London CNN –
Catherine, Princess of Wales, joined the Royal Family as she paid her respects to all those who have lost their lives in conflicts at the annual Remembrance Day ceremony in London on Sunday.
King Charles III, who recently returned from his first long multi-country tour since his cancer diagnosis, led family and the nation in paying tribute to fallen servicemen and women at the memorial in Whitehall, near Downing Street.
The 75-year-old British monarch laid the first wreath at the base of the stone memorial, in front of hundreds of veterans, serving personnel and members of the public. She attached a handwritten note that said: “In memory of your service and sacrifice.”
It closely resembles one produced for his late grandfather, King George VI, and is mounted with poppies on an arrangement of black leaves, as is customary for a monarch, and bears a band consisting of the racing colors of scarlet, purple and gold.
Prince William also left a floral tribute, featuring the Prince of Wales’s feathers and a new Welsh red ribbon, at the war memorial.
His wife Kate watched the official ceremonies from the balcony of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, which overlooks the memorial. She was accompanied by Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh.
Other royals in attendance included Prince Edward, Princess Anne, her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Lawrence, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent.
The annual service – held on the Sunday closest to Armistice Day – saw more than 10,000 veterans march and saw the nation fall silent as Big Ben chimed at 11 a.m. (6 a.m. ET).
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and new Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch also attended the ceremony and laid wreaths. Behind them were eight former prime ministers: John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.
This is the second weekend appearance for the Princess of Wales, who revealed she had been diagnosed with cancer eight months ago, and was her first major official appearance since completing chemotherapy.
Kate, 42, announced she was cancer-free last September and will take a gradual approach to resuming her public royal duties. Last month, she accompanied William on a visit to Southport in northwest England, where the couple met the bereaved families of three children killed in a knife attack in July.
On Saturday evening, she looked radiant in an elegant black dress adorned with a poppy brooch as she joined the Clan of Windsor at the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance. This annual event, held at London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall, celebrates the service and sacrifices of members of the British and Commonwealth Armed Forces.
This year’s showcase of music, performances and readings marks the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy, as well as 25 years since NATO peacekeepers were deployed in Kosovo and the decade since British forces withdrew from Afghanistan.
Queen Camilla, who this week reluctantly withdrew from her engagements due to illness, remained at her home in Wiltshire.
Buckingham Palace confirmed on Saturday that it is “following doctors’ instructions to ensure complete recovery from seasonal chest infections, and to protect others from any potential danger.”
A palace spokesman said: “Although this is a source of great disappointment to the Queen, she will mark the occasion privately at home and hopes to return to her public duties early next week.”
While it appears that she is still suffering from the bad weather, it is understood that her absence was not a cause for concern and there was no decline in her condition. Instead, the 77-year-old prince was said to be keen to minimize the risk of passing any final infection to others.
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Prince William recently spoke about the challenges his family faced in 2024, describing it as “horrific” and “the hardest year of my life.”
Speaking to British media after wrapping up his four-day trip to South Africa for the Earthshot Awards, the Prince of Wales said: “Trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult.”
“But I’m very proud of my wife, and I’m proud of my father, for dealing with the things they did,” he added.
In the coming days, the king will celebrate his next birthday by opening two new food distribution centers. Charles, who turns 76 on Thursday, will open one in person and the other virtually.
The plans for the King’s birthday will also mark one year since the launch of the Coronation Food Project, an initiative he was inspired to launch with the dual aim of tackling food poverty and waste.
