Royal officials are scrambling to save Remembrance Sunday amid fears of how the coronavirus pandemic could impact the memorial event. Remembrance Sunday this year will mark a hundred years since the Cenotaph on Whitehall was built. The memorial event, where Royal Family members lay wreaths at the Cenotaph, is seen as “the most important event of the year for the Royal Family”.
Around 10,000 people usually gather at the Cenotaph each year for the National Service of Remembrance and the two minute silence at 11am.
However, due to concerns around coronavirus in London, the public have banned from attending the ceremony for the first time in history.
Instead the royals plan to hold a “closed-door” ceremony marking Remembrance Day.
Prince Charles, Princess Anne and Prince William are expected to lay poppy wreaths on the Cenotaph along with a small group of veterans.
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The Queen, Kate Middleton and Camilla will line up on the Foreign Office balcony to view the ceremony.
ITV News Royal Editor Chris Ship explained: “It is the day when traditionally the Queen and other members of the Royal Family gather around the Cenotaph on Whitehall in central London.
“This year because of Covid it will be a bit different.”
Producer Lizzie Robinson added: “For the first time history, this will be a closed event, so members of the public are being asked not to turn out and instead to commemorate from home which is not surprising.”
The coronavirus has already forced the royals to cancel several traditional events, including the Queen’s annual garden parties as well as a dramatic downsizing of the Queen’s Trooping the Colour event.
Earlier this week, insiders at Buckingham Palace told that Prince Harry won’t be allowed to join his fellow royals at the annual service.
While the Duke won’t be able to pay his tributes at the Cenotaph as a royal, other experts have suggested he could make an appearance due to his military service.
Prince Harry is now living in Montecito, California with Meghan Markle after the couple bought their own mansion.
The couple are expected to spend their first full Christmas as private citizens in the US.
Katie Nicholl, royal expert, told Vanity Fair: “Nonetheless, the news that Harry won’t be coming home will likely be disappointing for the Queen, who is said to miss her grandson and great-grandson Archie, whom she has not seen for a year.”
