Nation falls silent for Armistice Day as royalty and commons speaker lay wreaths

A two-minute silence to remember the fallen on Armistice Day was led by Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle and Lord Speaker Lord Forsyth of Drumlean, who laid commemorative wreaths.

Held at the Angel Memorial in Westminster Hall, inside the Houses of Parliament, the pair paid tribute to the war dead alongside Massachusetts senate president Karen Spilka, who read a poem.

Mr Speaker then made his way to the Lower Waiting Hall of the House of Commons for a Turning the Page ceremony remembering Alan Scott Balfour, who died in 1918.

Poignant services took place across the nation on the anniversary of the end of the First World War, with the silence observed at 11am to remember those who have died in military conflicts.

Defence secretary Wes Streeting attended the Western Front Association’s annual ceremony at the Cenotaph in central London and marked the 110th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme.

He was joined by UK government and senior international military representatives, schoolchildren and cadets.

An Armistice Day service was also held at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire.

Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester and Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester laid a wreath during Armistice Day commemorations. The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester last attended the Armistice Day event in 2022.

Last year, the Princess of Wales attended the service and joined veterans in honouring the war dead, before laying a wreath in memory of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.