The London Cenotaph War Memorial is located in Whitehall. Built to commemorate the signing of the Armistice that ended the First World War, it was erected in honour and memory of those soldiers who died fighting for their country in all wars since.

It is a fairly simple monument, unadorned save for two carved wreaths and it bears one simple inscription, “The Glorious Dead”, a phrase chosen by Rudyard Kipling. Cenotaph means “Empty Grave” in Greek, it is a monument meant to honour a person or persons whose remains are elsewhere.

The Cenotaph in London is one of only two cenotaphs in the United Kingdom.

The Cenotaph was originally built rather hastily out of wood and plaster in order to have it ready for the Allied Victory Parade in 1919.

The architect of the Cenotaph was Sir Edwin Lutyens and the structure was commissioned by David Lloyd George. A more permanent identical copy was then constructed out of Portland stone and installed in 1920.

Flags of the United Kingdom flank the memorial and Lutyens had originally wanted flags carved from stone, but he was overruled and cloth flags were used instead. In modern times the flags displayed at the Cenotaph are the Union Jack, and the flags of the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, and British Army.

Uniformed service people always salute the cenotaph when passing.

Every year on the Sunday closest to November 11th there is a Remembrance Day Parade and a ceremony involving the Cenotaph. This ceremony began in 1921 and remains largely unchanged to this day, prayers are said and hymns are sung and a two minute silence is observed.

The Queen and representatives of the Church, Armed Forces, and State gather to pay their respects.

Wreaths of poppies are laid at the foot of the memorial; the Queen lays the first wreath and bows, followed by other adult members of the Royal family who each lay a wreath and bow, or salute if they are in uniform. They are followed by the Prime Minister and other political figures.

The ceremony ends with a war veterans marching past the London Cenotaph War Memorial.

Visiting The Cenotaph

Cenotaph, Whitehall, Westminster, SW1A 2BX

Photo courtesy: ell brown

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