Kate Middleton follows in Duchess Sophie's footsteps as she breaks royal tradition with Remembrance Day appearance

Kate Middleton at Armistice Day Service of Remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum on 11 November 2025.

When you’ve been a prominent royal for as long as the Princess of Wales has, there are very few firsts still left to be done. But today (11 November 2025) marked Kate Middleton’s first appearance at the Armistice Day Service of Remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

To mark the poignant day, she joined other attendees in the two-minute silence at 11am, before then laying a wreath on behalf of the Royal Family. "In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice, we will remember them. Catherine,” a handwritten note pinned to the wreath read.

But not only was this Kate’s debut at the Service of Remembrance, it was also a break from tradition for the entire Royal Family. Usually, only a blood member of the Royal Family who has a position in the royal line of succession can attend the service at National Memorial Arboretum. While Kate is a prominent member of the family and a senior royal, she is not a royal by blood, but by marriage.

(Image credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

However, this is not the first time a non-blood royal has attended the service. Kate follows in Duchess Sophie’s footsteps, who attended the Service of Remembrance on her own last year.

Representing the family at the event, following the service, Kate took time to view the names on the Armed Forces Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum, and met the WWII veterans who had travelled out for the morning’s service.

She also met with a group of children from military families, whose parents are currently on deployment.

During the service, a specially commissioned poem was read aloud by its author, Arji Manuelpillai, who is the Poet in Residence at the National Memorial Arboretum. The piece, titled A Sonnet For Us All, was also posted to Instagram by the Prince and Princess of Wales to mark the day.

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“As we come together to remember, it feels more important than ever to reflect on the courage, compassion, and sacrifice of all those who have served in defence of our freedom,” they captioned the post. “We must cherish what they fought to protect, and let love, above all, guide us forward.”