Kate Middleton was in attendance during the Remembrance Day service held at Whitechapel today (Sunday, November 8).
The Princess of Wales, 44, was seen wearing three poppies on her lapel today. Now, it’s been explained why.
Kate Middleton at the Remembrance Day service
Kate and other members of the royal family attended the annual Remembrance Day service at the Cenotaph in Whitehall this morning.
King Charles led the two-minute silence at 11am. After that, he laid a wreath at the war memorial.
His eldest son, Prince William, then laid his own wreath. An equerry laid a wreath on behalf of Queen Camilla, before Prince Edward and Princess Anne stepped forward to place down their own tributes.
Queen Camilla and Princess Kate watched the service from the balconies of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) building. The building directly overlooks the Cenotaph monument.
Kate wore a black coat by Catherine Walker and a hat by Jane Taylor. She also wore Collingwood Pearl drop earrings, belonging to the late Princess Diana, and her HMS Glasgow brooch. The brooch signifies her role as the Lady Sponsor of the Royal Navy warship and honours Scottish heritage, maritime tradition, and military patronage.
She also wore three poppies on her coat.
Why Kate wore three poppies
Kate wasn’t the only one wearing three poppies today. Queen Camilla was too. Buckingham Palace has never officially confirmed why the royals opt to wear three poppies. However, experts and historians have pointed out possible reasons as to why.
The most widely accepted theory is that the trio of poppies symbolises the three primary branches of the UK Armed Forces: The British Army, The Royal Navy, and The Royal Air Force.
Both Kate and Camilla hold multiple senior honorary military roles across all three services.
This practice follows a long-standing tradition set by the late Queen Elizabeth II. She wore five poppies on her lapel. These represented the three branches, as well as Civil Defence and women’s war services.
Other theories
Another theory is that the royals wear multiple brooches in honour of family members who have fought and died in wars.
Kate’s great-grandmother had three brothers who died in action during the First World War.
Others suggest that they wear more than one poppy for visibility. Having multiple poppies on display ensures the symbol of remembrance remains highly visible during TV broadcast.
ED! has contacted Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace for comment.
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