Queen joined by Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall and Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at Remembrance Day service

Due to coronavirus pandemic, just 25 veterans marched past Cenotaph

The Queen wore five poppies  (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

The Queen was joined today by the Prince of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Princess Royal for a stripped-back Remembrance Day service at the Cenotaph.

Usually, hundreds of servicemen and women would attend the annual event, which would also feature a march made up of former veterans.

However, this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Royal British Legion advised the public to commemorate Remembrance Day remotely, and just 25 veterans marched passed the Cenotaph.

While the Queen watched the service from a nearby balcony in Whitehall, Prince Charles, Prince William, Princess Anne and the Earl of Wessex laid wreaths at the Cenotaph.

Kate Middleton and Camilla Parker-Bowles also watched from a nearby balcony while sitting two metres apart from one another.

The Queen, meanwhile, was joined on the balcony by her lady-in-waiting. Susan Rhodes, who was also socially distanced from the monarch.

For the occasion, Kate wore a black Alexander McQueen coat adorned with tassel shoulders and a Philip Treacy hat.

The Queen was also clad head-to-toe in black, and wore a double-breasted coat with a pin bearing five poppies.

The Duchess of Cornwall and the Duchess of Cambridge (Getty Images)

Absent from the ceremony was the Duke of Sussex, who relocated to California earlier this year, and the Duke of York, who stepped down from official royal duties following his Panorama interview which probed his friendship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

To mark Remembrance Day, Prince Harry has appeared on a military podcast alongside other veterans in which he explained what the annual event means to him, describing it as “a moment for respect and for hope”.

“The act of remembering, of remembrance, is a profound act of honour,” he continued. 

“It's how we preserve the legacies of entire generations and show our gratitude for the sacrifices they made in order for us to be able to live the lives we live today.”