London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Oct 07, 2025

Queen wears face mask as she marks Unknown Warrior centenary

Queen wears face mask as she marks Unknown Warrior centenary

The Queen has worn a face mask in public for the first time.

On Wednesday, the monarch, 94, made a private pilgrimage to the grave of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey to mark the centenary of his burial.

It comes ahead of Remembrance Day commemorations on Sunday. She requested the service after some events were scaled back due to the pandemic.

Face coverings are required by law in England in certain indoor settings, including places of worship.

The Queen was last seen in public when she visited Porton Down, near Salisbury, to meet scientists at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), in October, alongside her grandson, Prince William. She did not wear a mask on that occasion, and neither did the prince.


The Queen unveils a plaque to officially open the new Energetics Analysis Centre at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory on 15 October 2020


That decision attracted criticism from the pressure group Republic, but a Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said at the time that "specific advice had been sought... and all necessary precautions taken".

The Queen's attendance at the private ceremony in London at Westminster Abbey earlier this week was described as a "simple but deeply personal act".

"The grave of the Unknown Warrior is as relevant and poignant today as it was when Her Majesty's grandfather and father stood in the Abbey at its side 100 years ago," said a royal aide.

"It holds enormous significance for the country and the Royal Family. The Queen was keen that the centenary was marked appropriately."


The bouquet of flowers was placed by the Queen's Equerry on her behalf



The grave of the Unknown Warrior represents those who died in World War One whose place of death is not known, or whose remains are unidentified.

The brief service was attended only by the Dean of Westminster, Dr David Hoyle, and the Queen's Equerry, Lieutenant Colonel Nana Kofi Twumasi-Ankrah, after royal doctors advised limiting the numbers.

In keeping with a tradition established by her mother in 1923, the Queen - who was married at the Abbey in November 1947 - left a bouquet based on her own wedding flowes at the grave, close to Westminster Abbey's Great West Door.

That was followed by a prayer, recited by the Dean, and the lament Flowers of the Forest played by the Queen's piper, Pipe Major Richard Grisdale, who stood in the organ loft.

Speaking after the service, the Dean said: "It was wonderful to see Her Majesty in such good spirits and good health.

"This is a moment where the Abbey does its job as the national place of worship. The story of the Unknown Warrior touches us all.

"It's very hard for all churches to shut their doors, it goes against everything we are ordained to do, which is to gather people together. Like so many communities, we're divided and that's difficult.

"It is very special for Her Majesty to do this, given the current restrictions. I know, because people tell me, that these moments when Her Majesty is in the Abbey gives us a sense of renewed purpose and encouragement. It makes us feel very privileged."

The Queen, who spent the first lockdown shielding at Windsor Castle, was advised against attending a service at the Abbey to mark the warrior's centenary

on Armistice Day, next Wednesday, when the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall will join the congregation.


The Queen was seen wearing a face mask in public for the first time as she laid the wreath


Comments

Sylvia Priest 5 year ago
How terrible that our Queen has been forced to wear a mask due to a complaint by "Republic"

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Three Scientists Awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine for Discovery of Immune Self-Tolerance Mechanism
OpenAI and AMD Forge Landmark AI-Chip Alliance with Equity Option
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
France Names New Government Amid Political Crisis
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
×