Remembrance Sunday 2015: Queen Leads Silent Tribute To War Dead At Cenotaph

Britain Pays Silent Tribute To War Dead

The nation has paid its silent respect to the country's war dead in a Remembrance Sunday service led by the Queen.

The monarch was at the Cenotaph with the Duke of Edinburgh and members of the leading political parties in central London.

The two-minute silence took place at 11am and wreaths were laid at the foot of the Whitehall memorial, followed by a veterans' march.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn - whose anti-war stance is well known - wore a red poppy after speculation he might not. He was accused by some on Twitter for not bowing, though in reality, he did.

Politicians laid wreaths individually after a Westminster backlash forced a rethink by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), which oversees ceremonial arrangements.

King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands also laid wreath this year, following an invitation from the Queen to mark the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands after the end of the Second World War.

This year marks a number of other significant anniversaries in the UK's military history, including the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

Thousands joined the Queen, a host of senior royals and Prime Minister David Cameron at London's Royal Albert Hall yesterday to honour the war dead and pay tribute to veterans from all conflicts in the annual event.

The Book of Remembrance was delivered to the stage by Corporal Anna Cross, a reservist with the Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps who recently travelled to Sierra Leone to help with the devastating Ebola crisis.

That country's outbreak has now been declared over by the World Health Organisation, but Cpl Cross's story highlighted the varied nature of service to the country.

The mood fell even more sombre when The Last Post rang out in the theatre, and during the minutes of silence poppy petals drifted from the ceiling.

The service concluded with traditional prayers, hymns and blessings before an enthusiastic rendition of God Save the Queen.

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