The Queen has attended the annual Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall for decades now. It marks the beginning of the solemn weekend of commemorations paying tribute to those who have lost their lives in armed conflict. And while there was a big focus this year on the fact that the Duchess of Cambridge would be attending the festival for the first time, in the end this event was all about a grandmother and the grandson who will one day be king.
The Duke of Cambridge at the side of his grandmother, Elizabeth II, at the Festival of Remembrance
The Royal Albert Hall, London, November 7th 2015
(photo Army in London Twitter)
The warm relationship between the two was evident from the moment that William took his seat alongside the Queen for the ceremony which mixes music and readings in a tribute to those who have served and those who have lost their lives as a result. It is organised and run by the Royal British Legion and there are two shows with the Royal Family traditionally attending the later performance.
The Duke of Cambridge had arrived at the Royal Albert Hall with Kate but while the duchess grabbed plenty of attention as she made her debut at this hugely important event in the royal calendar, it was the special relationship between her husband and the grandmother whose throne he will one day inherit that got everyone talking. The two were seen chatting happily and sharing asides throughout the Festival.
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William was given pride of place on his grandmother's left as his father, the Prince of Wales, is currently on a tour of New Zealand and so missed the commemoration which this year featured performances from Rod Stewart and Pixie Lott as well as the traditional service of commemoration and the moving sight of thousands of poppy petals floating from the ceiling and onto those below who stand in silence to remember.
William is said to have a strong relationship with the Queen and earlier this year paid tribute to his grandmother as she became the longest reigning monarch in British history. Writing a forward in a book to mark her special day, William said he feels privileged to witness her private side and added "I think I speak for my generation when I say that the example and continuity provided by The Queen is not only very rare among leaders but a great source of pride and reassurance."
Many other members of the Royal Family attended, among them the Duke of Edinburgh, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and Princess Alexandra. The Duke of York and the Earl and Countess of Wessex were also present with Sophie doing a reading during the ceremony.
But it was William's presence that was really noted as this traditional part of Royal remembrance got under way. One day, it will be his duty to lead his family in commemoration. And in London on a mild November night, the bond between these two generations of the Crown was clear for all to see.
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