Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Carrying book of remembrance was ‘unbelievable’, says Army veteran

Alex Lowe carried the book on stage with medic Hayley Lawrence, who helped treat him in Afghanistan.

Sam Hall
Saturday 09 November 2024 22:51
General view of the annual Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall in London (Chris J. Ratcliffe / PA).
General view of the annual Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall in London (Chris J. Ratcliffe / PA). (PA Wire)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

An Army veteran said it was “unbelievable” to carry a book of remembrance on stage during a Royal British Legion event at the Royal Albert Hall.

Alex Lowe, 33, said it was an “honour and a privilege” to place the book on top of military drums during the Festival of Remembrance on Saturday evening, which was attended by the royal family.

Mr Lowe, who is from Cornwall, carried the book alongside medic Hayley Lawrence, who helped treat him in Afghanistan, as the singer Alexandra Burke performed Rise Up.

The veteran served in 1st Battalion, The Rifles, completing one tour of Iraq and one of Afghanistan – where he and Ms Lawrence were both injured.

Carrying that book with so many names in it that mean a lot to different people out there was indescribable

Alex Lowe

Speaking after the event, Mr Lowe told the PA news agency: “It was unbelievable to see the standing ovation from the whole crowd as soon as the curtain came open.

“Carrying that book with so many names in it that mean a lot to different people out there was indescribable.

“I wanted to deliver it as best as I could for the whole audience, for who it means the most to.”

Discussing his own service, Mr Lowe said: “I was in the Army in The Rifles 1st Battalion and did two operational tours, one in Iraq and one of Afghanistan, where I was sadly injured.

“We lost our Lieutenant, whose name was in the book that I carried tonight.”

Mr Lowe, who was medically discharged from the Army, said it was a “complete honour” to carry the book onto the stage in front of the royal family and veterans.

The King and other members of the royal family stood to applaud Mr Lowe and Ms Lawrence as they brought the book on stage.

Charles was seated next to the Princess Royal, with the Prince and Princess of Wales further along the aisle in the royal box.

The royal family stood in silence as the Last Post was played and poppy petals fell from the ceiling at the Royal British Legion event.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in