A glimpse of the Royal Family made my day!   William, Kate and Harry too were on hand at the Poppy Ceremony commemorating Britain’s WWI Declaration of War.   It was the 100th Anniversary Celebration.

Great Beginning

What a start to our first full day in London and a surprise too!

I had purchased tickets on a double-decker bus tour of the city.  We decided the Tower of London was the nearest stop to board the bus.  We took the “underground”  and arrived to see hundreds of people surrounding the tower.  We just assumed it was a busy day for tourists and walked along.  Then we heard some music and saw red flowers around the moat.

Everyone was looking towards the flowers and we thought there must be some kind of ceremony going on.  We looked closer and noticed people walking in the moat area.  There were photographers everywhere.  and TV stations.  They interviewed the lady beside me – glad they didn’t ask me because at that point, I didn’t even realize what was happening.

The Royal Family

Then the Royals turned and started walking back down the moat.  We realized who they were.  I said to Neal, “They are going to walk right in front of us!”

Everyone was pushing and straining to see  and taking pictures.  I took a few between people’s heads, etc. but Neal got one that didn’t have a million people in it.

All I can say is “Dumb Luck!”  We were at the right place at the right time.  Oh and by the way, Kate is thinner than she appears in the tabloids and Harry is much more handsome!

A Sea Of Red

The poppies were ceramic, bright red and very beautiful.  Each of the Royals carried a poppy and planted it.  There were approximately 150,000 poppies on display.  They looked beautiful, like a “Sea of Red.”  More poppies will be added between now and November 11, British Armistice Day for a total of 888, 246 poppies.  Each representing a British or Colonial soldier who perished in the First World War.

Poppies were the only plants that grew around the fallen soldiers on the battlefields on northern France and Flanders.

The moat where the ceremony was held is where 1,600 men were sworn in who had enlisted in 1914.  Only 50 of those men returned after the war.

The ceramic poppies on display will be sold on the Historic Royal Palace website after all the celebrations are complete.

 More Poppies

Remainder of the Day

The rest of our day was fun touring on the double-decker bus.  After that we too a cruise down the Thames River.  More about all the other sites we visited tomorrow.

Are you an English Royalty fan?  What is your favorite?