Prince William and Kate Middleton paid tribute to Britain's victims of the coronavirus pandemic during a private moment of silence at Westminster Abbey.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were visiting a new vaccination centre at the historic site in central London, where they got married a decade ago, to praise the efforts of staff on the national day of reflection.
Wearing face masks, the couple's private moment of reflection took place in the Shrine of St Edward the Confessor, where they stood in silence with the Dean of Westminster the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle before the Dean delivered a series of short prayers.
William then lit a candle in remembrance at the altar of the Shrine, and Kate placed fresh daffodils next to the candle.
The visit came as people fell silent across the UK at midday to honour the 126,000-plus victims of the pandemic on the one-year anniversary of the country's first national lockdown.
The Shrine is where William and Kate privately signed their marriage register during their wedding ceremony – the 10th anniversary of which is next month.
The site of the tomb of St Edward, the founder of the Abbey who died in 1066, is considered the spiritual heart of the abbey and is not on the normal tourist route.
It was the first time William and Kate have been back to the Gothic abbey since they attended the 2020 Commonwealth Day service with senior royals on what was to be Prince Harry and Meghan's last time in Britain.
The occasion was notable for the icy atmosphere between the two couples, just before Harry and Meghan left the country after quitting their role as working royals.
During Tuesday's visit, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge heard from staff about their experiences of being involved in the largest vaccination programme in the nation’s history, and of working out of such an iconic venue.
William, 38, joked that he gets "jabbed a lot" as he told one vaccination team that he and wife Kate, 39, had not had their vaccines yet.
He said: "I'm a while away yet until I get mine. But you're getting there pretty fast so it won't be long."
The duke added: "I've had plenty of vaccinations in my time. I get jabbed a lot."
In early March, the NHS opened the Westminster Abbey clinic to provide up to 2,000 life-saving jabs each week to local Westminster residents.
The vaccination centre operates from the south transept, home to the world-famous Poets’ Corner.
Kate asked Sandy Thwaites, 61, a former nurse who came out of retirement to help the rollout, if people were nervous about having the vaccine.
Ms Thwaites said afterwards: "She asked if the public were finding it difficult, whether they were anxious. I said they are quite anxious, a lot of questions especially concerning clots.
"They come armed with quite a lot of questions. Some are crying, some are relieved, some are happy. But no-one has turned away."
Paola Totaro, 61, a writer and volunteer with St John Ambulance, said William asked her who drew up the syringes.
She said: ”They are all drawn up by pharmacists in a little back room behind Poets' Corner.
"He asked me how many I had done. It's my first day, but I've done 33 or 34, I've lost count."
Pippa Nightingale, chief nurse for north west London, said staff told the couple that it was a great advantage to work in buildings like the abbey.
She added: “We don't have to worry about ventilation, we don't have to worry about social distancing because they have got big spaces. The buildings really lend themselves to this."
The abbey continues to remain open for a daily Holy Communion service.
Dr Sheila Neogi, clinical lead for the abbey and a GP in Pimlico, said: "The duchess was very concerned and thoughtful about the staff, and the impact it has had on people. She said 'It's so nice that we are getting towards the end of this - you've all worked so hard’.”
Ms Nightingale added: "They were very aware of the vaccine hesitancy, and how that might be more challenging in the younger age groups."
Doctors, nurses and other staff, supported by volunteers, are delivering the vaccination programme at more than 1,600 sites across the country ranging from cathedrals, mosques and temples to racecourses, sports stadiums, cinemas and museums.
More than 30 million people have received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine so far, with more than half of the UK's adult population waiting or already receiving their second jab.
Meanwhile, the Queen led the nation's tributes on the day of reflection, sending a bunch of flowers to St Bartholomew’s Hospital, where her 99-year-old husband, Prince Philip, was recently treated for non-Covid reasons.
The bouquet was accompanied by a message reading: “As we look forward to a brighter future together, today we pause to reflect on the grief and loss that continues to be felt by so many people and families, and pay tribute to the immeasurable service of those who have supported us all over the last year. Elizabeth R."
It is understood the bouquet was made up of irises, tulips, mini-daffodils and buttercups.
Staff at hospitals, care homes and vaccination centres up and down the country took a brief break from the frontline to remember Covid-19 victims.
MPs and peers in both Houses of Parliament and ministers in the devolved nations marked the solemn anniversary.
Cathedrals in Blackburn, Winchester, Gloucester and York Minster also fell silent in honour of those who have died during the pandemic.
The London Eye, Tate Britain, Blackpool Tower, the Scottish Parliament, Belfast City Hall and other buildings will be lit in yellow on Tuesday evening to mark the occasion.
The public is also being urged to stand on their doorsteps at 8pm with a candle or light.
The end-of-life charity Marie Curie came up with the idea.
Prince Charles, who is a patron of the charity and battled Covid-19 last year, said in a recorded statement: "We have all been inspired by the resourcefulness we have witnessed, humbled by the dedication shown by so many, and moved, beyond words, by the sacrifices we have seen.
"Whatever our faith or philosophy may be, let us take a moment together to remember those who have been lost, to give thanks for their lives, and to acknowledge the inexpressible pain of parting.
"In their memory, let us resolve to work for a future inspired by our highest values, that have been displayed so clearly by the people of this country through this most challenging of times."
The Government's official coronavirus death toll is more than 126,000.
New figures from the Office for National Statistics showed a total of 149,117 people have had Covid-19 recorded on their death certificate since the pandemic began.
A year on from the announcement of the first lockdown, Downing Street continued to resist calls to launch an inquiry into the Government’s handling of the pandemic.
