Royal Naval Association members marked Remembrance Sunday across the nation, joining veterans and serving personnel from all three Services and civilian organisations to pay their respects to those who fought and died in conflicts over the past century and more.
Watched by King Charles, who was attending the national Service of Remembrance in Whitehall, London, as monarch for the first time, Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin laid a wreath in tribute to British and Commonwealth personnel who gave their lives in war.
RNA National Chairman Keith Ridley also laid a wreath at the Cenotaph on behalf of the Association.
Many RNA shipmates joined the 9,000-strong parade of veterans and civilians down Whitehall that followed the service.
Spotted amongst them were the distinctive blue, green and white scarves of Falklands veterans, who are this year commemorating the 40th anniversary of the conflict in the South Atlantic.
And a special Remembrance service – admittedly on a smaller scale but no less significant – was also held 7,000 miles away in Stanley, the capital city of the Falklands, at which serving Naval personnel joined Army and RAF personnel, as well as Falkland Islanders.
Defence Minister Andrew Murrison joined the Governor of the Falkland Islands, Alison Blake, and Commander of British Forces in the South Atlantic, Cdre Jonathan Lett, to lay a wreath in honour of all those who had lost their lives in the conflict and other conflicts around the world.
Mr Murrison said: "Remembrance Sunday is a time to reflect and pay tribute to all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in our time of need.
"In this 40th anniversary year, it is particularly poignant that I am able to attend events in Stanley with veterans and bereaved families of the Falkland Islands conflict.
"Today we pause to remember all those who came before us, but especially the 255 British service personnel and three civilians that lost their lives in the 1982 conflict."
Over 100 veterans and bereaved families of the 1982 conflict returned to the islands for Remembrance Sunday as part of an MOD-funded flight to commemorate the 40th anniversary.
Cdre Lett said: "It has been a privilege to host veterans and bereaved families in this 40th year.
"Most of our Service personnel based here were not born in 1982, so it brings history to life and proudly shows off the legacy of the hard-fought freedoms that the local population now enjoy."
Thousands of shipmates from RNA branches the length and breadth of the country, and across the globe, also held or took part in Remembrance services over the weekend, including World War 2 veterans, who are now in their 90s.
Image from the Cenotaph, Whitehall, UK MOD © Crown copyright 2022
