The Princess of Wales will visit the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire for a service of remembrance to mark Armistice Day next Tuesday, Kensington Palace has announced
The Princess of Wales is set to lead the nation in remembrance at a significant event next week, Kensington Palace has confirmed. Kate will pay a visit to the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire for a service of remembrance to commemorate Armistice Day next Tuesday.
The princess will be present at the Armed Forces Memorial service as it spearheads the national commemoration on November 11. She will lay a wreath and participate in the national two-minute silence at 11am.
This follows the King and Queen and other members of the Royal Family attending the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday night, as well as the annual Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph on Sunday morning.
Next Tuesday’s service at the National Memorial Arboretum will also include a reading of a specially commissioned poem by the Arboretum’s Poet in Residence, Arji Manuelpillai. The poem emphasises the significance of personal connections, experiences and bonds formed through military service – themes that resonate deeply with the Princess.
The service will also showcase performances by Talent in the Ranks and Black Voices. Once the service concludes, Kate will view the newly dedicated names on the Armed Forces Memorial before meeting veterans who attended the service, reports the Mirror.
She will also engage with a group of secondary school pupils from military families, whose parents are currently deployed, acknowledging the often overlooked yet significant contribution of Service families. Additionally, she will have the chance to peruse a special exhibition at the Arboretum, ‘Letters from the Frontline – Words, War and Victory’.
This exhibition, a collaboration with BBC radio stations across the Midlands, offers a poignant insight into the shifting experiences and emotions of Armed Forces Personnel and their families during 1945, in the final months of the Second World War, through a collection of heartfelt letters.
In other news, King Charles III will spearhead the nation’s Remembrance Sunday commemorations by laying a wreath at the Cenotaph in Central London this weekend. The floral tribute he will present is designed to echo the wreaths laid by his grandfather, King George VI, and mother Queen Elizabeth II.
The wreath’s poppies are set against a backdrop of black leaves, as is customary for the Sovereign, and its ribbon is adorned with the King’s racing colours; scarlet, purple and gold.
Queen Camilla’s wreath will be presented on her behalf by her Equerry. Her wreath will feature her inherited racing colours, reminiscent of the wreath of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.
While other members of the Royal Family will be present, there will be one notable absence this year. Princess Anne will instead be attending a Remembrance Service and laying a wreath at the Anzac Memorial in Sydney, Australia, accompanied by her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.