Royal family makes monumental first joint appearance in 8-months

Queen Elizabeth II and her family made their first joint public appearance in eight months on Sunday for a Remembrance Sunday service.

The 94-year-old monarch was joined by the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Duke of Kent, and the Princess Royal for the service, which was held at the Cenotaph in London and saw the royal family lead the nation in remembering those who have died in world wars and other conflicts.

Elizabeth watched the service from the balcony of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office building, where she remained socially distanced from her family members due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

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They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them. • #RemembranceSunday

A post shared by Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@kensingtonroyal) on Nov 8, 2020 at 4:12am PST

Celebrations were scaled back this year because of the global health crisis, and the attendance of the monarch's family marks the first time all of the senior royals have come together for one engagement since the Commonwealth Day service in March.

The Queen wore five poppies pinned to her black coat, which are said to represent each service in the war: the Army, the Navy, the RAF, the Civil Defence and women.

During the service, the royal family observed a two-minute silence to honour those who have fought for the UK, before the monarch's son, Prince Charles, laying a wreath on behalf of his mother at the base of the Cenotaph.

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On #RemembranceSunday The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined The Queen and Members of the Royal Family for the annual Remembrance Day Service at The Cenotaph. This year the @RoyalBritishLegion encouraged us all to to take to our windows and doorsteps for a two minutes’ silence at 11am on Sunday November 8, to remember and honour those who have sacrificed themselves to secure and protect our freedom. Swipe to see more from across the UK: Image 3: Merchant Navy veteran Bill Bennett, 94, wears his medals whilst at his home in Kidderminster. Image 4: D-Day veteran Jim Healy, 95, from Manchester. Jim was a Corporal in the Royal Marines and was coxswain of a landing craft assault on June 6, 1944. Image 5: Veteran Charlie MacVicar, who served for 23 years with the Royal Scots, at the Royal British Legion Remembrance Garden in Grangemouth. Image 6: A camera phone is set up to film and live-stream a closed and socially distanced remembrance service at Exeter Cathedral. Image 7: Seymour 'Bill' Taylor, 95, from Colchester in Essex, who served as an Able Seaman in the Royal Navy onboard HMS Emerald during the D-Day landings joins neighbours in the street to observe the two minutes silence. Image 8: The National Memorial Arboretum, where a virtual Act of Remembrance from the Armed Forces Memorial was broadcast online.

A post shared by Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@kensingtonroyal) on Nov 8, 2020 at 5:01am PST

An equerry placed one on behalf of the Queen's 99-year-old husband Prince Philip, who retired from public duties in 2017.

The service came after Queen Elizabeth was pictured on Saturday wearing a face mask to protect her from coronavirus as she made a deeply personal visit to the tomb of the unknown warrior at Westminster Abbey.