Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh leads Armistice Day commemorations
Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh GCVO attended the Service of Remembrance on the iconic Armed Forces Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, the nation’s year-round place to remember.
The service, held on the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice – the treaty that brought an end to the First World War—honoured all those who have given their lives in service to their country since 1914.
“Today we reflected not only on the end of the First World War, but also on the many subsequent occasions where Armed Forces personnel have demonstrated bravery and resilience across generations,” said Philippa Rawlinson, Director of the National Memorial Arboretum and Director of Remembrance for the Royal British Legion. “In addition to the 80th anniversaries of many seismic events of the Second World War, including D-Day, Operation Market Garden, and the Battles of Kohima and Imphal, this year we have also marked Kosovo 25 and the 10th anniversary of the end of British combat operations in Afghanistan. Remembrance remains as relevant today as ever, with Armed Forces personnel continuing to serve across the globe, defending our freedoms and way of life.
“It is crucial we continue to pass the baton of Remembrance to future generations, preserving these incredible stories of service and sacrifice in perpetuity, and the National Memorial Arboretum provides a dedicated year-round place to remember, freely open to all. Our 150-acre estate, home to a collection of more than 420 memorials is an inspirational place where people of all ages, from diverse communities, can come together to celebrate lives lived and commemorate lives lost in service to our Nation.”
The service was led by The Rt Reverend Malcolm Mcnaughton, Bishop of Repton, and Reverend Vic Van Den Bergh, Honorary Chaplain to the Arboretum. It included an Act of Remembrance, with a two-minute silence observed at 11am. HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh then laid a wreath on the central plinth of the Armed Forces Memorial. The wreath was placed alongside the giant bronze wreath that captures a shaft of sunlight at 11 a.m. each year on 11 November, when the sun aligns with a strategically placed gap in the Portland stone walls of the memorial.
Additional individuals laying wreaths during the service included:
- Mr Ian Dudson CBE KStJ, His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire
- Mrs Julia Mitchell, High Sheriff of Staffordshire
- The Rt Hon Maria Eagle MP, Minister of State for Defence Procurement on behalf of the Ministry of Defence
- Dave Robertson MP, on behalf of Parliament and His Majesty’s Government
- Surgeon Rear Admiral Fleur Marshall, Royal Navy
- Major General Olly Brown, British Army
- Air Vice-Marshal Shaun Harris, Royal Air Force
- Mrs Philippa Rawlinson, Director of the National Memorial Arboretum and Director of Remembrance for RBL
- Group Captain Anny Reid OBE (Rtd), Chair of the National Memorial Arboretum
During the service, HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh read an extract from ‘For The Fallen’, a poem by Lawrence Binyon (1869 – 1943). In addition to musical performances from British Army Band Catterick, Black Voices and Carly Paoli, a reading of ‘A Poppy To Remember’ was delivered by the Arboretum’s poet-in-residence Dan Simpson and participants from the Arboretum’s ‘Talent in the Ranks’ artist development programme for aspiring artists from the Armed Forces community.
On Remembrance Sunday (12 November), the National Memorial Arboretum held another service at the base of the Armed Forces Memorial. This ceremony featured musical performances, readings, and a two-minute silence, as thousands of members of the public gathered at the nation’s year-round place of remembrance to honour those who have served and sacrificed in the Armed Forces.
“People of all ages from diverse communities gathered here at the Nation’s year-round place to remember, to pay tribute to those who have served their country in the Armed Forces,” said Mark Ellis, National Memorial Arboretum Lead. “Together we recognised the incredible courage and determination of Armed Forces personnel who make unparalleled sacrifices in defence of the freedoms which we hold dear.”
The Armed Forces Memorial, engraved with the names of over 16,000 service personnel, pays tribute to those who were killed on duty, died in operational theatres, or were targeted by terrorists since the end of the Second World War. This memorial is not only a site of national gratitude and recognition but also holds particular significance for families and friends who have no graves to visit or whose loved ones rest in far-off places.
Watch the Services on the National Memorial Arboretum’s YouTube Channel.
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