Remembrance is an opportunity for us to come together, united across faiths, cultures, and backgrounds, and honour those who have served and sacrificed as part of our Armed Forces, emergency services and as civilian volunteers.
An Act of Remembrance is an event which can be held to honour the fallen and those affected by conflict. Remembrance can occur at any time of the year, including anniversaries of significant events.
Holding an Act of Remembrance can also show support for ex-service personnel, those who are currently serving, and their families.
You may wish to hold an Act of Remembrance on the anniversary of a significant event. Below are lists of key dates which may help you decide when to hold an Act of Remembrance.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the end of combat operations by British Armed Forces in Afghanistan (Operation Herrick).
The service and sacrifice of those who served in Afghanistan and Operation Herrick will be marked with a short, private ceremony on the Armed Forces Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire, followed by refreshments on the afternoon of Saturday 26th October.
▌Find out more about the National Memorial Arboretum on the Knowledge Base.
We invite those who served in Afghanistan to attend, including former and current members of the Armed Forces, their families, and civilian contractors.
Register to take part
Registration will close on Monday 7th October, or when capacity is reached.
To mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings the Royal British Legion hosted a number of commemorative events in the UK and France.
- The National Memorial Arboretum D-Day 80 Service
- Service of Commemoration, Bayeux War Cemetery
- British National D-Day 80 Event, British Normandy Memorial
▌Learn more about the D-Day 80 events.
▌Watch a recording of the D-Day 80 service held at the National Memorial Arboretum on Youtube.
Commemorative items
D-Day Commemorative items such as wreaths, brooches and pins can be purchased from the Poppy Shop.
This year marks the significant anniversaries of momentous battles of the Second World War and modern conflicts.
18 May 2024 | 80th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Monte Cassino |
5 June 2024 | RBL is hosting a D-Day 80 Bayeux War Cemetery Commemorative Event in France |
6 June 2024 | 80th anniversary of D-Day and the start of the Battle of Normandy |
6 June 2024 | British National D-Day 80 Remembrance Event at the British Normandy Memorial, France |
22 June 2024 | 80th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Kohima |
18 July 2024 | 80th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Imphal |
23 June 2024 | Remembering Kosovo: 25 years on |
25 September 2024 | 80th anniversary of the end of Operation Market Garden |
8 November 2024 | 80th anniversary of the end of the Battle of the Scheldt |
▌Read more about Remembrance events in 2024.
EVENTS HELD DURING REMEMBRANCETIDE
Remembrancetide takes place in the weeks leading up to Armistice day and Remembrance Sunday.
The Royal British Legion is responsible for organising national, regional, and sometimes local ceremonies of Remembrance to reflect the nation's belief that the human cost of war should not be forgotten.
▌Find out more about Remembrance in 2024.
The Royal British Legion is best known for this, and our emblem, the red poppy. Every year, we mobilise a countrywide network of Poppy Appeal collectors to meet the huge public demand for poppies, the nation's symbol of Remembrance.
The Poppy Appeal raises about half of the funds needed for our welfare work every year.
▌Read more about the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal.
We have always supported the traditional Remembrance Sunday services and the customary Two Minute Silence on that day.
In addition, the Two Minute Silence is observed at the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month. This is Armistice Day - the day which marks the end of the First World War.
▌Learn more about Remembrance Sunday.
The Festival of Remembrance is held every year at the Royal Albert Hall to pay tribute to all those who serve and those who have given their lives for our peace and freedom.
The Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance will be held in the Royal Albert Hall, London on Saturday 9th November 2024 with performances at 2pm and 7pm.
Tickets for this years Festival of Remembrance are now sold out.
▌Read frequently asked questions about this years Festival of Remembrance.
Tickets
Tickets are only available to RBL members in the first instance and only go on sale to the general public if they do not sell out. Please be advised, general public tickets have not been available for the last two years due to high demand from the RBL membership community.
If you are passionate about attending the Festival of Remembrance, becoming a member of the RBL will give you early access to tickets.
▌Learn more about becoming a member of the Royal British Legion.
The Royal British Legion Northern Ireland District Festival of Remembrance 2024 will be held at the Waterfront Hall, Belfast on Saturday 2nd November 2024.
Tributes this year will be paid to significant anniversaries and events over the past year including D-Day 80, Kosovo 25, Afghanistan 10 and a special mention of our late National President, Vice Admiral Sir Clive Johnstone KBE CB who suddenly passed away earlier this year.
Service personnel will represent all three services within Northern Ireland. There will be many Associations, Emergency Services, Uniformed Youth Organisations and Poppy Sellers taking part, as well as our widows and residents from Somme Nursing Home.
▌Learn more about the Festival of Remembrance Northern Ireland on the Waterfront Hall website.
Tickets
Tickets for the Festival of Remembrance Northern Ireland are available from the Waterfront Hall website.
The Royal British Legion Wales Festival of Remembrance 2024 will be held at the ICC Wales, Newport on Saturday 2nd November 2024.
This year's festival will reflect on D-Day 80, the liberation of 's-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands by the Royal Welsh Regiment in 1944, Kosovo 25 (1999), and the end of UK Combat Operations in Afghanistan in 2014 with the end of Op HERRICK.
▌Read more about the Festival of Remembrance Wales.
Tickets
Tickets for the Festival of Remembrance Wales are available from the Festival of Remembrance Wales website.
The service held at the Cenotaph in Whitehall on Remembrance Sunday, which is the second Sunday in November, is organised by the Government and the March Past is organised by the Royal British Legion. It is a national opportunity to remember all those who have served and sacrificed to defend our freedom and way of life.
▌Find out more about the March Past at the Cenotaph, including information about attending the service on the Knowledge Base.
▌Find out more about the order of Precedence at Remembrance services on the Knowledge Base.
The Fields of Remembrance are open during October and November when thousands of personal tributes are planted across the UK. The tributes are made by members of the public for someone who served.
▌Read more about the Fields of Remembrance, including how to dedicate a tribute on the Knowledge Base.
▌Find out about ordering your own wooden Remembrance tribute on the Knowledge Base.
▌Read frequently answered questions about remembrance on the Knowledge Base.
TAKING PART IN REMEMBRANCE
There are many ways that you can take part in Remembrance. The information below will tell you more about how to get involved.
If you are a former member of the British Armed Forces you may be able to apply to march at the Cenotaph. Other indiviuals can attend the event as spectators.
▌Red more about attending the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph on the Knowledge Base.
Our volunteers help us to host our Remembrance events every year. From planting tributes in the Fields of Remembrance to stewarding at the march past at the Cenotaph, or supporting the team at the National Memorial Arboretum, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved.
▌Read more about volunteering with the Royal British Legion and the roles that are currently available.
During the annual Poppy Appeal our volunteers make a real difference to the lives of people in the Armed Forces community.
If you would like to volunteer during the Poppy Appeal you can register your interest ahead of the appeal beginning in October.
▌Find out more about volunteering during the Poppy Appeal and register your interest.
▌Read about volunteering for the Royal British Legion on the Knowledge Base.
If you wish to hold an Act of Remembrance, we have online resources to support you.
▌Find out more about the recommended Order of Service for an Act of Remembrance on the Knowledge Base.
▌Read the Kohima Epitaph and the Exhortation, which are often read at can be read at dedications on the Knowledge Base.
The guides below have been created by the Royal British Legion to support you and help others understand Remembrance.
Read the guidance for:
We have created a range of posters to help you commemorate Remembrance.
▌Read guidance for members and supports who are attending Remembrance events.
We offer a range of free learning resources and events for school children, teachers, youth groups and families.
▌Learn more about teaching resources available from the Royal British Legion.
▌Find teaching resources for Youth Groups, created in partnership with Girlguiding, Cadets and Scouts.
Yes, you can march at Remembrance events as a LGBTQ+ veteran.
If you would like to march with others as part of an organisation which specialises in support for the LGBTQ+ Armed Forces community, you can apply to march with Fighting with Pride.
Registration to march with Fighting with Pride in 2024 has now closed. You can register to march as an individual until the 22nd August 2024.
▌Visit the Fighting with Pride website to find out more about the charity.
Get in touch
Contact our Remembrance Team via:
Email: Remembrance@britishlegion.org.uk
More information
Find out more about:
Remembrance and the Order of Precedence on the Knowledge Base.
Finding service records from before 1920 on the Knowledge Base.
Finding service records from 1920 onwards on the Knowledge Base.