Prince Harry led the Nation in commemorating Armistice Day, 11th November, by attending a Service of Remembrance on the Armed Forces Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.
Prince Harry observed the minute’s silence, lay a wreath, and give a reading during the service, before inspecting the names on the memorial. After the service, His Royal Highness will join representatives from the three services for a parade and march-past of several hundred current serving personnel and Armed Forces veterans where Prince Harry will take the salute.
The Arboretum, which is part of The Royal British Legion, is home to over 150 acres of trees and over 330 memorials devoted to the theme of Remembrance.
The memorial, which has recently undergone significant improvement works, is designed so that on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, when a two-minute Silence is called in Remembrance of the cessation of First World War hostilities, a shaft of sunlight dissects its inner and outer walls, hitting the central bronze wreath sculpture.
The Armed Forces Memorial is the Nation’s tribute to the 16,000 service men and women who have died on duty, or as a result of terrorism, since 1948. It is an icon for contemporary Remembrance and its towering Portland Stone walls have been added to annually since it was opened in 2007. The memorial includes the names of the nine men and one woman who died in 2015.
