Remembrance and Order of Precedence (2025)

• Dedication Service and Parade for new Branch Standard.
• Procedure For Trooping A Newly Dedicated Standard.
• Procedure for Handing Over the Standard and Charging the Standard Bearer
• Suggested Procedure for Opening/Closing Of County/District Conferences.

The only person whose precedence at Remembrance services is absolute is the Sovereign. The precedence of all others, despite what appears in the published Table of Precedence, may vary from time to time depending on local traditions, the relationship between host and guests, and the requirements of courtesy and hospitality.

Normally, an acceptable compromise can be reached provided there is adequate consultation beforehand. It is vital to avoid embarrassment. Assuming that all those listed are participating, and that the Lord Lieutenant or his representative is not present (otherwise he would take precedence as the Sovereign's representative), and subject to prior consultation and agreement.

The following sequence is recommended for assembly at a local War Memorial for a Remembrance service:

Subject to prior consultation and agreement, and assuming that all those listed are participating, the following sequence is recommended for assembly at the local war memorial for wreath-laying.

It is also assumed that the Lord Lieutenant or his representative is not present, otherwise he would take precedence as the Sovereign's representative.

Recommended order (as listed in the Ceremonial Handbook):

There are possible variations to the above order which can vary depending on local traditions. A compromise can be achieved through adequate consultation in advance.

The Royal British Legion has an Order of Service called an Act of Remembrance for those who wish to organise a local Remembrance Service. There is a recommended procedure and some essential features that should remain as part of the act of Remembrance. The Act of Remembrance can be altered to suit the needs of local resources, however the Exhortation, placing of the wreaths and the Two Minute Silence are essential. It is desirable to include sounding the Last Post and the Reveille preferably by a bugler.

▌Read more about an Act of Remembrance and Order of Service.

You may wish to hold an Act of Remembrance on other historical dates related to Armistice Day. The links below contain relevant dates relating to the First and Second World Wars which you may wish to hold an Act of Remembrance on.

If it is a parade organised by the civil authorities, for example for dedicating or re-dedicating their war memorial, or a special remembrance ceremony, then it is not a RBL parade. The Cenotaph parade and service on Remembrance Sunday, for example, are organised by a Government Department, and not RBL. Thus Standards are not carried, unless they are specifically invited by the civil authority to parade and the sequence of contingents is a matter for the organising body.

RBL Standards and Women’s Section Standards take precedence, and are followed in order by Royal Naval Associations, Army Regimental or Corps Associations and Royal Air Force Association Standards. The same sequence applies to adult marching contingents. When service and other youth contingents are on parade it is recommended that service cadets lead those contingents in the traditional sequence, followed by other uniformed organisations (Boys Brigade, Scouts, Guides, St John, Red Cross etc) and finally any non-uniformed youth organisations. Group Colours and Standards of youth organisations at the head of the youth contingents on parade.

The Union Flag dips with all RBL Standards for the Royal Salute and for the Act of Homage.

In the event of extremely hot and sunny weather, the Parade Marshal must ensure that all participants, especially Standard Bearers, are hydrated and kept in the shade and out of the sun for as long as possible. Time the parade for cooler times of the day.

In the event of extremely hot and sunny weather, the Parade Marshal must ensure that all participants, especially Standard Bearers, are hydrated and kept in the shade and out of the sun for as long as possible. Time the parade for cooler times of the day.

▌Read more guidance for RBL members about hosting parades.

The only person whose precedence is absolute above all the recommendation above is His Majesty The King. If the Lord Lieutenant is formally invited as the Sovereign’s Representative to an event within his County/District, they have precedence. If the Lord Lieutenant attends in uniform they must be honoured as the representative of the Sovereign: and even if they are in civilian clothes, it is prudent to recognise the dignity of their appointment. Lord Mayors, Mayors and Council Chairmen, however, within the precincts of their City Halls and County Head Office have precedence.

Since there are normally several Remembrance Services in each County, often occurring simultaneously, there is an obvious problem for all local dignitaries, and especially the Lord Lieutenant. They should be formally invited only to major events and services in their own County. They may also wish to attend services in each of the larger towns in turn. Such an annual rota would need to be co-ordinated, by RBL Membership Support Officer in the light of the wishes of the Lord Lieutenant, and in consultation with Group Secretaries.

When a Lord Lieutenant is invited in their own right to a social, rather than a formal ceremonial event, they are unlikely to be in uniform. Nevertheless, because of their office their presence must be specially recognised by receiving them properly, escorting them, and noting their presence by special welcome – for example at the beginning of a speech.

On social occasions, such as dinners, when anyone is making a speech or proposing a toast and the Lord Lieutenant is present the speaker must take care that the ‘salutation’ or ‘preamble’ to their speech has the correct protocol sequence e.g. “Chair (who comes first) then ‘Lord Lieutenant, Lord Mayor (or Mayor, or District Council Chair)”, and the other distinguished guests in the official sequence given in paragraph 15.3.5. above if they are individually listed.

On those rare occasions, such as dinners, when several Lord Lieutenants attend the same event (e.g. a funeral of a VIP) the Lord Lieutenant of the County within which the event takes place has precedence, followed by the others in date order sequence of their appointment.

A Simplified Order of Precedence for Civil VIPs on RBL Occasions. The precedence of all other Civic VIPs may vary in your local area depending on local traditions, the relationship between host and guests, and the requirements of courtesy and hospitality.

Bearing in mind the points made above, and assuming that a member of the Royal Family is not present, the following simplified Table of Precedence would normally apply for those who might attend a RBL event: however there may be local variations, for example in such places as Wales, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, etc. If you are unsure of your local arrangements it is recommended that you make contact with some of the other organisations that can be consulted.

The spouses of VIPs are accorded the same precedence as their husband or wife when both attend a function, and even if they are unaccompanied, it may be desirable to accord them their spouse’s precedence. If the VIP is female, their spouse is similarly recognised.

It is most important that those VIPs listed above be formally met and escorted to their places, or where appropriate, conducted to a room where they are temporarily entertained and briefed as necessary pending the assembly of all the guests for a more formal announcement and entry.