The Princess of Wales has led the nation in a poignant two-minute silence in remembrance of the fallen on Armistice Day.

Kate stood silent, still and deep in thought as she joined veterans in honouring the war dead at the Armed Forces Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire , before laying a wreath in memory of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Poignant services were held across the country on the anniversary of the end of the First World War, with the silence observed at 11am to remember those who have died in military conflicts.

It was the first time future queen Kate - dressed in a military-style black coat, wide-brimmed black hat adorned with a bow and wearing two poppies - had attended the service at the Arboretum and laid a wreath on Armistice Day.

placeholder image — The Princess of Wales leaves after attending the Service of Remembrance to mark Armistice Day at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire.

Queen Camilla , meanwhile, joined commuters on a train from Chippenham to London Paddington to take part in Great Western Railway's Poppies to Paddington initiative.

She travelled on the 9.28am service to London from the Wiltshire station to mark the initiative, where wreaths are placed on early morning train services and brought to Paddington station for a special service.

After her journey, Camilla placed a wreath of poppies at the war memorial at Platform One at Paddington before the Last Post was sounded to mark the start of the two minutes' silence.

At the National Memorial Arboretum, Kate was handed a wreath to lay in the centre of the memorial.

Watched by the crowd, which included veterans and their families, she stepped forward to lay the large ring of poppies before appearing to take a moment of reflection and then returning to her seat.

She bowed her head as the crowd prayed for those who had been affected by conflict, including members of the armed forces and civilians.

After the service , the princess visited the memorial wall, where she was introduced to Squadron Leader Beth Long and her daughters Scarlett and Sophie - the family of Squadron Leader Mark Long who died in a Spitfire crash during Battle of Britain Memorial Flight duties in 2024.

Mr Long's name is the most recent to be engraved on the wall.

Kate spoke to the family for around five minutes before meeting Bosnia veteran Johnny Hayes , who spent 23 years in the Royal Military Police .

The princess held onto her hat in the breeze as she made her way down the steps and away from the memorial.

She was met by Hayley Lawrence , a Royal Army Medical Corps veteran, and Steve Cartwright , a Royal Engineers veteran, and chatted to them as she walked back to the main buildings.

During their chat, she touched Mr Cartwright's arm and laughed with the pair before she waved and smiled at the crowd who took photographs as she passed by.

Elsewhere, in Edinburgh , members of the public bowed their heads in silence as they gathered despite the rain during an Armistice Day event in the Garden of Remembrance at the Scott Monument in Princes Street Gardens.

In central London , the Western Front Association led commemorations at the Cenotaph, where members paraded to the monument to pay their respects.

In St Mary's Church in Dover, Kent , a cascade of knitted poppies flowed down from the top of the church, covering part of the historic building in a blanket of the scarlet flowers.

A video message from the Prince of Wales was played to children across the UK as part of the Royal British Legion's Remembrance Assembly on Tuesday morning.

William told the pupils about the importance of wearing a red poppy and that "remembrance is for everyone".