Armistice Day: Keir Starmer to join commemorations in Paris
Sir Keir Starmer will mark Armistice Day at a ceremony in Paris on Monday, as Number 10 announced more than £10 million to mark VE and VJ Day in the UK next year.
The prime minister will travel to the French capital on the invitation of President Emmanuel Macron.
He will mark the armistice alongside British and French veterans and is expected to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe, and memorials near the Champs Elysees.
According to Number 10, he is believed to be the first UK Prime Minister to have attended these commemorations since Winston Churchill joined General de Gaulle in 1944.
Subscribe free to our weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News. Direct to your inbox every Friday morning.
It comes as Sir Keir announced more than £10 million to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day and VJ day.The prime minister has pledged a “moment of national reflection” in 2025, with events on May 8 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the allied victory in Europe, and also on August 15 to mark the end of the Second World War.
The royal family were at the forefront of tributes on Remembrance Sunday, with the King leading the country in a two-minute silence on Remembrance Sunday, commemorating the nation's war dead, as the Princess of Wales watched on.
Charles laid the first wreath at the Cenotaph in central London, honouring the fallen from conflicts dating back to the First World War.
Floral tributes were then laid by members of the royal family, the prime minister, other political leaders, and foreign diplomats.
The Princess of Wales watched from a government building balcony overlooking the Cenotaph, making a rare public appearance this weekend to attend events marking Armistice Day.
The ceremony was held after a two-minute silence was observed in the heart of Whitehall and at war memorials in villages, towns and cities across the country.
Queen Camilla, 77, watched the Remembrance Sunday service from home while she recovered from a chest infection.
Kate, who is currently in recovery after being diagnosed with cancer, and Charles, who is still undergoing treatment for the disease, also attended the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance on Saturday evening.
Among the crowds lining the barriers on Whitehall were military veterans proudly wearing their medals, while others waited nearby to take part in the Royal British Legion march past the memorial.
The King laid his wreath on behalf of the nation, followed by the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Princess Royal.
Starmer stepped forward to pay tribute on behalf of the government with his floral tribute, as did the Conservative Party’s new leader Kemi Badenoch, other party leaders, senior members of the Cabinet, military chiefs of staff and high commissioners.
Standing close to the Cenotaph were eight former prime ministers, Sir John Major, Sir Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Lord Cameron, Baroness May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in the Second World War and the 25th anniversary of the end of the war in Kosovo.
It also marks the 75th anniversary of Nato and the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale between the UK and France.
This is the Talking Royals - our weekly podcast about the royal family, with ITV News Royal Editor Chris Ship and Producer Lizzie Robinson