Story perspectives

Royal Family Lays ANZAC Wreaths, Honors Kiwi-Aussie Soldiers

4/25/2026

Summary

Middleton Honors ANZAC

Kate Middleton laid a wreath with a note signed by Catherine and Prince William honoring Australian and New Zealand soldiers at the Cenotaph on April 25 2026.
Princess Anne arrived before 5 a.m. at Wellington Arch, laid a wreath and oversaw a ceremony that featured “In Flanders Fields” and national anthems.
The Royal Family posted on X that ANZAC Day honors Australian and New Zealand Army Corps members, noting parallel ceremonies in New Zealand, Australia, Turkey and France.

Summary

Princesses Lead ANZAC

King Charles III will travel to the United States on 27 April, returning on 2 May via Bermuda, leaving the Princess of Wales and Princess Royal to lead ANZAC Day ceremonies.
The New Zealand and Australian High Commissions co-organized the Wellington Arch dawn service, arranging military participants and public attendance.
It is the first time the Princess of Wales and Princess Royal have jointly overseen the principal ANZAC Day duties in London.

History

Historical Context

Princess Anne and Prince William now lead dawn services at Wellington Arch, echoing King George V’s 1916 proclamation of Anzac Day after the 25 April 1915 Gallipoli landings, a campaign seen as a baptism of fire that forged a distinct Australian-New Zealand identity. That first London ceremony gathered about 8,000 veterans and officials, establishing a tradition that today unites Australia, New Zealand and the Commonwealth.

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Middleton Honors ANZAC

Kate Middleton laid a wreath with a note signed by Catherine and Prince William honoring Australian and New Zealand soldiers at the Cenotaph on April 25 2026.
Princess Anne arrived before 5 a.m. at Wellington Arch, laid a wreath and oversaw a ceremony that featured “In Flanders Fields” and national anthems.
The Royal Family posted on X that ANZAC Day honors Australian and New Zealand Army Corps members, noting parallel ceremonies in New Zealand, Australia, Turkey and France.

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