Today, the Princess of Wales honored Anzac Day by participating in a solemn ceremony at the Cenotaph. Kate, without Prince William by her side, donned a navy coat with a poppy pinned to it and a hat. She placed a wreath of poppies at the national war memorial and paid her respects with a bow.

After the wreath-laying, the princess proceeded to Westminster Abbey to attend a service of commemoration and thanksgiving with veterans and dignitaries. Meanwhile, Princess Anne also marked Anzac Day by attending a dawn service at Wellington Arch on Hyde Park Corner, organized by the New Zealand and Australian High Commissions.

Anzac Day, observed on April 25, commemorates the Gallipoli landings during the First World War. The ill-fated campaign saw numerous Anzac troops perish in the strategic Turkish peninsula attack. Despite the flawed plan, the “Anzac spirit” of courage, endurance, and mateship persevered among the Antipodean troops.

The day was further commemorated in Villers-Bretonneux, a French village defended by Australian units during World War I. The significance of Anzac Day was highlighted in services across New Zealand, Australia, and Gallipoli, reaffirming the remembrance of those who served and sacrificed.