Queen Elizabeth II led British royals, politicians and veterans in the country's annual Remembrance Day service – decades after the British monarch served in the Second World War.
In a solemn tribute Sunday, the queen; her husband, Prince Philip; and her grandsons, Princes William and Harry, laid wreaths at the foot of central London's Cenotaph war memorial.
The 87-year-old queen is the last surviving head of state who served in uniform during the Second World War and remains the only female member of the royal family to have entered the armed forces.
Her grandsons, Prince William and Prince Harry, have also served in the military.
William served in the military for more than seven years, but announced in September that he was wrapping up his tour of duty as a search-and-rescue helicopter pilot with the Royal Air Force to focus on his royal duties and charity work.
Prince Harry, known as Capt. Wales in the army, has undertaken two tours in Afghanistan. Earlier this year, the 29-year-old completed a 20-week deployment in Afghanistan as a co-pilot gunner on an Apache and has since flown missions in the U.K.
Thousands of veterans and well-wishers attended Sunday’s ceremony and observed a two-minute silence. Services also took place across Britain and in Commonwealth countries.
The ceremony takes place every year on the nearest Sunday to the anniversary of the end of World War I on Nov. 11, 1918. The day now also pays tribute to the dead in all conflicts, including World War II, Iraq and Afghanistan.
With files from CTVNews.ca
