King and Queen attend Festival of Remembrance with Prince and Princess of Wales

King Charles and Queen Camilla attended the Royal British Legion’s Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall with the Prince and Princess of Wales and other members of the Royal Family. The annual event’s programme recalled those who served in operations in Bosnia, the Gulf War and the Iraq War.

The Princess Royal and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, were also in the royal box. Prince George, who attended the festival with his mother last year, was absent this time.

This year’s theme was “Places of Remembrance”, exploring the personal meaning attached to places associated with people who have died. The programme included personal stories and memories conveyed through “Blueys”, the light-blue airmail letters sent to loved ones.

The festival was held ahead of the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in London. Charles, patron of the Royal British Legion, was due to lead a two-minute silence there. The planned service was also to include wreath-laying by Charles and Prince William, alongside Princess Anne and Prince Edward.

Camilla, Catherine, the Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent were expected to watch the Cenotaph proceedings from the balcony of the Foreign Office.

The planned wreaths were described as carrying individual details. The King’s was to be a poppy wreath mounted on black leaves, with his racing colours of scarlet, purple and gold. Camilla’s wreath, to be laid by her equerry, was due to bear racing colours inherited from her father. William’s was to feature the Prince of Wales feather and a ribbon in Welsh red.

Earlier in the week, the Duchess of Gloucester opened the 98th Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey on the Queen’s behalf. She planted a cross before the Last Post was sounded, then met service personnel and their families.

At the Royal Albert Hall, Charles and William wore navy suits, the King’s pinstriped and his son’s plain. Camilla and the Princess of Wales were among those dressed in black. Those attending wore remembrance poppies on their lapels.

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