The Prince of Wales will feature in a special video message for the Royal British Legion’s Remembrance Assembly on 11th November, encouraging young people to take part in Remembrance to honour veterans and others across the Armed Forces community.
Created in partnership with the National Literacy Trust, the Assembly is a digital learning event which takes place annually on Armistice Day (or the closest school day) and encompasses the historic Two Minute Silence at 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month.
Hosted by veteran and broadcaster JJ Chalmers and featuring Second World War veterans, the Assembly will combine music, poetry, art and voices from across the Armed Forces community, connecting young audiences to the Remembrance heritage we all share.
In the video message, The Prince will touch on his own military experience, explore the different forms that Remembrance can take, and invite the next generation to discover what it means to them.
The virtual Assembly is open to participation by students aged 9-14 (Years 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9) and can be viewed on YouTube or Zoom from schools, libraries, home education and other learning settings across the UK.
The Assembly will include English, Welsh and BSL subtitles with the aim of connecting more young people with Remembrance than ever before.
Students will hear directly from current serving military personnel RAF Air Commander Fred Wigglesworth and Army Lieutenant Colonel Manpreet Maycock, alongside first-hand testimony of Second World War veterans including:
"We’re honoured to welcome the Prince of Wales to this year’s Remembrance Assembly. His contribution, alongside that of veterans and serving personnel, will encourage young people to take part in Remembrance and find their own connection to the Armed Forces community, past and present."
Philippa Rawlinson, Director of Remembrance at the Royal British Legion
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George Durrant
101-year-old George Durrant, from West Sussex, served in Burma from 1944 in the Intelligence Corps in the 14th Army, sometimes called ‘The Forgotten Army.’ Earlier this year, George was a guest of honour at a commemorative event to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, hosted by the Royal British Legion at the National Memorial Arboretum. George and his nine-year-old granddaughter Elsbeth did a live reading at the event which was attended by RBL patron HRH King Charles III and was broadcast live on BBC One.
Prince Albert Jacob
100-year-old Prince Albert Jacob, who grew up in Port of Spain, Trinidad, left life as he knew it aged 17 to join the Royal Air Force, travelling to the US and Britain to repair planes. He still remembers the day the Allies formally accepted Germany’s surrender. He was one of millions of soldiers from across the Commonwealth who served alongside the British Armed Forces in the Second World War and is now one of the few surviving Caribbean veterans.