Royal family honours fallen service members at the Festival of Remembrance

King Charles III, Queen Camilla, the Prince of Wales and Catherine attended the annual Festival of Remembrance at London's Royal Albert Hall on the eve of Remembrance Sunday. This year marks 35 years since the end of the First Gulf War and 15 years since the completion of the British Operation Telic in Iraq.

Aziz KarimovFirst published on tafs uz 8 November 2026 at 06:292 min read

The key facts

The royal family and Prime Minister Andy Burnham attended the concert at the Royal Albert Hall
This year marks the 35th anniversary of the end of the First Gulf War and the 15th anniversary of the completion of Operation Telic
On Sunday, around 10,000 veterans will take part in the march at the Cenotaph

Concert on the eve of Remembrance Sunday

King Charles III led senior members of the royal family at the annual Festival of Remembrance at London's Royal Albert Hall, held on the eve of Remembrance Sunday. Alongside the King and Queen Camilla, the event was attended by the Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales, as well as bereaved families and serving military personnel. The audience rose to their feet as the royal family entered the hall to fanfares, BBC News reports.

Anniversary dates and the evening's programme

The Royal British Legion festival was broadcast on BBC One at 21:00, hosted by Clive Myrie, with performances from musicians including Alfie Boe and Mica Paris. Among the guests were Chelsea Pensioners — retired veterans of the British Army — and several military bands performed on stage, including the band of the Royal Air Force Regiment. This year's festival marks the 35th anniversary of the end of the First Gulf War and 15 years since the completion of the British military operation in Iraq as part of Operation Telic; veterans shared personal stories about those conflicts.

What lies ahead on Sunday

On Sunday, the King will lead the nationwide two-minute silence in memory of those killed in the two world wars and other conflicts. He will join senior members of the royal family and political leaders in laying wreaths at the annual National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in central London. Around 10,000 veterans, representing more than 300 different military and civilian organisations, will take part in the Royal British Legion march-past. Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Defence Secretary Wes Streeting also attended the festival; in his statement, the Prime Minister thanked those who have served and continue to serve in the armed forces.