The evening ceremony at the cemetery of St Symphorien, near Mons, ended a day of commemorations marking the start of World War One for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. Along with King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians, the royals walked through the cemetery as the light faded, looking at the graves of some of those who died in the conflict. St Symphorien is the final resting place of Private John Parr of the Middlesex Regiment, the first British soldier killed in World War One.
There was a simple ceremony at the cemetry where Prince Harry read a letter written by a soldier serving on the Western Front. The letter, by Private Michael Lennon of the 1st Batallion the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, was written in 1915.
The Duchess of Cambridge laid a bouquet of flowers in memory of those killed in World War One. St Symphorien is the final resting place of 229 Commonwealth and British soldiers and 284 German soldiers - the cemetery was established by the Germans after the Battle of Mons for casualties from both sides. It was in German hands until 1918 when it was handed over to the War Graves Commission. The bouquet laid by Kate was handed to her by two young children.
The King of the Belgians, the Duke of Cambridge, the President of Germany and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom also laid flowers at the ceremony at St Symphorien.
The royals left and the watch was taken over by a lone soldier at a memorial who stood in the gathering gloom as the world remembered.
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