On 8th November, the Queen Her Majesty Elizabeth II led a solemn Remembrance Sunday ceremony as she paid tributes to the contributions of the Armed Forces, British and Commonwealth veterans, the allies who fought alongside the UK and the civilian servicemen and women involved in the two world wars and later conflicts.
The annual wreath-laying ceremony which usually witnesses participation from 10,000 people at the Cenotaph in Whitehall was attended this year only by 30 veterans in alignment with the social distancing guidelines of Coronavirus.
The Queen was joined by her family members, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and former Prime Ministers John Major, Tony Blair, David Cameron and Theresa May. But Prince Harry and Meghan Markle who last year announced that they were stepping away from their royal duties observed Remembrance Sunday by laying flowers at the Los Angeles National Cemetery instead. In London, meanwhile, a two-minute silence was observed and wreaths were laid by Prince Charles, Prince William and the PM, among others. The ambassador of Nepal, Durga Bahadur Sabedi, also laid a wreath, on behalf of Gurkha veterans, only the second time a representative of the Commonwealth country has been asked to participate.
Earlier, Sadiq Khan, the Chair of the London Assembly, Navin Shah AM, and the Chair of Royal British Legion City Hall Branch, Len Duvall OBE AM, lead a special online Remembrance Service. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the annual commemoration inside City Hall was a pre-recorded online video service ahead of Armistice Day, Mayor of London.
Remembering those who laid their lives during the two World Wars, Navin Shah AM, Chair of the London Assembly, said, “On behalf of the London Assembly, I am proud to remember the men and women who fought and died so that we may be free. Today, we remember those who died while serving our country, the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and for peace. While we cannot gather together in person to pay tribute and honour the sacrifices made by the generations before us, we must keep their memory alive and honour their bravery and continue to support veterans and their families.”
This year’s Remembrance Sunday is perhaps even more significant considering Army Chief Sir Nick Carter warned of risks of a new world war if current, smaller conflicts escalate out of control, drawing in more countries and weapons. In an interview with Sky News he also offered a vision of Britain's Army of the 2030s, potentially comprising 90,000 human soldiers and 30,000 robots.
