Reason Kate Middleton wore three poppies to emotional Remembrance Day ceremony at Cenotaph
The Princess of Wales stood alongside the Duchess of Edinburgh at today's moving Remembrance Day service at the Cenotaph in Whitehall to pay tribute to the war dead. While the Princess brought an effortless sense of elegance as she watched from the balcony of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, many fans questioned why she was wearing three poppies.
Unlike King Charles and other members of the Royal Family who choose to wear one simple poppy on their uniforms, Kate added several of the flowers and a diamond brooch to her outfit to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the World Wars and other conflicts.
Despite never being confirmed by the palace, one theory is that the royals wear multiple brooches in honour of family members who have fought and died in wars. This extends to the Princess of Wales who always chooses to wear several poppies to Remembrance events and many believe the reason stems from her wish to pay tribute to lost family members.
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Kate's great-grandmother had three brothers who were all killed in action during World War One and the Princess had the opportunity to view letters from her ancestors during an emotional visit to the Imperial War Museum in 2018.
Other female members of the Royal Family have often opted to do the same. The late Queen would famously wear a collection of five poppies to the Cenotaph which many believed was her way of paying tribute to the five branches of service, these being: the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the British Army, the Royal Air Force and the Defence Medical Services.
Kate witnessed the King and William laying floral tributes at the Cenotaph from the balcony of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, joining in on the moving two-minute silence and observing the veteran's parade. The King's wreath echoed those of George VI and Elizabeth II and featured the monarch’s racing colours of scarlet, purple, and gold.
Prince William laid his own tribute too, featuring the Prince of Wales's feathers attached to a ribbon of Welsh crimson. Also in attendance at the Cenotaph service are Sophie and Edward - the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Anne and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, and the Duke of Kent.
And while the Princess of Wales made a spectacular return to attend both the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance on Saturday evening and the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph in Whitehall on Sunday morning, Queen Camilla had to pull out of her appearances owing to a chest infection.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said. "Following doctors’ guidance to ensure a full recovery from a seasonal chest infection, and to protect others from any potential risk, Her Majesty will not attend this weekend’s Remembrance events. While this is a source of great disappointment to The Queen, she will mark the occasion privately at home and hopes to return to public duties early next week."
After the news that the Queen would not be able to join the Remembrance events, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond exclusively told OK! : "This is such a shame, as to see all the senior royals back on parade together would have been heartening.
"Chest infections can be quite nasty as you grow older and it’s important that the queen follows her doctor’s advice and rests. But there are other factors at play here as well: she wouldn’t want to risk passing the infection onto Catherine or anybody else."
On the Queen's recuperation, Jennie added: "The Palace haven’t said where Camilla is recovering but it could well be at her home in Ray Mill which would mean she was also keeping a precautionary distance from the King as he resumes his cancer treatment.
"It will, though, be upsetting for her to miss such an important weekend. As the daughter of a military man, the Remembrance Day commemorations are dear to her heart."
Queen Camilla's father, Major Bruce Shand, had an interesting time during his wartime service. He served with the 12th Lancers during the Second World War, earning the Military Cross twice once in 1940 during the retreat to Dunkirk, and again in 1942 for his North Africa campaign. Despite being wounded and captured in the same region, he survived the ordeal, passing away at the age of 89 in June 2006.
