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As we gather in this place of reflection, surrounded by the memorials and the
living landscape of the National Remembrance Gardens, we are reminded
that Remembrance is not confined to a single day or generation. The stories
held here speak of extraordinary courage, of lives changed forever by conflict,
and of the families and communities who have shared in the sacrifice of those
who serve.
The poppy remains a powerful and enduring symbol of Remembrance. Worn
with pride and laid with care at memorials across our nation, it brings people
together in a shared commitment to remember all those affected by conflict,
and in the hope that future generations may live in peace.
Though Armistice Day began as our collective remembrance of the end of
the First World War, today we reflect on the many anniversaries since that
remind us of the courage of our Armed Forces. This year we commemorated
15 years since the end of Operation TELIC in Iraq. Next year, we’ll mark
two significant anniversaries: 45 years since the end of the Falklands conflict
and 20 years since the end of Operation Banner in Northern Ireland. These
anniversaries remind us that Remembrance is not only about the past.
It is a living promise to honour those who served, and those who continue
to serve today.
After our time together at this morning’s service, I hope you’ll find
an opportunity to explore the Gardens, discover the stories of those
commemorated here, and find your own space for quiet reflection.
Thank you once again for joining us today, and for your continued support of
the National Remembrance Gardens. I hope you will visit again soon.
Lynda Atkins DL
National Chair, Royal British Legion
Associate partners Black Voices
Band of the Coldstream Guards
Under the direction of the Director of Music,
Major Mark Aldridge BMus (Hons) LRSM LTCL
The Band of the Coldstream Guards appears by kind
permission of Major General Mark Berry, General Officer
Commanding London District and Major General Commanding
The Household Division
Mark Ellis, General Manager,
Royal British Legion National Remembrance Gardens
Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester
| Professor Elizabeth Barnes CBE | Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire |
| Mr Pritpal Singh Nagi MBE DL | High Sheriff of Staffordshire |
| Ms Lynda Atkins DL | National Chair, Royal British Legion |
| Ms Elizabeth Butler OBE FCA | Trustee, Royal British Legion |
| Mrs Philippa Rawlinson MA (Cantab) MSc | Director of Remembrance, Royal British Legion |
| Lord Coaker | Minister of State, Ministry of Defence |
| Commander Tristram Kirkwood OBE ADC | Royal Navy |
| British Army Representative | British Army |
| Air Commodore Mark E Biggadike MBE BSc (Hons) MA | Royal Air Force |
The Reverend Clare Callanan RAChD (Ret’d),
Chaplain to the Afghanistan Veterans Community
We are here. We have shown up. And for what? We are here to be a part of this annual ritual involving a highly symbolic set of gestures and customs – some of which are thousands of years old. Seemingly almost unconsciously, in the aftermath of the First World War, these rituals were assembled. These are the sounding of the Last Post, the time of silence, and the sounding of Reveille.
The Last Post is a British Army bugle call going back well into the 18th Century.
Sounded on a battlefield it is a rallying call for the wounded and those who have got separated – ‘The day is done, the fighting is over. Here is rest, here is safety, here are your comrades, come here.’ A sound of hope for those maybe lost and confused. It is also played for all who have died. I wonder if on hearing it each time we too recognise our mortality and death and the fact that we do not have ultimate control.
Reveille is the other bookend to the time of silence. It was the first bugle call of the day and the message is basically ‘Everyone get up!’ It is the call to awake, to sense newness of life. It sounds as a symbol of hope, of joy, of renewal.
The time in silence between Last Post and Reveille is the most charged of all and the oldest element of the ceremony.
For thousands of years, soldiers have guarded their dead after a battle. Symbolically, the silence is not just a pause for reflection. Sandwiched between the last and first bugle calls of the day, it is a ritualised night vigil by their comrades, to guard their dead from insult and further harm. By standing watch today, we not only remember them but we pledge ourselves to protect them from dishonour.
After a battle when the retreat was sounded, and the unit was reassembled to bring in and count their dead, a hollow square was formed. Today that parade square represents this space and thus the unit’s dead. It is deemed hallowed ground and respected by all.
So this is what we are doing today. We call to the spirits of our slain and announce that it is nightfall. We stand vigil to guard and remember them in silence on hallowed ground. We end the ‘night’ with the implicit hope that we shall meet together again.
Chaplain (Squadron Leader) Mandeep Kaur MBE,
Sikh Chaplain to the British Armed Forces
Remembrance is far more than the observance of a tradition. It is an act of gratitude. It is a solemn promise that those who gave so much will not be forgotten. And it is an opportunity for us, together, to pause and acknowledge the profound human cost of conflict.
Today, we remember those who went into battle and never returned; those whose lives were cut short, and whose final acts were often acts of courage and service to others.
We remember those who returned, but not unchanged – those who carry the visible and invisible wounds of conflict, and whose experiences have shaped the rest of their lives.
We remember, too, those who waited at home: the families who received the telegrams, the loved ones who endured the uncertainty, the communities that mourned, and all those who learned to live with an absence that time could never entirely fill.
For behind every name remembered, there is a life once lived, a family who loved them, a future once imagined, and a story that deserves to be honoured.
Our ceremony today brings together three powerful moments: the Last Post, the silence, and Reveille. Each carries its own meaning; together, they speak to the human experience of duty, sacrifice, loss, rest and hope.
As we gather, we come from different backgrounds, cultures and faith traditions. We may express our beliefs differently, and we may understand sacrifice through different experiences, but remembrance gives us a common ground. It reminds us of what we share: our humanity, our vulnerability, our capacity to care, and our responsibility to one another.
Within the Sikh tradition, the principle of Seva teaches that the true measure of a life is not simply what we achieve for ourselves, but what we give in the service of others. The teaching of Sarbat da Bhala calls us to look beyond ourselves, beyond divisions of faith, culture and nationality, and to seek the wellbeing of all humanity.
These are not simply spiritual ideals. They are values lived through courage, compassion, selflessness and the willingness to stand up for others, particularly when doing so demands the greatest personal sacrifice.
Today, we honour all who served, all who sacrificed, and all whose lives were forever touched by conflict. We do so without distinction.
And perhaps, as we remember those who gave their tomorrow for our today, we must also ask ourselves what we will do with the tomorrow they helped make possible.
May this gathering be an opportunity not only to remember the past, but also to reflect on the world we are creating for future generations.
And renew our commitment to a world where courage serves compassion, justice is upheld, and peace is cherished.
We remember. We honour. We will not forget.
Professor Elizabeth Barnes
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.
All: We will remember them.
Performed by Sergeant Nicholas Mott
(Military personnel in uniform salute on the first note of the Last Post
and recover from salute on the last note of the Last Post)
Neil James, Trustee, Royal British Legion
When you go home
tell them of us and say,
for your tomorrow
we gave our today
Their Royal Highnesses Duke and Duchess of Gloucester
Professor Elizabeth Barnes, Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire
Mr Pritpal Singh Nagi, High Sheriff of Staffordshire
Lord Coaker on behalf of the Ministry of Defence
Dave Robertson MP on behalf of Parliament and His Majesty’s Government
Commodore Tristram Kirkwood on behalf of the Royal Navy
Representative on behalf of the British Army
Air Commodore Mark E Biggadike on behalf of the Royal Air Force
Ms Lynda Atkins on behalf of the Royal British Legion
Mr Paul Williams on behalf of Staffordshire County Council
Mr Tom Marshall on behalf of Lichfield District Council
Deputy Commissioner Dave Evans Staffordshire Police, Fire and
Crime Commission
Chief Constable Becky Riggs on behalf of Staffordshire Police
Chief Fire Officer Glynn Lvznyj on behalf of Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service
There will be an opportunity for other organisations and individuals to lay
wreaths at the end of the Service.
Written and performed by Arji Manuelpillai, Poet In Residence
If you should mourn,
mourn with us here.
Mourn in our arms.
A poppy, tribute,
a silence held in a supermarket.
A hand meets a hand
A head to a shoulder
Mourn in your own way
And if you should thank them,
do it through kindness.
A call to your mum.
A bunch of daffodils.
A text to an old friend
Hey. Just wanted to say
I love you. I miss you
If you should wonder,
wonder of a world
where a father isn’t
waiting by a window,
a room isn’t left untouched,
a promise is kept.
Wonder if we can
do better than we once did.
If you should love,
love with all your being,
across borders and fences.
Make strangers your friends.
Make friends your family.
Remember that someone
sacrificed it all so that you
could love and love again.
And if you should live, just live,
at the football on a Sunday.
to the top of a mountain.
with laughter in your belly,
with a cuppa in a greasy spoon.
Live like nobody is watching.
And if you should remember,
remember with our warmth against you.
Remembering them smiling wide as hope
Remember them bantering in the cafe
Remember them not as soldiers.
Remember them here.
With us. Today
Performed by Bethany Neame, Talent in the Ranks participant
Talent in the Ranks, a programme developed and produced by
the National Remembrance Gardens, engages serving personnel,
veterans, and military families.
Working alongside the Gardens associate partners Black Voices,
the programme uses poetry, songwriting, and music to explore
themes close to the hearts of the participants.
Written and performed by year 7 pupil Shero Llumo,
The Royal Sutton School
The ones whose laughter never fully reached others
Those whose last words were never heard
Those families that still yearn to hear their voice
They have never truly passed, not to the ones who cared
The smiles they never got to return
The dances they never got to learn
The scars left behind by the broken hearts of their loved ones
They will never fully be forgotten
Not ever, not now
Memorials held as a remembrance
A pin drop heard whilst a silence swallows us all
As desperate as they are to heal
The tears never seem to stop
Their sons and daughters hair they never got to style
Tell me, would you keep your calm?
Would you scream in despair once two men appeared at your door?
The stories they never got to tell
Give tribute to those you love most
Despite their absence, their stories were not just a minor sore
They held something dear to us
Something we call bravery and courage.
His Royal Highness the Duke Gloucester
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
God is the everlasting God,
the creator of the ends of the earth.
God does not faint or grow weary;
God’s understanding is unsearchable.
God gives power to the faint,
and strengthens the powerless.
Even youths will faint and be weary,
and the young will fall exhausted;
but those who wait for God shall renew
their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.
The Reverend Clare Callanan
These words from a prophet who was speaking into a situation where people were displaced, grieving, aching with the loss of loved ones were written over two and a half thousand years ago. We can hear in these words and acknowledgement that vulnerability is universal, despite age or status. It calls us to be compassionate towards ourselves and towards others who may be struggling. No matter how strong or invulnerable we appear, we all are susceptible to fatigue, both physically and spiritually.
The imagery of soaring on eagle’s wings evokes a sense of liberation and divine strength. Eagles seem to glide effortlessly at great heights, displaying resilience and grace. Perhaps we too can find that hope and strength. There is a promise here from God of refreshment, of empowerment, of hope.
Chaplain (Squadron Leader) Mandeep Kaur
In the Sikh tradition, Gurbani offers a profound assurance that we are not alone in life’s journey. It speaks of a sustaining presence, of being cared for beyond our own understanding, and of finding peace even when life brings challenges we cannot control.
The following words from Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji; Guru Arjan Dev ji, page 268
Tu Thakur Tum Peh Ardaas.
Jeeo Pind Sabh Teri Raas.
Tum Maat Pita Hum Baarik Tere.
Tumri Kirpa Meh Sukh Ghanere.
You are our Creator Master; to You we offer our prayer.
Our soul and body are gifts.
You are our Mother and Father; we are Your children.
In Your grace, there is profound peace.
May these words remind us that even in moments of uncertainty, we can find strength; even in times of sorrow, we can find comfort; and even when the way ahead is unclear, we can continue with hope.
May we also become a source of that comfort and reassurance for one another.
Lynda Atkins
The Reverend Clare Callanan
The following words are sometimes known as the Peace Prayer, sometimes attributed to St Francis, and they echo such words of commitment in the hope of living a life that honours and cares.
God, make me a channel of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me bring love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;
where there is discord, harmony;
where there is error, truth;
where there is wrong, the spirit of forgiveness.
For it is in giving that we receive.
Chaplain (Squadron Leader) Mandeep Kaur
Guru Nanak says, if you desire to play the game of love then step onto my path with your head in your hand – this equating in today’s world as – living beyond JUST self, rising above our egos and prepared to sacrifice and commit to a higher cause.
We have gathered to remember.
We have listened to the calls that mark the end of the day and the beginning of a new one. We have stood in silence, keeping vigil for those who gave their lives, and honouring the courage, sacrifice and service of all who have served.
But remembrance carries a responsibility.
For the greatest tribute we can offer those who came before us is not only to remember what they gave, but to reflect on what we must now give of ourselves.
We cannot change the past, restore the lives lost, or erase the suffering caused by conflict. But we can shape the future through the choices we make, the values we uphold and the way we treat one another.
So today, let us make a commitment.
We commit to honouring the dignity of every person, regardless of faith, background or identity.
We commit to serving others selflessly, recognising that even the smallest act of
kindness can bring hope into someone’s life.
We commit to standing with courage against injustice, hatred and discrimination,
and to speaking up for those whose voices are unheard.
We commit to seeking peace, not through indifference, but through understanding, forgiveness and the courage to resolve our differences. We commit to living with Chardi Kala, maintaining hope and resilience even in difficult times – and to contributing, through our words and actions, to a world in which all may flourish.
May the memory of those we honour today inspire the choices we
make tomorrow.
May our remembrance become service, our compassion become action,
and our shared humanity become the foundation of lasting peace.
“Their watch has ended. Our responsibility continues.”
In remembrance of those who served and sacrificed, I invite you to commit
All: We commit ourselves
The Reverend Clare Callanan
Chaplain (Squadron Leader) Mandeep Kaur
May the memory of the fallen be a blessing.
May the courage of those who served be our inspiration.
May the compassion of those who care be our strength.
May the hope of those who dream of peace be our guiding light.
May we never forget the past, never take the present for granted,
and never lose faith in the possibility of a better tomorrow.
May we walk together in dignity, serve one another with compassion,
and work together for the wellbeing of all.
May peace be our purpose, humanity our common ground,
and hope our lasting legacy.
Performed by Emily Rose-Noble, Talent in the Ranks participant
and accompanied by the Band of the Coldstream Guards.
(Military personnel in uniform salute)
God save our gracious King!
Long live our noble King!
God save the King!
Send him victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us,
God save the King.
The Royal Party depart to view the newly engraved names on
the Armed Forces Memorial.
The congregation are requested to remain standing until the Royal Party
have moved through the Memorial
Please remain in your seats until you are invited to either lay a wreath
or tribute, or descend the Memorial, by one of the Garden stewards.
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