Duchess of Edinburgh is moved to tears during Remembrance Sunday service

Lewis Henderson

By Lewis Henderson


Published: 09/11/2025

- 14:02

Updated: 09/11/2025

- 14:02

Sophie, 60, stood alongside the Duke of Kent on the left balcony

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh was moved to tears during the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph.

The royal stood in attendance alongside the Duke of Kent on the left balcony of the Foreign Office building.


The pair watched on as King Charles led the nation for a two-minute silence in Whitehall, Central London.

Dressed all in black with three poppies, Sophie visibly wiped away a tear as she watched the service unfold.

Duchess of Edinburgh

The Duchess of Edinburgh was moved to tears

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BBC

Her husband, Prince Edward, laid a wreath at the Cenotaph and saluted, after the King and Prince William.

Queen Camilla and Princess Kate watched from the adjacent balcony, alongside the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester in the furthest right balcony.

The Princess of Wales also appeared to wipe away a tear as she watched the service.

Kate briefly lifted her hand to her face during the silence, in a moment captured by photographers as the crowds below stood in stillness.

Duchess of Edinburgh

The Duchess wiped away a tear at the service

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BBC

The mother-of-three wore a Catherine Walker black structured coat with a high lace-detail neckline, paired with a custom-made £1,295 Lock & Co wide-brimmed black hat and pearl drop earrings that belonged to Princess Diana.

A single red poppy was pinned to her left lapel. The Queen also wore black, including a wide-brimmed hat trimmed with fur, and a triple poppy brooch.

Sir Keir Starmer laid a wreath at the Cenotaph during the Service of Remembrance.

The serving Prime Minister was followed by Conservative leader and Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch, as well as Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey.

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh and the Duke of Kent

The Duchess was alongside the Duke of Kent

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GETTY

Senior royal Princess Anne was not in attendance at the Cenotaph, as she joined a Remembrance Sunday service at the Anzac Memorial in Sydney, Australia, paying her respects to fallen servicemen and women.

The King led the commemorations in Whitehall for those who have died in conflict for the country over the years.

King Charles, as Sovereign, serves as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. His relationship with the military began some 54 years ago in March 1971 at RAF Cranwell, where he earned his RAF wings.

Later that year, he entered the Royal Navy, starting a career that mirrored the service of his father, grandfather, and great-grandfathers.

King Charles and Prince WilliamKing Charles leads Prince William and Prince Edward at Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday | REUTERS

Following training at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, Charles served on HMS Norfolk and two frigates, qualifying as a helicopter pilot in 1974 before joining 845 Naval Air Squadron, operating from HMS Hermes.

Today's ceremony gathered veterans, active personnel, political figures, and community representatives from across the UK.

A two-minute silence was observed while wreaths were laid to honour those who have served and sacrificed in past and present conflicts.

The National Service of Remembrance continues to serve as a central moment of national reflection, uniting the country in honour of those who gave their lives.