King Charles and Queen Camilla honour the fallen

King Charles and Queen Camilla were joined by the royal family in attending the annual Festival of Remembrance on Saturday evening. 

Today, the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth will come together in London to honour those who gave the ultimate sacrifice and all who still live with the consequences of conflict. On the Saturday before Remembrance Sunday, members of the royal family attended the annual Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall.

An evening of music, military displays, and commemoration organised by the Royal British Legion, the event is one of the most significant items in the royal calendar.

King Charles and Queen Camilla were joined in the Royal Box by the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Princess Royal and Sir Timothy Laurence, and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.

Picture by Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace

In a year marking significant anniversaries of operations in Bosnia, the end of the Gulf War and the Iraq War, this year’s Festival of Remembrance reflected on the experiences of those whose lives have been shaped by conflict. Personal stories brought to light the memories of those who served through their letters, known as ‘Blueys’ — the distinctive light-blue airmail letters sent home to loved ones.

The red flower, which many people wear on their lapels during the period of remembrance, is called a poppy. The poppy became the international symbol of remembrance because the red bloom was one of the few living plants to survive the blood-soaked battlefields of the Western Front during World War I.

The Poppy Factory has made Remembrance wreaths for the Royal Family for over a century and supports more than 1,200 veterans each year on their path to employment. The Poppy Factory’s employment support began at its factory in Richmond upon Thames, where members of the production team have been making Remembrance wreaths since 1922.