Princess of Wales attends Remembrance events with royal family

By Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN

London (CNN) — Catherine, Princess of Wales joined the royal family as they paid their respects to all those who have lost their lives in conflicts at the annual Remembrance Day service in London on Sunday.

King Charles III, who recently returned from his first long-haul multi-country tour since his cancer diagnosis, led the family and the nation in honoring fallen servicemen and women at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, near Downing Street.

The 75-year-old British monarch laid the first wreath at the base of the stone monument, as hundreds of veterans, serving personnel and members of the public looked on. Attached was a handwritten note that read: “In grateful remembrance of your service and sacrifice.”

It closely resembled one produced for his late grandfather King George VI and was mounted with poppies on an arrangement of black leaves, as is traditional for the sovereign, bearing a ribbon comprised of his racing colors of scarlet, purple and gold.

Prince William also left a floral tribute, featuring the Prince of Wales feathers and a new ribbon in Welsh red, at the war memorial.

His wife, Kate, viewed the solemn commemorations from the balcony of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, which overlooks the Cenotaph. She was accompanied by Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh.

Other members of the royal family in attendance included Prince Edward, Princess Anne and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent.

The annual service – which is held on the Sunday closest to Armistice Day – also featured a march past of 10,000 veterans and saw the nation fall silent as Big Ben struck 11 a.m. (6 a.m. ET).

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the newly installed leader of the Conservative Party Kemi Badenoch also attended the ceremony and laid wreaths. Standing behind them were eight former prime ministers: John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.

It was the second appearance of the weekend for the Princess of Wales, who revealed she had an undisclosed cancer eight months ago, and marked her first major official appearances since completing chemotherapy.

Kate, 42, announced she was cancer free in September and would be taking a phased approach to resuming public royal duties. Last month, she accompanied William on visit to Southport in northwest England, where the couple met with the bereaved families of three children killed in a knife attack in July.

On Saturday evening, she looked radiant in a chic black dress adorned with a poppy brooch as she joined the Windsor clan for the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance. The annual event at London’s renowned Royal Albert Hall celebrates the service and sacrifice of British and Commonwealth Armed Forces personnel.

This year’s showcase of music, performances and readings marked the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings in Normandy as well as 25 years since the deployment of NATO peacekeeping forces in Kosovo and the decade since the withdrawal of British troops from Afghanistan.

Queen Camilla, who this week reluctantly withdrew from engagements as she was unwell, remained at home in Wiltshire.

Buckingham Palace confirmed Saturday that she was “following doctors’ guidance to ensure a full recovery from a seasonal chest infection, and to protect others from any potential risk.”

A palace spokesperson said, “While this is a source of great disappointment to the Queen, she will mark the occasion privately at home and hopes to return to public duties early next week.”

While she appears to still under the weather, it is understood her absence was not cause for alarm nor had there been a downturn in her condition. Instead, the 77-year-old royal was said to be mindful of minimizing the risk of passing any last lingering infection to others.

Prince William recently opened up about the challenges his family have faced in 2024, describing it as “dreadful” and “the hardest year of my life.”

Speaking to British media outlets as his four-day trip to South Africa for his Earthshot Awards concluded, the Prince of Wales said, “trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult.”

He added: “But I’m so proud of my wife, I’m proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done.”

In the days ahead, the King will celebrate his upcoming birthday by opening two new food distribution hubs. Charles, who turns 76 on Thursday, will open one in person and the other virtually.

The plans for the monarch’s birthday will also mark one year since he launched his Coronation Food Project, an initiative he was inspired to launch with the dual purpose of tackling both food poverty and waste.

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CNN’s Max Foster contributed reporting.