, and the hat. I think more simple pearl earrings would have been better and maybe less eyeliner. I watched the ceremony (on TV) and it was very moving as usual.
ReplyDeleteI agree - the earrings aren’t for daytime wear. Pretty, but too much. Especially for today.
DeleteYes I agree. I think the pair of earrings Catherine wore to both Prince Philip and The Queen's funerals would be more appropriate for this occasion and with this coat and hat.
DeleteI think she looks gorgeous head to toe! I can’t help thinking what a heavy year it’s been for her…. Moving the family, getting all 3 children settled at their new school, loosing The Queen & becoming Princess of Wales….. That’s a lot for any mother, any family….let alone the Royal Family, with it all happening in public view… Her family, The Royal Family & The Country is lucky to have her, along with her steadfastness & dedication!
ReplyDeleteBecca
USA
Thank you Charlotte for this important post. We should always remember the sacrifices made to give us our freedoms today. A very poignant ceremony as always very well done.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to seeing this hat again, it’s really interesting. Love the back of it! I also love the brooch. Art Deco style is gorgeous to me. Always love how the UK recognizes Remembrance Weekend. It’s so important. Lovely that they both signed their names to the wreath. Thank you Charlotte!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful Princess as always! I am curious. Is the brooch a new piece? With the vast array of brooches HMQ had why would she get a new piece of jewelry?
ReplyDeleteThat was my question too. The Queen didn't loan easily her jewellery, hopefully Charles will be more generous. On the other hand, Camilla doesn't seem to wear anything new. Perhaps the vault is not accessible right now, I suppose the Queen has made bequests in her will. But it is too bad that Kate has to buy vintage broches, when she could wear one of the Queen.
DeleteI have thought about all those brooches. I would expect those that the Queen owned personally to be distributed to her children and grandchildren. For example, there is Princess Anne, her daughter, and her four grandchildren. And Anne's son and grandson should not be left out. Those that are "part of the job" perhaps go first to Camilla. That said, this piece is beautiful and it would be interesting to know the back story.
DeleteBecause maybe HMQ jewels went to her daughter? Or to her daughter in law or grand daughters? Maybe because someone gave it to her as a gift? And why should she only wear jewels from other people and not hers?
DeleteMy first question for Charlotte was any information on the brooch. Thanks for that. My thoughts are maybe a gift to her on becoming Princess of Wales. Definitely doesn't make sense for her or the Prince to be buying a brooch like that. I have no doubt that the late Queen looked after her very well with jewelry. I love the earrings on her but it leaves me wondering why she changed the pearl drops and has she still got the original ones. I noticed Sophie wearing beautiful ruby earrings last night that I haven't seen before and the pearls she wore today. The new Queen seems to be sticking to her own jewellery as well. It will be interesting to see if some of the late Queens jewels come out of the vault for the next state banquet. My understanding from how things seem to go, will be the Princess will get whatever the late Queen set aside for her. Gifts from the King and also the Princess of Wales jewellery collection. Example like when Camilla wore the diamond and emerald brooch previously worn by Diana because it belonged to the Princess of Wales before Diana. The jewellery worn by Catherine and Megan have all been Diana's personal property. I hope everything gifted to Diana as Princess of Wales was been held by the Crown for the next Princess. Time will tell. S. ☺
DeleteI wonder if The King bought it and gave it to her as a New Princess of Wales gift, building her personal collection?
DeletePerhaps the intent was to somehow incorporate and remind the post-bellum era with 1920's piece? But perhaps there was no other thinking that Kate just liked it and financially, I guess it is a great form of investment. It might look like buying new jewelry of which the family already has plenty, but it is more than that, it is a smart investment.
DeleteElla
As the brooch is one of a kind, it would have been a super birthday present. I really am loving it.
DeleteHello's e-newsletter reports that the brooch, was purchased from Bentley and Skinner Jewellers in early January and it was a gift to mark Kate's 40th birthday. So "no" it was not the Queen's personally, it was not part of the Crown Jewels and it was not to commemorate becoming the Princess of Wales. Hello suggests that it could have been a birthday gift from The Queen, The King, Prince William or Kate's parents.
DeleteThanks Anon, I forgot about her 40th. Considering they have access to a very large jewel collection would the late Queen, King or William buy a vintage piece like this when there are so many in the vaults and the heir to that collection is Prince William. I'd guess a gift from her family or a close friend. It must mean a lot to her to wear it on such a important day. S. ☺
DeleteThis brooch belongs to Catherine, the jewels in the vault belong to the Monarch. Even if The Princess of Wales wears more of the vault jewels now or in the future as Queen, they are not Catherine’s and she cannot give them to say Charlotte or Louis’s future wife like she could with her personally owned jewelry.
DeleteThe jewellery in the vaults consists of the crown collection and also the Kings private collection. The very large jewel collection gifted by Mrs Grenville, most of the jewellery Queen Mary left the Queen were her own property. The King and William when he is King can give them to anyone they want to. Be it a gift or lifetime loan to keep the collection together. S. ☺
DeleteS. ☺: In fact nothing in the vaults belongs to Kate right now...
DeleteI didn't think this coat dress was as military-esque as previous ones and indeed, she looked very regal in it. I love the style of the coat dress and hope she bought it in that beautiful fuschia color as well. The new to Kate brooch is a good addition to her very small brooch collection. I hope she includes more brooches on her outfits in the future. I like seeing Kate wear hats other than perchers--expanding her repertoire! I don't think of a brimmed hat as casual, but maybe with the high collar of her coat dress a percher would have been better.
ReplyDeleteThank you as always Charlotte for the lovely Remembrance Sunday post. As well as the ceremony this morning I also re-watched the poignantly beautiful commemorative presentation from Ypres in 2017, the centenary of the battle of Passchendaele. William and Catherine were there with the King and Queen of Belgium (Charles joined them the next day for the memorial services at the cemetery there) and I couldn't help thinking how they must hold that experience in their hearts as I do as being evocative of the sacrifices made by the soldiers on all sides. It was one of the most heart rending commemorations I have seen, using words, music, and an amazing light projection on the market square in Ypres. It's called "World War One Remembered: Passchendaele" and can be watched on Youtube. Valerie in Arizona
ReplyDeleteI like the hat very much, the earrings are beautiful. I think a softer and lower neckline would have shown them to better advantage. The Princess of Wales looks perfectly elegant.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely the best place to come for the latest on Catherine. Loved this post. You balance it well between history and fashion, which makes it more interesting. Loved her look today. Very fitting balance of sombre elegance.
ReplyDeleteComing from a Commonwealth country, I can say I have never heard it referred to as Memorial Day. That seems to be a term more associated with USA. Armistice Day or Poppy Day are common terms within the Commonwealth countries. ANZAC Day now dominates in Australia and NZ. They have no significant state memorial for Remembrance Day, just individuals who choose to observe the day themselves, unless it is a significant anniversary.
I'm from a commonwealth country and Rememberance day is observed with services and wreath laying and parades but not as big as ANZAC day.
DeleteAs always a poignant ceremony. All the Royals looked wonderful. I love Catherines look from head to toe. Thought the hat was very elegant. I think the larger earrings were needed to break up all the black and to soften a bit the dress as we'll as balance the hat. Thought she looked wonderful.ali
ReplyDeleteThe dress is perfect, elegant, and regal on the Princess. My first thought was she and the Queen Consort must have swapped hats, since Camilla often goes for larger hats. Her hat today was beautiful; Catherine’s hat didn’t quite go with the dress. Sophie also looked exactly right, somber and simply dressed.
ReplyDeleteIt’s important to remember always the sacrifice made by military members and their families. As we say in the States, “Freedom isn’t Free”. It’s bought with the devotion of patriots.
Camilla’s hat is the one she wore to Queen Elizabeth’s funeral.
DeleteElegant coat and terrific hat; they work very well together. I quite like the detailing at the coat's neckline. I've gotten a little tired of the Catherine Walker coats, which are much of a sameness, as I've sometimes said, but for this annual ritual, they are always suitable.
ReplyDeleteI am a great fan of Art Deco design and own some antique pieces that represent it, so I love this brooch. I can't be as positive about the earrings. They are lovely but too large and glitzy for daytime wear, in my view. I tend to take something of a minimalist approach to daytime jewelry, and though I've become somewhat more adventurous over the years, largish drop earrings featuring pearls and gemstones just don't strike me as appropriate for daytime wear.
But I really admire the hat. I wish the Princess would wear wide-brimmed hats more often. They are less practical than small fascinators, which easily allow her face to be seen and don't block anyone's view should people be sitting behind her, but there's nothing so effectively dramatic as a fabulous wide-brimmed hat. And if you're after the coquette or femme fatale effect, just slight changes in angle will produce them. What's not to like about such versatility? Hats and gloves, down through the centuries, have sent messages that our modern wardrobes can't possibly replicate. We are really sartorially impoverished in this day and age.
It has been said that Kate's heavier makeup and the larger than usual, daytime earrings are because other than telescopic photos, people are seeing the Royals at a great distance. It is like exaggerated stage makeup, so the actors' faces can be seen more clearly from the back rows of a theatre.
DeleteHaving spent a lot of time on stages in various contexts, I'm afraid I cannot agree. The monarchy is theater, but it's been demonstrated many times -- and by the Princess herself -- that it's not necessary to wear glitzy jewelry designed for evening wear in order to make an impact in the daytime. If the Princess had felt that necessary, she would have tried it many times before.
DeleteThe truth is that most viewers on these occasions are going to be observing at a serious distance and unable to see her jewelry no matter HOW large it is. They will see it only in the photographs, and therefore the photographs are what matter. They will be the records that history preserves. As a historian who spends a lot of time studying the art and photos of the past, I am keenly conscious of that fact.
The Princess has always had very good taste for the most part. I hope she maintains it. Elegance, as a famous fashion designer remarked, "is refusal" -- the exercise of restraint in dress and jewelry. The principle applies to royals as much as to anyone else. Elizabeth I might not have agreed -- at least not when it came to official portraits in which she was draped in high-end jewelry and stiffly-embroidered luxury fabrics of the 16th century -- but Elizabeth II would certainly have done so.
Vittoria, I bow to your obvious superior knowledge of most things, to include your theatrical expertise and your work as a historian. I merely reported on what I had read.
DeleteI don't agree about Elizabeth 11 as she often loaded with jewellery especially at evening functions when we saw her with the family orders and ribbons pinned by broaches on her outfits. She looked overloaded by jewellery and it ruined the look of her beautiful evening dresses.
DeleteI love the coat dress. Beautiful in the Princess and perfect fit and style. Catherine Walker never lets her down. I also love the hat but I just don't know about putting them together. Is it that it's too wide? It's the same width of her shoulders. Nice nod to the late Queen and Princess by wearing their jewellery. Someone made a very good point. She has had a lot to deal with in the last year. Looking forward to the state banquet. Hopefully a new tiara. S. ☺
ReplyDeleteKate looks so elegant. Thanks Charlotte for the nice coverage. Lest we forget..
ReplyDeleteThis is a beautiful coat and I love the hat she has chosen. Beautiful brooch but I too think the earrings are too OTT for this occasion and not in keeping with the style of the brooch, I think the Bahrain earrings would have been a perfect match for today. Sue in WA
ReplyDeleteLest We Forget. A great uncle lost his life in WW I and I always take time to honour him and all who fought for us and paid the ultimate price for our freedoms on ANZAC day and Remembrance day. Sue in WA
ReplyDeleteCatherine looks so beautiful today. I have always loved her looks for this particular holiday, she never fails to look regal and stunning. I think the Royal Family is very lucky to have this flawless gem by Williams side.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of gems, I cannot imagine getting to wear so many diamonds at one time as these Royal ladies do! Some of the pieces must be so heavy! The sparkle in person must be amazing too!
Your readers may be interested to know that the design of the King's wreath is different from his mother's. It includes a broad ribbon in her racing colours.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Ali
DeleteWhat a beautiful Catherine Walker coat dress. The lines are simply stunning.
ReplyDeleteI just disagree with everyone saying this is too much, I think now since she is Princess of Wales she should absolutely be wearing these earrings and during the daytime as well. It would be a disappointment if she didn’t go full on Princess!! I want more tiaras as well. I think the responsibility is on Kate’s shoulders for bringing all the special jewels into the next generation. I just don’t think the jewels look good on Camilla, Camilla to me is more of a horsewoman who looks better outdoors than in formal clothing. Kate on the other hand looks born for royalty.
ReplyDeleteYes, lots of jewels, please!!
DeleteAgree, I didn't say too much. Example the Queen Mother used to wear diamond earrings during the day 40+ carats,also very large diamond flower earrings. The British Royal family has one of the largest jewel collections in the world. It should be worn and seen by people. S. ☺
DeleteI wonder if some items Catherine is wearing were chosen with the balcony in mind. From far away, the scale may appear proportional on her. I like seeing her wear family jewelry and learning the history of the piece.
DeleteI am looking for another Princess event (a state visit?). Also, I like the opposite and Kate being sporty Kate.
In my humble opinion Camilla is much more capable to wear the really big jewellery pieces than Catherine with her fine-boned frame. I'm impressed how Camilla can do both the horsewoman and the representing stateswoman.
DeleteGA, you will get your Princess moment in 10 days. First state visit for the new King. Nora I agree but I think the Queens horse woman days are behind her now. The Queen wears jewellery very well but I wouldn't say better than the Princess of Wales. Completely different Ladies, different styles suit different people. I can think of so many pieces that would look better on each of them. I'm just hoping that the Princess gets the late Queens favourite tiara. I would love to see her wear it without the base. The new Queen hasn't had her ears pierced and has no plans to. Hopefully Grenville earrings for the Princess. S. ☺
DeleteObviously this is a somber occasion but the coat dress and hat seem disconnected and quite aging. The earrings are more appropriate for an evening event. My least favorite of her Remembrance Day looks by far.
ReplyDeleteSplendid! 👍👍👍
ReplyDeleteThe hat coordinated so well with the dress with the line pattern on both.
Simply loves how the earrings frames the lovely face! It’s a winner for me, day or night! 💗
Simple, elegant and dignified. Princess Kate looks every inch the calm, collected royal in contemplation 🌸🌸🌸
Thank you too to Charlotte who does a great job updating the post 🙏
This is one blogspot that I will definitely keep, always 💕