Commemoration at Westminster Abbey and Whitehall
Princess Catherine attended a service at Westminster Abbey to honor the war dead of Australia and New Zealand.
Earlier, she placed a wreath at a memorial in Whitehall commemorating the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, commonly known as Anzac, who fought in the Battle of Gallipoli in 1915.
The wreath, a ring of poppies accented with white flowers symbolizing the feathers of the Prince of Wales' crest, included a note signed by Catherine and Prince William. The note paid tribute to
"soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom".
Princess Anne's Dawn Service and Additional Commemorations
Princess Anne attended a dawn service at Wellington Arch in London, where she laid a wreath during a memorial service that featured a reading of the poem In Flanders Fields by John McCrae.
The service at Wellington Arch was organized by the New Zealand and Australian high commissions and concluded with the national anthems of the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia.
Historical Context of the Gallipoli Campaign
The Gallipoli campaign was part of a British-led military effort during World War One aimed at defeating the Ottoman Empire. The objective was to secure a naval route through the Dardanelles from the Mediterranean Sea to Constantinople, now Istanbul, in Turkey. The campaign, which lasted into 1916, resulted in over 100,000 troop deaths and ultimately failed to achieve its goals.
Details of the Whitehall Service
At the Whitehall service, Reverend Dr Lyndon Drake recited The Fallen, a poem by Laurence Binyon. Following the recitation, a trumpeter from the Royal Marines Portsmouth Road Band played the last post, which was succeeded by a one-minute silence.
The high commissioners for New Zealand and Australia, Hamish Cooper and Jay Weatherill, respectively, walked together to lay their own wreaths during the ceremony.
Princess Catherine joined other attendees in singing the hymn O God Our Help in Ages Past. Subsequently, men and women in military uniforms marched off Whitehall to the commemoration and thanksgiving service at Westminster Abbey.
After the service at Westminster Abbey, Princess Catherine spoke with several military families in attendance.
Additional Commemorations and Royal Family Statements
Commemoration services were held simultaneously across New Zealand, Australia, and on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey on Saturday morning.
The day was also observed in Villers-Bretonneux, a village in the Somme region of France, which was defended by Australian units during World War One.
The Royal Family posted on X about Anzac Day, stating that it
"honours the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who served and died in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations."
