This weekend, King Charles led the annual Remembrance Sunday service for the first time as monarch. For any who don’t know, it’s the British day that honors those who gave their lives in service to their the country. As such, it’s always a truly sad, yet memorable occasion.
For the Royal Family, this Sunday was significant for another reason, as it marked the first remembrance service without Queen Elizabeth. Charles was a key figure at the event, though it was pictures of Queen Consort Camilla and Kate Middleton that became perhaps the biggest talking point.Queen Elizabeth’s legacy will forever live on within the British monarchy. She reigned for over 70 years, though now it’s her son, King Charles, who sits the throne.
It should go without saying that Charles has been waiting to become King for a very long time – indeed, the evidence points toward the idea that he’s more than ready to fill his mother’s shoes, however big they might be.
King Charles and Camilla, Queen Consort, have taken over the many duties Queen Elizabeth had. But, while they already have been performing royal duties for decades, now things will be different since they stand in a whole other spotlight entirely. This weekend just past, the couple fronted the yearly Remembrance Sunday service for the first time.
Charles led the service at the Cenotaph in central London, where people gathered to remember the brave sacrifice made by so many in defense of their country in the wars of the past.
The emotional Remembrance Sunday service was Charles’s first as monarch. At 11 a.m., the chimes of Big Ben rang, followed by the firing of guns by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery from the nearby Horse Guards Parade. A two-minute silence followed – pictures from the event show King Charles appearing to hold back tears.
King Charles’ wreath design was said to be a tribute to Queen Elizabeth and his grandfather, George VI, featuring his racing colors. Moreover, Prince William also placed a wreath, one which incidentally looked to be the same as the one Charles used to lay down when he was the Prince of Wales – a title he held for more than six decades before ascending the throne.
Besides King Charles and William, several other members of the Royal Family attended the yearly Remembrance Day service.
Camilla, the Queen Consort, and Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, were seen at the balcony of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office building nearby to watch the proceedings.
But things were, as mentioned, not the same as in years past. Anyone who’s watched the Remembrance Sunday parades in recent times will know that there are usually three people standing on the balcony. This weekend there were only two; Queen Elizabeth’s spot was empty.
Yet Camilla and Kate seemed to honor the late Queen’s legacy by leaving a space between them.
The two royals wore black coats and hats and had three poppies, each pinned to their coats. The real reason why the royals wear more than one poppy has never been confirmed but Buckingham Palace. One theory is that it symbolizes their family members who fought and fell in the war.
Queen Elizabeth used to wear five poppies to the Remembrance Sunday service – this was believed to be in tribute to the five branches of armed services, including the Army, the Royal Navy, and the Royal Air Force.
Yet even as Camilla and Kate stood on the balcony, new worrying reports about the pressure now placed on the shoulders of the former also surfaced. At least that’s according to body expert Judi James, who claimed Kate made a polite but concerning gesture to the “anxious” Queen Consort.
Speaking to the Mirror, James said that it was clear that the Remembrance Day service was a ‘nerve-wracking’ occasion for Camilla,
It was her first time attending the service as Queen Consort. Luckily, Kate was there to provide her with a sense of calm.
“Watching from the balcony Camilla combined signals of regal duty with some rituals of anxiety. Standing beside Kate, she performed a subtle smile of acknowledgment as her wreath was laid, and as she turned to Kate on their way from the balcony she threw a rather fond smile as Kate spoke to her,” James said.
Read more