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The Queen and Royal Family members set to attend Festival of Remembrance

The Queen, Duke of Edinburgh and other Royal Family members will attend the Festival of Remembrance.

The Queen, Duke of Edinburgh and other Royal Family members will attend the Festival of Remembrance.

This past week has seen senior members of the royal family showing their support of the poppy appeal. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh will also join in the remembrance and paying of respect to Britain’s war dead.

Her Majesty and Prince Philip will be in attendance at the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance this evening at the Royal Albert Hall. The Earl and Countess of Wessex will be joining them as well as other members of the Royal Family.

Prior to the festival, a brief ceremony renaming the South Steps of the Royal Albert Hall as the “Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Steps” will take place.

The festival also pays tribute to the 70th anniversary of the Dambuster raids and the Battle of the Atlantic.

The raids took place during World War II when the Royal Air Force’s Bomber Command began to attack German dams in the Ruhr. The Battle of the Atlantic was the most extensive and endless military campaign in World War II lasting from 1940 until 1943.

Wreaths Are Laid at the Cenotaph, London During Remembrance Sunday Service.

Wreaths are laid at the Cenotaph, London during Remembrance Sunday Service.

Remembrance services will be conducted on Sunday throughout the country. As always, Her Majesty, members of the Royal Family, military and government members will participate in the wreath laying ceremony at The Cenotaph.

The first such ceremony was held on 11 November 1919, following a suggestion by King George V for a two-minute silence across the United Kingdom and a ceremony to take place in London, to commemorate those who had fallen in The Great War (now known as World War I).

A two minute silence to honour Armistice Day will take place on Monday at 11:00 GMT.

The festival is expected to have an estimated “television audience of 5.2m,” reports the BBC and will highlight “performances by singer James Blunt, Katie Melua, the tenor Alfie Boe and new group, the Poppy Girls.”

The Poppy Girls are a girl group comprising of singers that were chosen from a talent search amongst forces families. The group is performing their Poppy Appeal fundraising song, The Call (No Need to Say Goodbye).

During the performance, real-life stories from veterans and active service members will be highlighted.

“The festival will provide a moving and engaging show here in London and for viewers across the country, but more importantly it helps us to reach out to wider audiences and offer the public an opportunity to pay their respects, and remember those who, in past and present conflicts, have made sacrifices in the course of duty,” Chris Simpkins, The Royal British Legion’s Director General, told the BBC.

Prior to the events held this weekend, Prince Philip and Prince Harry attended the Field of Remembrance ceremony, paying respect to those who paid the ultimate price of war as well as meeting families of the fallen and veterans.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge surprised commuters at the High Street Kensington station to help spread the word for the Poppy Appeal Campaign.

Last month, The Duchess of Cornwall became patron of the Poppy factory.

The Festival of Remembrance is being broadcast by BBC1 on Saturday 9.15pm – 10.50pm and on BBC Radio 2 on Saturday 8pm – 9pm according to the Royal British Legion Website.

photo credits: Defence Images via photopin cc