The Princess of Wales was among the royal family members who attended the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph in central London. In previous years, Kate has noticeably worn three poppies as part of her sombre outfit, as a sign of respect to those who died during the First World War and other conflicts. But at this weekend's event, the Princess appeared to break with tradition as she chose to wear a singular poppy on her black coat. In contrast, standing next to her, Queen Camilla wore three poppies on her coat.
Wearing a trio of poppies is usually Kate's preference - but what's the significance behind it? One theory is that the royals wear multiple brooches in honour of family members who have fought and died in wars. Kate's great-grandmother had three brothers who were killed in action during the First World War; the Princess viewed letters from her ancestors during a poignant visit to the Imperial War Museum back in 2018. However, the reason for Kate wearing multiple poppies has never been confirmed by the palace.
Another theory is simply because a corsage of poppies is much more visible than one, which may be why Camilla chose to do so this year. Kate and Camilla aren't the only ones to wear multiple poppies; the late Queen Elizabeth II would often display five poppies when she stepped out for the special service. While Buckingham Palace never confirmed the reason for the late monarch's preference, it is thought that Her Late Majesty's five poppies represented each service in the war: the Army, the Navy, the RAF, the Civil Defence and women.
Apart from poppies, the royals also pay tribute to their ancestors with their choice of jewellery. In 2019, for the Remembrance Sunday service, the Princess of Wales opted to wear a particularly special brooch. Kate chose to don The Codebreakers Brooch in honour of her grandmother Valerie Glassborow, Valerie's twin sister Mary and her great-aunt, who all served as codebreakers at Bletchley Park during the Second World War.
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© Chris Jackson
© Chris JacksonRemembrance Sunday 2025
Remembrance Sunday is always steeped in tradition and poignant significance. The King led the two-minute silence at the Cenotaph in Whitehall at 11am, after which he laid a wreath at the war memorial. The design of his wreath paid tribute to the wreath of his grandfather, King George VI, and his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. The wreath's poppies were mounted on an arrangement of black leaves, as is traditional for the sovereign, and its ribbon bore the King's racing colours; scarlet, purple and gold. The royal racing colours were also incorporated into the wreaths of King George V, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II.
© Getty ImagesMeanwhile, Queen Camilla's equerry, Major Ollie Plunket, The Rifles, laid a wreath on her behalf as she watched the service from the balcony of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Again the wreath bore Her Majesty's racing colours, inherited from her grandfather, and echoed the wreath of The Queen Mother. Prince William's wreath, meanwhile, was the one previously laid by The King as the former Prince of Wales, featuring The Prince of Wales feathers. The wreath now bears a ribbon in Welsh red. Senior politicians who also laid wreaths to honour the fallen included Sir Keir Starmer, Kemi Badenoch and Sir Ed Davey.
© GettyPrincess Kate, Queen Camilla, the Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duke of Kent, and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester all watched the event from the balconies of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The royals appeared sombre and emotional, with Sophie seen wiping away a tear at one point. Some 10,000 armed forces veterans took part in the annual Royal British Legion’s march-past, including D-Day veterans who were among the 20 Second World War veterans marking 80 years since the conflict ended in 1945. Others who participated in the march-past included bereaved children and military cadets.
© GettyHELLO!’s Online Royal Correspondent, Danielle Stacey, attended the service at the Cenotaph in London, and said: "The ceremony is always incredibly moving and it was particularly touching how the crowd applauded members of the armed forces and veterans as they lined up before the March past. You could hear a pin drop as the King, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh placed their wreaths at the foot of the monument. Meanwhile, the Queen, the Princess of Wales, the Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duke of Kent and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester watched the service from the FCDO building, with Camilla and Catherine seen deep in conversation at one point and exchanging smiles. There was a warm atmosphere among the crowd, many of whom sported poppies, while others proudly displayed their military medals. And during another touching moment, His Majesty was also applauded after God Save The King was sung."
Where was Princess Anne?
One member of the royal family who was notably missing was Princess Anne, as well as her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence. The couple, who are in Australia narking the Centenary of the Royal Australian Corps of Signals, in Anne's role as Colonel-in-Chief, laid a wreath at the Anzac Memorial in Sydney.
