Prince George joins Kate, King and Queen at Festival of Remembrance
Prince George joined King Charles III, Queen Camilla and Catherine, Princess of Wales, at this year’s Festival of Remembrance in London’s Royal Albert Hall.
The audience stood and a fanfare played as the royals entered the concert hall to commemorate those who lost their lives in service, on the eve of Remembrance Sunday.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer andhis wife Victoria also attended the annual event, which this year marked the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two.
It also came 25 years after the end of a decades-long ban on gay people serving in the armed forces, and the event reflected on the discrimination faced by LGBT personnel.
It is believed to be 12-year-old George’s first time attending the annual concert. He sat next to his mother, Catherine, whowore a handmade poppy made of silk, glass and other natural materials.
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Princess Catherine was joined by her eldest son George, 12
The King was also in attendance ahead of Remembrance Sunday, when he will lead the nation in two minutes of silence to remember those who died serving in the two world wars and other conflicts.
He will be joined by other senior royals and political leaders at the annual National Service of Remembrance ceremony at the Cenotaph in central London, where they will lay wreaths.
Some 10,000 armed forces veterans will take part in the Royal British Legion’s march-past, alongside around 20 World War Two veterans.
King Charles and Queen Camilla also watched on from the royal box
At the Festival of Remembrance, the Royal Family stood and applauded as the Chelsea Pensioners – retired British Army veterans – entered the auditorium and marched across the stage, while an orchestra performed the Boys Of The Old Brigade.
The Prince of Wales was not present as he was travelling back from Brazil, where he gave a speech to world leaders gathering for the COP30 UN climate change summit and visited a remote island.
The event – which was broadcast on BBC One at 21:00 – was hosted by actress Hannah Waddingham and featured performances by musicians including Sir Rod Stewart and Sam Ryder.
Waddingham shared her thanks to those who had served, including her grandfather Harry, “who at 109 still shares with me memories of his time in the Royal Navy”.
Several armed forces bands also took to the stage to accompany the artists and perform military music, including the RAF Squadronaires.
The prime minister and his wife Lady Victoria were among those at the concert
Veterans in attendance included some who had helped to plan D-Day – when Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy, marking the start of the campaign to liberate north-west Europe during World War Two – and some who had been prisoners of war.
Members of the LGBTQ+ veterans charity Fighting With Pride were also present, including former PO Alex Rasmussen from Bournemouth, who was made to leave the Royal Navy in 1996 after colleagues discovered his sexuality.
The King attended his first official engagement in support of the community in October, as he unveiled a memorial to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender military personnel.
Sir Rod Stewart was accompanied by the RAF Squadronaires, the air force’s big band
Events will take place around the country to mark Remembrance Sunday, which is observed on the closest Sunday to Armistice Day on 11 November – when World War One ended in 1918.
The prime minister said the nation would pause “to honour all those who have served our country”.
“We reflect on the extraordinary courage of our armed forces in the world wars and subsequent conflicts, whose service secured the freedoms we cherish today.
“Eighty years since the end of the Second World War, we remember a generation who stood against tyranny and shaped our future. Their legacy is peace and our duty is to protect it.
“Such sacrifice deserves more than silence, which is why this government remains committed to supporting veterans, their families and those who serve.
“Today, we remember, and we renew our promise to uphold the values they fought for.”
