UK pays tribute to war dead on Remembrance Day amid restrictions

Britain fell silent on Sunday in tribute to its war dead as royals and politicians observed a low-key Remembrance Day without the usual solemn pageantry, owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

The country held a two-minute silence at 11 am (1100 GMT), the hour on November 11 when the guns stopped firing in World War I after four years of horrific fighting.

A national wreath-laying ceremony proceeded at the Cenotaph war memorial in London, but there were no long queues of veterans marching past or crowds watching due to the pandemic.

"We come together every November to commemorate the servicemen and women from Britain and the Commonwealth who sacrificed their lives for our freedom," Prime Minister Boris Johnson said ahead of the ceremony. 

"In this time of adversity, no virus can stop us from honoring their memory, particularly when we have just celebrated the 75th anniversary of victory in the Second World War."

In 2020, after Black Lives Matter protests spread to Britain from the US, Johnson has also called for greater acknowledgement of the role of black and Asian troops in World War II.

He cited the British Indian Army -the "largest volunteer force in history" - and the 14th army, the "Forgotten Army" comprising mostly Commonwealth troops who fought a brutal campaign against Japanese forces in Myanmar.

Earlier last week, Queen Elizabeth II laid a bouquet of orchids and myrtle on Britain's Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, marking 100 years since the remains of an unidentified soldier were brought back from northern France.

The 94-year-old monarch staged a private ceremony at the tomb in Westminster Abbey, using a floral arrangement modelled on her wedding bouquet, according to Buckingham Palace.

Since 2017, heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles has taken his ageing mother's place at the Cenotaph ceremony.

Dressed in military uniform and with the queen watching from a balcony, Charles laid a large wreath at the monument near parliament, stepped back and saluted. He was followed by Johnson, opposition leaders and former prime ministers.

AFP