Remembrance Day Services 1: 2003-2021


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Oh my Lord not everything is significant, it's probably just how the placement turned out. Meghan is the 4th lady of the land in public and the top 3 were on the center balcony. The Queen obviously didn't see the need for the Fist Lay to be placed with her so she wasn't. She was on the second one, where she would have been even if Meghan wasn't. We could take so many things as examples of acceptance and significance, like the Wessexes, not one of the younger couples, accompanying the W-A and Maxima during the state visit, but it's not necessary. I don't think it's necessary here either, because it just leads to more talk about protocol and rifts in the Royal Family
 
Funny how for some Meghan is the new Camilla circa 2005 : waiting impatiently for an hypothetic sign of snub from the Queen.
Well, good luck with that !
 
I know it is all part of the duties of being a royal, but respect to Princess Anne who stood rod still and saluted the march past of veterans for well over an hour following the service at the cenotaph. I seem to recall Edward doing this last year. Prior to this I don’t think there was any tv coverage of this , so many of us were unaware of the royal involvement following the service of remembrance.
 
https://ibb.co/miwBAA

The Queen and Camilla in almost matching coloured outfits.
The Kents and Gloucesters attended as well, again we see the Queen, Charles and Cams and Wills and Kate up front, definitely seems more of a focus on the direct heirs atm IMO.
 
It’s was very significant that Meghan hosted the the First Lady of Germany on the balcony for the service.


Well, perhaps she didn´t join the Queen on "balcony number 1" because, as being unmarried to the president, she is somehow an "unofficial" 1st Lady...?!
 
Well, perhaps she didn´t join the Queen on "balcony number 1" because, as being unmarried to the president, she is somehow an "unofficial" 1st Lady...?!


They are married. She only keept her maiden name.
 
Well, perhaps she didn´t join the Queen on "balcony number 1" because, as being unmarried to the president, she is somehow an "unofficial" 1st Lady...?!

You are most likely thinking about the previous president's partner. They were indeed not married as the former president was/is still married to someone else.
 
Prince Michael was there alone again with his brother the Duke of Kent.
 
The President and his wife are married. Personally I feel that for what ever reason they wanted to emphasise the Queen and two future Queen pictures we saw.
 
Well, perhaps she didn´t join the Queen on "balcony number 1" because, as being unmarried to the president, she is somehow an "unofficial" 1st Lady...?!

The German President and his wife are married over 20 years -

IMO it is a very important/diplomatic assignment for Meghan to join the visiting foreign President's wife at the balcony.
 
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The German President and his wife are married over 20 years -

IMO it is a very important/diplomatic assignment for Meghan to join the visiting foreign President's wife at the balcony.

Especially considering they’ve put 3 people on that balcony before and choose not to today.

On a different note, did the BRF really not send anyone to France today?
 
Especially considering they’ve put 3 people on that balcony before and choose not to today.

There wasn't a need to. The Duchess of Gloucester, Princess Alexandra and Princess Michael were not there so Sir Tim would have been alone on the third balcony if Sophie wasn't with him.
 
Especially considering they’ve put 3 people on that balcony before and choose not to today.

On a different note, did the BRF really not send anyone to France today?

They have actually placed four people on a balcony before. Recall Maxima joining Tim, Sophie and Kate in 2015. So yes, I agree it was significant that Meghan, alone, accompanied a foreign president's wife.

http://www2.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Queen+Maxima+UK+Observes+Remembrance+Sunday+kIoVi1AjZ9_l.jpg
 
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On a different note, did the BRF really not send anyone to France today?


Thanks to Cepe on Twitter:

Re Commemorations in Paris, apparently UK was represented by The Chancellor to the Duchy of Lancaster, RH David Lidington MP

This was too big a commemoration to send a member of the RF I feel.
 
I'm in agreement. The BRF's first and foremost attention this year was centered in Britain where it should be. Home is where the heart is. ?
 
Thanks to Cepe on Twitter:

Re Commemorations in Paris, apparently UK was represented by The Chancellor to the Duchy of Lancaster, RH David Lidington MP

This was too big a commemoration to send a member of the RF I feel.

Ah, I see. Makes sense.
 
Camilla's cornflower blueish purple sits well next to The Queen's brighter stand out hue.
Catherine and the Prime Minister similarly match.
I love the dark warm colours with the poppy red.

It's a tribute to the fallen and the veterans to mark the occasion in the Abbey.
Liturgy and words of learned and soulful people always seem heightened in a church or a garden.
 
I'm in agreement. The BRF's first and foremost attention this year was centered in Britain where it should be. Home is where the heart is. ?

If that's how they feel in Britain, that's obviously fine with me.
But to be honest - especially if you have the luxory of a royal family who can literally split itsself - I don't really get why you can't send at least one RF member abroad. Meeting former allies and opponents at this day sends out the greatest messages IMO.
I and many others were for example especially moved by the meeting of Macron and Merkel (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/10/macron-merkel-trump-armistice-compiegne), which IMO could only be that symbolic because they remembered the date together and not seperately.
 
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If that's how they feel in Britain, that's obviously fine with me.
But to be honest - especially if you have the luxory of a royal family who can literally split itsself - I don't really get why you can't send at least one RF member abroad. Meeting former allies and opponents at this day sends out the greatest messages IMO.
I and many others were for example especially moved by the meeting of Macron and Merkel (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/10/macron-merkel-trump-armistice-compiegne), which IMO could only be that symbolic because they remembered the date together and not seperately.

I think they might have done that if the German president didn't come to London. However, given the situation, I think it's best to keep all the coverage at home.
 
The Queen had the President of Germany with her - so even higher level than Macron and Merkel as Britain had Germany's Head of State while France had to settle for the Head of Government.

I do wonder how they will top this when they actually reach the 100th anniversary of the end of the war next June.

For those who don't know - the German Home Front basically collapsed. The army was in retreated true but the home front was where the decisions were made to end the war. Britain continued the blockade which was starving Germany until the Peace Treaty - estimates are another million Germans at least died in the months from the armistice to the end of the war due to the blockade. The blockade was there to ensure that the German army weren't able to restock and start fighting again - which they serious discussed when handed the terms of the peace treaty.

The war officially ended on the 28th June, 1919 at the Hall of Mirrors when Germany signed the Treaty of Versailles which set up the situations that lead to WWII (Marshal Foch - the Allied commander in France in WWI took one look at the redrawn map of Europe - put his finger on the 'free' city of Danzig (now Gdansk in Poland) and said 'there is the cause of the next war'. He made that comment in June 1919.

The armistice ended the fighting on the western front but did not end the war.
 
Camilla's cornflower blueish purple sits well next to The Queen's brighter stand out hue.

Catherine and the Prime Minister similarly match.

I love the dark warm colours with the poppy red.



It's a tribute to the fallen and the veterans to mark the occasion in the Abbey.

Liturgy and words of learned and soulful people always seem heightened in a church or a garden.



That it is & speaking of gardens, does anyone know what, other than the Poppy, the other flowers in the border around the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior were tonight? I remember the Vigil Camilla attended to mark the 100th Anniversary of the start of the War, there was a similar looking one at that night's Service. IIRC, there were Poppies, the four floral emblems of the UK & the floral emblems of the Commonwealth Countries. I thought that was such a lovely way to include/honour those who fell for then King & Empire & it's wonderful to see it looks to have been repeated for tonight's Service as well.

I'd like to say Thank You to one & all for sharing clips & links from today & the various Ceremonies. Very much appreciated by this Canadian.

I'd also like to say Thank You to our Aussie & Kiwi Members who, like myself, had Relatives who served in WWI. Tonight a brand new 2 part Documentary called 100 Days To Victory was shown on our History channel. I never knew until tonight just how closely The Canadian Corps & The ANZACS worked & fought together during those final weeks. It was very illuminating to learn about.

So from one Great Niece & Cousin of Canadian WWI Soldiers to our Australian & New Zealand Descendants of ANZAC WWI Soldiers...

Thank You.
 
The first world war has in our parts always been considered to last from 1914-1918 (ending on 11th of november, the last day of fighting) and all remembrances etc have always been with regards to 1918.
You are right about the there were various peace treaties after that, but i don't think there will be events held like this one on sunday...
 
Well, perhaps she didn´t join the Queen on "balcony number 1" because, as being unmarried to the president, she is somehow an "unofficial" 1st Lady...?!


That was the last but this president who was still married to his wife but brought his misstress out as First Lady (I am still thinking this is soo not "bon ton" - Elke Büdenbender and Frank Walter Steinmeier are married since 1995 she just decided to keep her maiden name.
 
You are most likely thinking about the previous president's partner. They were indeed not married as the former president was/is still married to someone else.


I thought this President is also not married to this specific lady, the Daily Mail said she´s his partner - perhaps she is not "Mrs. Steinmeier". But, oh well, the "Fail".....


By my misinformation you can see how much the average german knows about the private lives of his/ her President or Chancellor: virtually nothing...!


Still I think if a foreign Queen would have accompagnied her monarch husband, she would have stood side by side with the brit. Queen instead the neighbouring balcony!
 
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So Edward went to Wales, Andrew went to Belfast and Anne went to Glasgow yesterday afternoon. It's wonderful to see that they chose to send a representative to all the remembrance services in the corners of the UK.
 
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