Prince George Makes First Appearance at Festival of Remembrance

Prince George attended the Royal British Legion’s Festival of Remembrance for the first time on Saturday evening, joining the King, Queen, and the Princess of Wales at the Royal Albert Hall.
The 12-year-old, second in line to the throne, sat beside his mother in the royal box as the audience rose to a fanfare welcoming the Royal Family.

The appearance marks another step in the gradual introduction of the young prince to public duties, following several engagements earlier this year, including the VE Day 80 procession and meetings with Second World War veterans at Buckingham Palace.

The Princess of Wales, dressed in black with a white-collared gown and wearing a handmade poppy and jewellery once belonging to the late Queen, was seen quietly guiding her son through the evening’s events.

This year’s festival commemorated the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and the 25th anniversary of the lifting of the ban on gay, lesbian and bisexual personnel serving openly in the Armed Forces.

Actor Hannah Waddingham hosted the programme, which combined musical performances with personal accounts from veterans and tributes to those who died in service. Special recognition was given to children of military families who have faced loss.

Sir Rod Stewart performed with the RAF Squadronaires, while the Massed Bands of His Majesty’s Royal Marines, the Household Division and the RAF also took part. The audience offered a warm ovation as Chelsea Pensioners marched across the stage in their traditional scarlet uniforms.

Among those attending were the Prime Minister and Lady Victoria Starmer, who arrived shortly before the Royal Family. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh were also in attendance, taking their seats alongside other members of the Royal Family for the evening’s commemorations.

The Queen, who missed the festival last year due to illness, returned to the event, while the Princess Royal took part in separate Remembrance observances during her visit to Australia and Singapore.

The Prince of Wales did not attend the event on Saturday, as he has been in Brazil throughout the week promoting environmental initiatives, including presenting the Earthshot Prize and taking part in discussions at the United Nations Climate Change Conference.

Remembrance commemorations continue today (Sunday), when the King leads the national service at the Cenotaph, joined by the Prince of Wales. The Queen and Princess of Wales are expected to observe the ceremony from a balcony overlooking Whitehall.

Prince George’s most recent public appearance before Saturday was at the Wimbledon men’s final in July, following his participation, alongside his siblings, in June’s Trooping the Colour.