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Duchess Kate attended with her eldest son, Prince George, to honor the annual tradition surrounding Memorial Day. Prince William, who had just returned from a trip to Brazil, did not appear to be in attendance.
The 43-year-old Princess of Wales joined King Charles, Queen Camilla and other members of the royal family at the Royal Legion of British Legion’s annual Remembrance Festival on Saturday, November 8, at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
George, 12, was performing at a festival for the first time. In another first, he previously attended a Buckingham Palace tea party hosted by King Charles and Queen Camilla for veterans and people of the World War II generation with his parents on May 5th.
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Saturday’s annual commemoration of fallen British and Commonwealth soldiers has become a staple of the royal calendar. The Princess of Wales made a rare appearance at an event last year despite spending most of 2024 away from public life due to cancer treatment. She announced in January that she was in remission.
In keeping with tradition, Princess Kate and Prince George wore dark ensembles adorned with red poppy pins. The symbol is believed to have originated from John McCrae’s poem “In the Fields of Flanders” and has been used since 1921 to commemorate military personnel killed in war.
Members of the royal family are expected to gather again tomorrow for a national memorial service (also known as Remembrance Sunday) at the Cenotaph in London.
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On Tuesday, November 11, Duchess Kate will visit the National Memorial Arboretum to mark Armistice Day and attend a memorial service. She, along with other visitors, will observe a two-minute silence at 11am and lay a wreath at the Armed Forces Memorial in memory of all those who have served, especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
Meanwhile, other royals, including the king, queen and Prince William, are scheduled to attend a reception celebrating World War II veterans at Windsor Castle on Tuesday.
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The series of Remembrance Day events comes after Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, has spent a busy few weeks away from the public eye. The royal couple cut back on their engagement to spend time with their three children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – during the school half-term holidays, and the family moved to their new home, Forest Lodge in Windsor. The eight-bedroom mansion is said to be the family’s long-term residence, with Prince William planning to stay here even after he ascends to the throne.
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And last week, Prince William took a solo trip to Brazil, and the highlight of his visit was the 5th Earthshot Awards Ceremony. Five winners have been announced as part of the Royal Heirs’ 10-year project to find innovations that help the environment.
The memorial festival was also the royal family’s first large-scale gathering since Prince Andrew, 65, was stripped of his royal titles. Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday, October 30, that King Charles has begun the process of stripping his royal titles and honors, including those of his younger brother, the Prince of Wales. He will henceforth be known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
Andrew also plans to vacate the Royal Lodge in Windsor, where he lived for many years. People understand that he will be relocated to the grounds of Sandringham Private Estate and that his future accommodation will be privately funded by King Charles.
