REMEMBERING OUR FALLEN WAR HEROES
T HIS is the moving moment that Wales football fans remembered those who died to give us our freedom. Ahead of Remembrance Sunday, thousands of supporters at Cardiff City Stadium held up coloured cards just before kick-off during the national anthem to show a mural of a giant poppy.
The poppy was beamed into households throughout Europe as the FA of Wales came up with their own creative tribute to pay their respects.
Chris Coleman’s players had been banned from wearing poppies on black armbands for the World Cup clash with Serbia yesterday, Fifa insisting it would have been a political message which their rules prohibit.
Across the city, at the Principality Stadium ahead of Wales’ clash with Argentina, captains Gethin Jenkins and Agustin Creevy had earlier laid wreaths in tribute to the fallen.
Last night in London the Queen and other members of the Royal Family stood to applaud a procession of bereaved families as they attended the 93rd Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall.
The emotional moment came after the audience heard the story of Cyrus Thatcher, who lost his life in 2009 aged 19 while fighting as a rifleman in Afghanistan.
The Queen and the rest of the royal box joined the standing ovation as his parents, Helena Tym and Robin Thatcher, led a procession of bereaved families through the hall.
At the start of the event, crowds stood as the Queen, who is patron of the Royal British Legion (RBL), and the Duke of Edinburgh, entered the royal box overlooking the performance area.
They were joined on the left by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, while the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge sat to their right, with other Royal Family mily members behind.
On either side of the royal box were Prime Minister Theresa May and leader of the Opposition Jeremy Corbyn, who wore a poppy pin on his dark jacket.
They listened as old war songs including Take Me Back To Dear Old Blighty, It’s A Long Way To Tipperary and Pack Up Your Troubles opened the colourful show.
Other performances included Michael Ball and Alfie Boe who sang You’ll Never Walk Alone, Laura Mvula’s ver- sion of Abide With M Me and Birdy’s rend rendi
tion of her songson Wings.
Meanwhile, Alexander Armstrong, presenter of the BBC quiz show Pointless, filled the hall with his performance of Comin’ In On A Wing And A Prayer, accompanied by the RAF Squadronaires band.
This year the event at the Royal Albert Hall marked the centenaries of the Battle of the Somme and the Battle of Jutland, the 25th anniversary of the Gulf War and the 80th anniversary of the first flight of the Supermarine Spitfire.
‘Callous’ theft: Page 7