Limited numbers at the Cenotaph add poignancy to Remembrance Sunday service

The nation's war dead were commemorated during a Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph given added poignancy this year by coronavirus limiting the number of veterans and military.

With the Queen watching from a Government building, the Prince of Wales laid her wreath acknowledging the debt owed to all those who fought in past conflicts and paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Covid-19 and the national lockdown across England aimed at suppressing the virus meant Whitehall, in central London, was sparsely filled, with the public advised not to attend, adding to the sombre mood.

In the past, hundreds of servicemen and women would have lined up around the Cenotaph and the event would have featured a march past by thousands of old soldiers, sailors and airmen, watched by large crowds.

Across the country, attendance at local war memorials was scaled back, with the Royal British Legion advising the public to commemorate remotely by displaying a poppy in their window or observing the silence on their doorstep.

Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary, said growing Covid infection rates meant it was important the "balance" was "right" when asked about remembrance events staged with reduced numbers.

Speaking about the importance of the day, he added: "If we don't learn from our history we are always destined to repeat the failures in the future. Remembering why people gave their lives to this country, to our values, and to helping those around the world who couldn't help themselves – that's important to never forget.

"Right now, as we speak, thousands of men and women of the Armed Forces are helping the country's resilience fight [against] Covid, they are in Liverpool in their thousands – that's important for us to remember. The troops are our backbone.

"These are the people that give Britain its strength, its security and are acting in all our interests. So today is an opportunity to mark the contribution to Covid, but also remember all those that have gone before making sure Britain is a safe and stable country whose values are wanted all around the world."

In recent years, the Queen has watched the ceremony from a balcony of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office building overlooking the Cenotaph, which celebrates its centenary this year.

As the first chimes of Big Ben marking 11am rung out across a peaceful Whitehall, all attending fell silent and stood still for two minutes.

Then, under grey skies, the monarch's son and heir carefully placed her floral tribute to the fallen at the base of the memorial, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and unveiled by the Queen's grandfather George V on Armistice Day, November 11, 1920.

Behind Charles stood senior royals including the Duke of Cambridge, Princess Royal and Earl of Wessex, who would soon lay their wreaths. Nearby was Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister , with his predecessors Sir John Major, Tony Blair and Theresa May, all standing two metres apart.

The Queen was joined on the balcony by her lady-in-waiting Susan Rhodes, who stood socially distanced from the monarch, while the Duchess of Cornwall and Duchess of Cambridge stood more than two metres apart at another vantage point.

With no spectators, the police presence was more noticeable, with a large number of armed officers on duty.

The Duke of York, who has stepped down from official royal duties following fierce criticism after his Panorama interview about his friendship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was missing from the Cenotaph ceremony.

The Duke of Sussex was also absent, having begun a new life in California after stepping down as a working royal, but has taken part in a podcast to highlight the importance of Remembrance Sunday.

Harry would have stood between his brother William and uncle Edward during the ceremony, and there appeared to be a symbolic space left between the two men for the missing member of their family.

The Queen's simple message on her wreath said "In memory of the glorious dead", echoing the words on the Cenotaph, while Charles' handwritten note said "In everlasting remembrance."

Mr Johnson's handwritten message said: "To the eternal memory of those who died to keep us free."

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester were also due to have attended the event but did not travel to Whitehall "on medical advice", said a royal source who did not give further details.

Following the service, at which the Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, said prayers and the national anthem was played, just 25 veterans marched passed the Cenotaph. In previous years, their numbers would have been in the thousands.