of combination of a weekend of commemoration. i am combination of a weekend of commemoration. iam here combination of a weekend of commemoration. i am here at the north agreed westminster abbey, but because there are still some key events taking place both here and gci’oss events taking place both here and across the uk and in overseas territories, just behind me, we can't just make out territories, just behind me, we can'tjust make out the beacon in the field of remembrance. this is going to be the first of 1000 beacons, more than 1000, which will beacons, more than 1000, which will be lit across the uk, the channel islands, the isle of mann and into the overseas territory. the one here at around seven o'clock willoughby led by doctorjohn hall, the dean of westminster. there are some other events which will be happening. you can't hear the bells now at westminster abbey. at 7pm, just after, bells will be ringing house

for peace in thousands of churches across the country and around the same time, 180 town criers will also be honouring all of those who fought in the great war. still some events to come, events involving people across the country, both in the uk, and as we say, abroad. it should be and as we say, abroad. it should be a couple of minutes now until beacon is lit. the beacon is inspired by a comment that was made on the 3rd of august, 1914, by britain's then foreign minister, who was looking out of his office window at desk, the gas lights were being late, and he said to a friend at the time, that the lamps are going out all over europe, we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime. beacons

will be lit the night and they are meant to symbolise hope that emerge from the darkness of war. they are also commemorating not just from the darkness of war. they are also commemorating notjust those two fought in the great war and died in the great war but also remembering a huge army of men and women on the home front who kept the industry going, it is four years when so many men of working age were sent off to the western front. all of those people who kept the harvests coming in and the food on the table for the families who had been left behind. the idea is that this lighting of beacons that we have mentioned is to commemorate those people who will be remembered. the service of remembrance has just

taken place in westminster abbey. just looking back to that service, looking back at some of the key moments, we saw that the president of germany and the queen lay flowers at the grave of the unknown warrior, at the grave of the unknown warrior, a place that we know well. reminding ourselves of the significance of the unknown warrior. this was a grave that contains the remains of a british soldier. his name and rank are unknown and he was chosen from a number of soldiers exceeded and from four of the main battle areas in france. his body was brought back from france, buried in the abbey on the 11th of november, 1920, and that was in the peasants of the grandfather of the queen, and the inscription on the tombstone includes the words, they buried him among the kings because... very

much, that grave of the unknown warrior played a key part in this evening's service at the westminster abbey. just waiting for the demon to emerge. as i wasn't saying, —— just waiting for the dean to emerge. as i was saying, the beacons symbolising the lights of hope to emerge from the lights of hope to emerge from the darkness of war. they will be lit by doctorjohn hall. people might see beacons lives in the local churches because there has been a huge operation over the last four yea rs huge operation over the last four years to co—ordinate this moment. something like 1400 individual

beacons will be lit across the uk and across the overseas territories. this will be the first and obviously symbolic because we can't see it so much in the dark, it isjust symbolic because we can't see it so much in the dark, it is just next to the field of remembrance and hundreds of people were walking around today who have come to london this weekend to read the inscriptions and the many thousands of crosses in the field of her membranes. —— the field of remembrance. we've been looking at various ceremonies across the country today. here in london, this morning, tended by the queen, but the members of the royal family that you were here this morning also travelled around the country. the sense that they were the heart of those commemorations in cardiff and in glasgow, something symbolically important. the royal

family and its connection to the armed forces committee queen of course the head of the armed forces, that connection is a long one. the grave of the unknown warrior, the queen's grandfather here, he was present on the 11th of november, 1920. back in the first world war backin 1920. back in the first world war back in the second world war, the queen's father... it's a connection which is a long connection. has been her member again today. the cenotaph service, one of the key moments of remembrance every year. a list every member of the world family —— almost every member of the royal family. member of the world family —— almost every member of the royalfamily. as you say, the links to the royals and between remembrance is hugely

important. hugely significant. we speak to members of the armed forces, it's a very important connection for them too. members of the armed forces do talk about this a great deal. thank you very much for that. we're going to return to you once that beacon is less, but in the meantime, i want to go to ypres. robert hall, every night, 8pm, the last post is sounded. tonight, they really are making this a commemoration worthy of a 100, as centenary commemoration. they are. echoes of the past, this all rather moving in the square here. thousands of people watching this event on big

screens. up at the arts committee queen anne queen of belgian —— up at the arch, the king and queen of belgium. in belgium, across europe i suspect, ceremonial. we're listening toa suspect, ceremonial. we're listening to a song looking back to the heroes of the first world war. singing about heroes, and there are thousands of people here. they are not able to get to the gate tonight. this morning, we had a ceremony, a special ceremony, where the public we re special ceremony, where the public were allowed to march to the gate behind the bands and lay there wreaths. this is a moment of solemnity. this band is standing across the cobbled street that led out of the ruins of ypres and up to the carnage of the western front,

the carnage of the western front, the trenches here were only less than a the trenches here were only less thana mile the trenches here were only less than a mile from the city walls. and it was to those trenches that tens of thousands of men marched to their deaths. in the gate at the cemeteries that dot the fields around ypres contain the graves of those men, so many unidentified. such was the battle in ypres. it held out during the four years of work, the crowd was torn abdomen and buried where they fell. all too often, their remains were lost, and hence, the row upon row of to m bsto nes hence, the row upon row of tombstones burying —— bearing the names "a british soldier, a commonwealth soldier." so many soldiers unknown. so many families unable to

soldiers unknown. so many families u na ble to follow soldiers unknown. so many families unable to follow that story to find a particular grave, to pay particular tribute, but they can find the names carved on the walls of the menin gate. as we out listen to the last post. the last post plays they shall grow not old as we that are left grow old. age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. at the going out of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them. we will rememberthem. bagpipe plays

as the lament sounds out, echoing under that great arch, we heard just before the lynott began the words from the torrey a wallace, the exultation we should go on remembering —— victoria wallace. is that not the thought going on a lot as we go into this centenary period, the handing of that remembrance. they to do so much for them

murmurs. . . they to do so much for them murmurs... for visitors to notjust come during this four—year period the year around every year. looking for the names, names which are designed to be read as you walk down the lines of stones or down the monuments up so that you can pick out the name easily. this total silence in the centre of ypres. as the crowds stand, watching this event, a lot of them thinking of family members, of photos tucked away in family collections of relatives who fought and died. and

now, the wreaths r bross to be laid, first by the king and queen of belgian across those poppy petals. poppies that group in flanders fields even after they had been churned by the shellfire and the battle which raged across the farmland north of ypres. there is already a carpet of poppies to the side, laid by members of the public and visitors earlier in the events today, at the 11th clock

sound of the last post. more to join them. the wreath laying continues from representatives of belgian's government, and of course from children's, the whole theme has been of passing this back to and —— baton of passing this back to and —— baton of her members on. certainly in the uk, children have played a vital part. although his school visits still going on today come helping children to understand what happened here, helping their parents to explain family stories. michel

barnier on the left there. robert, if anybody at home has a lump in the throat, we have perhaps conveyed lump in the throat, we have perhaps co nveyed a n lump in the throat, we have perhaps conveyed an element of the intimacy of this despite the presence of so many dignitaries. if you stand under that arch, it's impossible not to feel very close to those whose names you read, men and women who you've never met. there is something about that place, isn't there?|j never met. there is something about that place, isn't there? i think there is. there is a presence there. i think if you couple the arch with the cemetery i know you've also visited north of ypres, row upon row upon row of gravestones lined up

like a military parade facing the cross of sacrifice in the middle, and you stand in that cemetery and you imagine. it's not really difficult to imagine the man stumbling up the slight hill rice towards the ridge they were trying towards the ridge they were trying to take, being cut down and hundreds and thousands, as they tried to take that ground, remember they were caring so much equipment that they could barely run. and so they walked in long lines into the machine guns, and you just cannot really conceive what that must have been like. and here under the arch, the columns of men. . . here under the arch, the columns of men... remember, ypres was flattened. maybe people remember pictures from earlier in the week. it was razed to the ground. the hall in the centre of ypres. and all the

buildings are it were rebuilt after the first world war ended. enter that ruling came young man, men initially who volunteered, men who joined up to come together. they are walking through the ruins of this city and out towards the guns that are thundering in the distance. what must have gone through their heads? and what suffering today indoor? —— what suffering today in —— what suffering did they endure? robert hall in ypres. if you very much. let's return to london to sarah campbell, who is outside westminster abbey. the first of those beacons, now a light where you are. yes indeed. went by the dean of when sister —— dean of westminster.

0bviously ta ken hold when sister —— dean of westminster. 0bviously taken hold now. and i'm surrounded by people taking photographs of it. as they will be at some the other 1400 deakin sites. this has been a huge project for yea rs this has been a huge project for years in the making, simultaneous lighting of beacons across the uk, across the overseas territories. 1400 in total. in london, you might hear bells ringing. commemorating the armistice of 100 years ago. counted criers, almost joined the armistice of 100 years ago. counted criers, almostjoined your time criers, will be getting their message in towns and cities across the united kingdom. —— town criers, almost 200 town criers. the finale

of the commemoration weekend here in london was the service here at westminster abbey, attended by the queen, the prince of wales, the duke and duchess of cambridge, the duke of sussex and the duchess of sussex. the queen and the president of germany, a handshake at the end, commemoration. they also laid flowers at the grave of the unknown warrior, as did children from across the united kingdom come to lay flowers at the grave of the unknown warrior. they —— there were readings. there was a reading by the actorjohn simm. it struck me. people were saying, yes,

there were celebrations because it was the end of a terrible war but there was huge uncertainty after what came next after so many horrors, after so many years. after yea rs of horrors, after so many years. after years of mourning, comic whiteness, that cold november day, surely it was the strangest day —— after years of mourning, quietness. so many services, remembrance services, across the uk, the main one involving the queen and members of the royal family. involving the queen and members of the royalfamily. sarah campbell, westminster abbey, thank you very much, as we show you pictures of the base of the cenotaph here in whitehall. amongst the more formal reads —— wreaths and poppies, there are some homemade. the side of the

people's procession, people who made the wreaths at home, 10,000 people for the first time on november 11, able to make their own tributes to those who gave their lives in the first world war. the cenotaph, as ever come the focus of these events. earlier, prince charles led the tributes to the nation's war dead. he later laid a wreath on behalf of the queen. in paris, similar events we re the queen. in paris, similar events were held as well. but our royal correspondent nicholas witchel looks back at a day which are murmured the limit hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, 1918. -- limit hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, 1918. —— were for member d 11th hour of. the cenotaph this morning as the nation prepared to mark the moment

from a century ago when, at 11am, the world war ended. 800,000 or so british lives had been lost in the war. it was in there remembers that the cenotaph was originally constructed. and in timeless fashion and largely unchanging form, the ceremony of her members has taken place in whitehall in every peacetime year since. and so on this more than usually significant day of her memories, a nation's leaders took their places around the cenotaph led by the prince of wales, as was the case last year, the queen watched from a balcony above as big big ben chimes the hour

in whitehall, after the last post sounded by marine builders, the prince of wales placed the queen's wreath of poppies against the cenotaph‘s northern face. and for the first time, a german wreath was laid at the cenotaph by germany's had a stake in a president steinmeier.100 years had a stake in a president steinmeier. 100 years after the end of the first world war, in which an estimated 2 million german troops we re estimated 2 million german troops were lost and historic —— a historic gesture of reconciliation. after the politicians, it was the turn of the vetera ns to politicians, it was the turn of the veterans to march past and lay there wreaths. each will have his or their own memories, perhaps lost comrades, but today the collective remembrance

was for those who never came home from a terrible world war which ended 100 years ago. nicholas witchell, bbc news, at the cenotaph. the cenotaph here in whitehall, in central london, as always the focus of national remembrance. but millions of people across the united kingdom today held two—minute silence to remember those who died in the first world war. 0ther conflicts remembered too, but the particular significance today, 100 yea rs particular significance today, 100 years since the signing of the treaty which ended the battle on the western front of the first world war, at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. we will remember. that is it from us here tonight. we will leave you with these images

before we go to the weather with matt taylor. tonight will be a cooler night. lots of showers across western areas and we start the week the way we finished the weekend off with