UK falls silent for Armistice Day as royalty and commons speaker lay wreaths

Clara Margotin Wed, November 11, 2026 at 12:25 PM UTC

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A two-minute silence to remember the fallen on Armistice Day was led by Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle and Lord Speaker Lord Forsyth of Drumlean, who laid commemorative wreaths.

Held at the Angel Memorial in Westminster Hall, inside the Houses of Parliament, the pair paid tribute to the war dead alongside Massachusetts senate president Karen Spilka, who read a poem.

Mr Speaker then made his way to the Lower Waiting Hall of the House of Commons for a Turning the Page ceremony remembering Alan Scott Balfour, who died in 1918.

Poignant services took place across the nation on the anniversary of the end of the First World War, with the silence observed at 11am to remember those who have died in military conflicts.

Defence secretary Wes Streeting attended the Western Front Association’s annual ceremony at the Cenotaph in central London and marked the 110th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme.

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Members of the public during the two-minute silence during the Western Front Association's Armistice Day ceremony at the Cenotaph in Whitehall (PA)

He was joined by UK government and senior international military representatives, schoolchildren and cadets.

An Armistice Day service was also held at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire.

Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester and Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester laid a wreath during Armistice Day commemorations. The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester last attended the Armistice Day event in 2022.

People pay their respects during the Armistice Day service at the Portsmouth WW1 Memorial in Guildhall Square (PA)

Last year, the Princess of Wales attended the service and joined veterans in honouring the war dead, before laying a wreath in memory of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Wreaths were also laid during a service at the Portsmouth WW1 Memorial in Guildhall Square, Portsmouth, Hampshire.

Meanwhile, many gathered at the Tommy statue, a tribute to the soldiers of the First World War in Dover, Kent.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”