The poppy Princess...
Kate (and a ‘retired’ Prince Philip) join Royal Family’s tribute to our fallen heroes
SOMBRE AND dressed in black, the Duchess of Cambridge watched an emotional Festival of Remembrance along with the Queen and other senior Royals last night.
Kate – who is due to give birth to her third child next April – took her place in the Royal Box at the Albert Hall alongside the Duke of York.
Her husband William, who had earlier watched Wales play rugby in Cardiff, will be at today’s ceremony at the Cenotaph for Remembrance Sunday, commemorating the 99th anniversary of the end of the First World War.
Although the absence of William and Harry – who attended the England match at Twickenham – had caused some criticism, Royal sources stressed both were official engagements as they are patrons of the Welsh and English Rugby Unions respectively.
Prince Philip, who officially retired from public duties in the summer at the age of 96, joined the Queen. Though looking frail, he was keen to pay his respects to the fallen as a former naval officer who served in the Second World War.
Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were also at the event.
Elsewhere, millions fell silent as Big Ben tolled for the first time in months to chime the stroke of 11am on Armistice Day. Parliament’s clock tower, which has been closed down for repairs since August, marked the beginning of the twominute silence.
Today, Prince Charles is set to lay a wreath at the Cenotaph while the Queen looks on. This will be the first t i me s i nce s he came to the throne in 1952 that she has attended the event but has not laid t he wreath. Yesterday i t was announced that scores of bell ringers will be recruited to help commemorate 100 years since the end of the First World War in 2018. Bells will ring out in unison from churches and cathedrals in villages, towns and cities across the country on November 11 next year, as they did spontaneously when the Great War ended.
Millions fell silent across country as Big Ben tolled