Remembrance Sunday 2022 - Whitehall Cenotaph

[WildRosie]

There will be a somewhat different lineup of Royals and VIPs at this year's ceremony. Although King Charles has substituted for the Queen in recent years, 2022 will be the first time he has attended as our Monarch. I'm not sure if Princes Andrew and Harry will be there - probably not given their withdrawal from public life. Rishi Sunak will make his debut as Prime Minister with seven former PMs also in attendance; Major, Blair, Brown, Cameron, May, Johnson and Truss. That's quite a lot. I don't remember if the Foreign Secretary attends the ceremony; if so, it will also be a first for James Cleverly.

It usually manages to be dry weather for the occasion. AFAIK it's a secular memorial service and yet it only features one address - from the Bishop of London! Odd.

I'm pretty sure the Foreign Secretary normally attends and lays a wreath.

Will be interesting to see which royals are in attendance.

Gosh the pipes and drums are haunting.

Is anyone else watching?

'Waves at Princess Janet'

I always watch. My late grandfather attended every year until he physically couldn't.

Love the pipes and drums.

waves back

The Beeb are pulling on our heart strings a bit with footage of HMQ.

We had Nimrod at my dad's funeral. Such a lovely piece of music.

I’m listening on R4, very nice

Did get a bit teary; and then they played Flowers of the Forest, which was played at DM's funeral as the coffin disappeared.

I’m watching. I think it’s so important to honour the service of these men and women and thank them.

Liz Truss should have stayed away.

I have been researching for a blog on remembrance, and the Cenotaph was intended to be temporary - but it assumed such an emotional significance for people (after the temporary one was opened for the Peace Parade in 1919 the flowers were stacked 10 feet high) that the architect was asked to replicate it in stone.

Considering she barely qualifies as a PM...if she remains an MP, she'll end up spending more time at November 11 ceremonies than she did in No 10.

They have also gone quiet over her lifelong expenses entitlement. She always was (and still is) an established member of 'the club'.

Although I live very far away from the UK I watch this every year and will do as long as I can.

It's quite a ceremonial feat really.

I really feel for HM - knowing that the cameras are zooming in on him to see his expression, and so soon after the Queen's death.

Yes, he looks very smart though.

Everyone looks very smart. It's very pared back in terms of the Royals nowadays isn't it.

I admire the Duke of Kent, he's so stalwart. Eighty years old and still turning out and supporting the monarch.

Is the Countess of Wessex there?

I reckon Ian Blackford could do with a slightly longer kilt

The whole ceremony is so emotion laden, isn't it. A beautiful tribute to our fallen. I get the impression some young people nowadays don't care about the wars and that horrifies me.

My husband is an Army veteran and his great grandfather was killed in action during WW1. We think about all the people who fought and died for us every single day.

A beautiful tribute to our fallen. I get the impression some young people nowadays don't care about the wars and that horrifies me.

I think it's natural though. When was the last time you commemorated those who fought in to the Napoleonic Wars?
I think that forgetting about the cost of peace has led to things like Brexit though. We've probably seen the end of the longest peace in Europe :(

As always beautifully done, really felt for Charles today-must be so overwhelming.

Disappointing to see Liz Truss there though d hoped she'd have the sense to stay away.

We've probably seen the end of the longest peace in Europe :(

Is the Former Yugoslavia not in Europe then? Nor Cyprus?

And looking beyond Europe, there have only been 2 years when no British personnel have been killed on operations

Fair enough; guess we haven't had it good since the 40s.