Remembrance Day: Last generation of WWII veterans marks a historic shift

Andy Burnham took part in the national service of remembrance at the Cenotaph in central London on Sunday for the first time. The ceremony marked a demographic milestone as the number of second world war veterans attending dropped to approximately a dozen. This figure is now lower than the number of former prime ministers in attendance, a statistical reversal that may not be repeated in future years.

The oldest veteran present was Jeffrey Brereton, who served in the Royal Air Force. He volunteered in 1940 at age 19 and worked as a mechanic on Hurricane aircraft during the Battle of Britain. By comparison, nine former prime ministers attended the service. The group included John Major, 83, the oldest living former prime minister, Keir Starmer, and Liz Truss.

Spouses of former prime ministers watched from a balcony overlooking Whitehall. Marie-France van Heel, wife of Burnham, stood with Victoria Starmer and Hugh O’Leary, Truss’s husband. Also present were Philip May, husband of Theresa May, Sarah Brown, wife of Gordon Brown, and Akshata Murty, wife of Rishi Sunak. Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, laid a wreath for the first time. His party recently crossed the threshold of six seats required for wreath-laying, reaching eight MPs due to Conservative defections over the last year.

King Charles led the ceremony dressed in a field marshal’s uniform. His son, Prince William, wore the black uniform of a lieutenant colonel of the Household Cavalry. Charles led the two-minute silence, which was interrupted only by the sound of a crying baby. A gun fired to mark the end of the silence, followed by the Last Post played by buglers of the Royal Marines. Minutes before the ceremony began, a soldier in the parade was removed on a stretcher after fainting.

Following the service, approximately 10,000 veterans participated in a march-past. More than 300 armed forces and civilian organizations were represented. Some veterans waved and saluted, while others used wheelchairs. A group of veterans riding mobility scooters received applause as they moved through Whitehall. Ronan Doncaster, age eight, was the youngest participant. He walked in honor of his father, a guardsman with the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards who died in April 2024.

Parallel services took place across the United Kingdom and Ireland. In Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, Irish taoiseach Micheál Martin and Northern Ireland secretary Chris Bryant attended a memorial. The site was targeted by an IRA bomb in 1987 that killed 11 people, with a 12th victim dying years later in a coma. In Scotland, first minister John Swinney led tributes outside Edinburgh City Chambers. A military parade marched down the Royal Mile from Edinburgh Castle, led by the RAF Central Scotland Pipes and Drums.

A further service was held in George Square, Glasgow, attended by veterans, faith leaders, and armed forces representatives. The event included a silence at 11am followed by a wreath-laying ceremony. The gathering in London concluded with the departure of the marching contingents from Whitehall.