Charles and Camilla lead royals at London's Festival of Remembrance

Royals at the Royal Albert Hall

On Saturday evening, 7 November, King Charles III and Queen Camilla led senior royals to the Royal Albert Hall for the Festival of Remembrance, the annual event organised by the Royal British Legion. The audience rose as the couple entered to a fanfare of trumpets and took their seats in the royal box. The Prince and Princess of Wales joined them, alongside the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Princess Royal with Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. Prime Minister Andy Burnham and his wife Marie-France van Heel attended, as did Defence Secretary Wes Streeting. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are understood to be marking remembrance privately this year. Catherine wore an Alessandra Rich dress, an Irish Guards regimental brooch and earrings that belonged to the late Queen Elizabeth II, along with a handmade poppy.

Remembering the conflicts

The festival marks 35 years since the First Gulf War ended and 15 years since British military operations in Iraq under Operation Telic concluded. Operation Telic ran from 2003 to 2011, and 179 British service personnel died during those years. The evening also recalled 59 British personnel killed in operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina and 47 lost in the Gulf War. Veterans shared their own stories, and letters sent from the front to families were read aloud. Under the theme 'Places of Remembrance', the event explored how an everyday spot such as a garden or a football pitch can come to matter to people who have lost someone. Blueys, the blue airmail letters soldiers sent home, also featured.

Operation Telic (Iraq, 2003-2011)179

Bosnia and Herzegovina operations59

Gulf War47

Operation Telic (Iraq, 2003-2011)

179 deaths

Bosnia and Herzegovina operations

59 deaths

Gulf War

47 deaths

Data from the article text

A return for Prince William

Prince William missed the festival last year. He was returning from Brazil, where he had taken part in the Earthshot Prize awards, and People reported that he was flying commercially from Belem when limited transport options stopped him reaching London in time. In his absence, his eldest son, Prince George, accompanied Catherine, which was thought to be his first time at the event. William rejoined the royal family the following day at the Cenotaph in London for Remembrance Sunday. This year's joint attendance by the couple marks a return to the usual format for the Prince and Princess of Wales at the festival.

Sunday's ceremonies

On Sunday, 8 November, the King will lead the country in a two-minute silence for service members killed in the two world wars and later conflicts. He will be joined by senior royals and political leaders at the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in central London, where wreaths will be laid. The Legion's march past will include roughly 10,000 veterans, drawn from more than 300 armed forces and civilian organisations. Remembrance Sunday falls on the Sunday nearest to 11 November, Armistice Day, which marks the end of the First World War in 1918. Events are planned across the country for the weekend. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said:

“Remembrance Sunday gives us an opportunity, not only to mark that sacrifice and offer our gratitude, but also to reflect on its significance.”