The nation’s observed Armistice Day, with the centre piece being a poignant two-minute silence in tribute to the fallen.
At the Armed Forces Memorial in the National Memorial Arboretum, in Staffordshire, the war dead were honoured, as Kate, Princess of Wales, laid a wreath in remembrance of those who made the ultimate sacrifice. She stood at the ceremony, where the Last Post signalled the start of a national two-minute silence at 11:00 GMT to mark the end of World War One.
Queen Camilla was at Paddington Station in London for the wreath-laying ceremony, having travelled by train. Elsewhere across the country, services commemorated the anniversary of the end of the World War I, with the traditional 11am silence observed to honour all who have died in military conflicts.
At the National Memorial Arboretum, Kate was handed a wreath to lay in the centre of the memorial. Watched by a large crowd, which included veterans and their families, she stepped forward to lay the large ring of poppies before appearing to take a moment of reflection and then returning to her seat.
A specially commissioned poem was red by Arboretum poet in residence, Arji Manuelpillai: "A Sonnet For Us All captures the stories etched into the hundreds of memorials within the National Memorial Arboretum, it invites people to listen, reflect and consider the emotion that was the inspiration for these sculptures," he said.
"These human connections, and the gentle responsibility to carry love forward, are themes that resonate not only with me, but also with HRH The Princess of Wales, for whom the importance of service and compassion lies especially close to the heart." In Edinburgh, members of the public bowed their heads in silence as they gathered despite the rain during an Armistice Day event in the Garden of Remembrance at the Scott Monument in Princes Street Gardens.
In central London, the Western Front Association led commemorations at the Cenotaph, where members paraded to the monument to pay their respects. In St Mary’s Church in Dover, Kent, a cascade of knitted poppies flowed down from the top of the church, covering part of the historic building in a blanket of the scarlet flowers.
At Edinburgh Garden of Remembrance at the Scott Monument within Princes St Gardens, Lord Provost Robert Aldridge joined wreath layers, whilst, after the gun fires at 11am from Edinburgh Castle, the country, there, also fell silent for the two minutes in memory of those who have fallen in conflicts over the years. Elsewhere, the national chaplain of the Royal British Legion Scotland, the Rev Dr Karen Campbell, led a short service and wreath laying in the Garden of Remembrance.
The Military Garrison at Edinburgh Castle also held an Armistice Day Service, as they do each year on November 11, however access to members of the public was limited.
