Britain’s Queen Elizabeth honours fallen soldiers at London cenotaph

Queen Elizabeth honoured fallen soldiers from Britain and the Commonwealth in a dignified ceremony in the heart of central London.

The 88-year-old monarch on Sunday placed a poppy-laden wreath at the foot of the Cenotaph, built after the first world war to remember the dead.

The annual ceremony on the Sunday before Armistice Day, which falls today, remains a national focal point, much as it was when Elizabeth was a young princess. There is the mournful symphonic music, the march of about 10,000 veterans, and the sense that Britain and much of the Commonwealth has come to a halt to recognise those who lost their lives in battle.

Prime Minister David Cameron called this year's event particularly poignant because 2014 marks the centenary of the start of the first world war. He also cited the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings and the conclusion of Britain's military operations in Afghanistan.

Elizabeth, dressed in black, bowed her head after she placed the wreath at the Cenotaph. The queen was followed by her husband, 93-year-old Prince Philip, who saluted after placing his wreath. The Royal Navy second world war veteran was followed by his son Prince Charles and grandson Prince William, who served as a helicopter pilot.