Princess marks royal debut at Service of Remembrance

The Princess of Wales spearheaded the nation’s solemn observance of Armistice Day yesterday, leading a poignant two-minute silence in tribute to the fallen.

- LAURA ELSTON

Standing in quiet contemplation alongside veterans at the Armed Forces Memorial in the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, Kate honoured the war dead before laying a wreath in remembrance of those who died.

This marked the first occasion the future Queen had attended the Arboretum’s Armistice Day service and personally laid a wreath.

She wore a military-inspired black coat, a wide-brimmed hat adorned with a bow, and two poppies.

Across the country, services commemorated the anniversary of the end of the First World War, with the traditional 11am silence observed to honour all who have died in military conflicts.

Meanwhile, Queen Camilla participated in Great Western Railway’s “Poppies to Paddington” initiative, joining commuters on a train journey from Chippenham to London Paddington station.

The 9.28am service from Wiltshire was part of the scheme in which wreaths are transported on early-morning trains to Paddington station for a dedicated service.