MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Queen leads UK on Remembrance Day on a scaled down service at the Cenotaph due to the pandemic

At the heart of the ceremony, as ever, was the Cenotaph, unveiled a century ago by George V, overlooked on Sunday by the Queen on a Foreign Office balcony.

Queen Elizabeth led the United Kingdom in marking Remembrance Sunday, as people around the UK privately paid their respects at home due to the coronavirus pandemic. She was joined by family members and the PM at the scaled-back service at the Cenotaph in London's Whitehall.

Social distancing measures were in place and the service was closed off to the public for the first time.

Following a two-minute silence, wreaths were laid by Prince Charles, Prince William and the PM, among others.

The commemorations remember the armed forces community, British and Commonwealth veterans, the allies who fought alongside the UK and the civilian servicemen and women involved in the two world wars and later conflicts.

Normally, Whitehall is packed with thousands of veterans and members of the military for the commemorations, but on Sunday less than 30 veterans were in attendance.

The Queen, dressed in a black hat and coat, looked on from a balcony at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office building, as her son, the Prince of Wales, laid a wreath on her behalf.

Others who took part in the wreath laying included the Duke of Cambridge, the Princess Royal and Earl of Wessex, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer.

Also present at the service were former UK prime ministers Theresa May, David Cameron, Tony Blair and Sir John Major.

Usually, about 10,000 people gather at the Cenotaph in Whitehall for the service. But with the event being closed to the public, the Royal British Legion and Legion Scotland advised people to observe the silence in honor of those who lost their lives in conflicts from their doorsteps.

The public was also encouraged to share family histories and messages of remembrance online using the hashtag #WeWillRememberThem.

Other Remembrance Sunday ceremonies took place across the UK and around the world, including in countries where the armed forces are currently deployed, such as Afghanistan, Cyprus and Somalia. Over the past year UK troops have been deployed on 35 operations in 30 countries around the world.