Breaking News: Kate Middleton break down in tears Amid heartfelt moment as she reaches milestone
Princess Kate showed off spirits and dignity as she paid a special tribute to fallen heroes on Remembrance Day, November 11.
The Princess of Wales led the nation for the first time at annual service held at the Armed Forces Memorial, joining veterans, serving personnel and families in observing the two-minute silence.
The future queen also laid a wreath in honour of those who have lost their lives in service to the country.
Kensington Palace released the photos of Princess Catherine, showing her fighting back tears at the emotional ceremony.
The Palace wrote: ‘Joining veterans, families, and serving members of the Armed Forces at the National Memorial Arboretum to mark Armistice Day.’
The statement continued: ‘Today, on the eleventh day of the eleventh month, we commemorate not only the armistice signed at the end of World War I, but remember those who have bravely given so much in conflicts around the world.
The service at the Arboretum is recognised as the focal point of national remembrance on Armistice Day, bringing together those who have served, those currently serving and the families who support them. It was written by Arji Manuelpillai, Poet in Residence at the National Memorial Arboretum.
The poem read as follows: ‘When you speak of our country, do not speak of war. Speak of the nurse who held a hand like her own father’s.
‘A lieutenant who embraced a soldier like his own brother. Remember, sometimes those who go into burning buildings.
‘If you speak of this country, speak of the widow who never stopped waiting, the sailor who kissed a photo till it turned to ash in his hands, or the pilots who meet in the pub to talk of anything but war.
‘You see love is a compass, love is a bugle mourning. Love is sacrificing tomorrow so that a stranger can live today.
‘So when you speak of this country, do not think of it as a place. Think of it as a feeling, the feeling of being loved, the duty to pass that love to whoever needs it.
Kate also visited the Memorial Wall to meet Squadron Leader Beth Long and her two daughters, acknowledging the ongoing impact of loss on service families and the continued role remembrance plays in their lives.
Armistice Day and the wider period of remembrance each November remain central to national life, providing a moment for reflection and collective memory.
