Remembrance Events 2021
When the body of the ‘Unknown Warrior’ was brought back to Britain from the Western Front on 10 November 1920, Duke of York’s Royal Military School students provided an Honour Guard for the arrival at Dover Docks.
Since then, the School has always honoured former students who have lost their lives during global conflicts, and were able to take part in Remembrance events in London and surrounding Dover.
On Monday 8 November, students provided a Guard of Honour and buglers for the Torch Lighting Ceremony of the British Torch of Remembrance at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey. Wreaths were laid by the Belgian Ambassador and Armed Forces Minister James Heappey MP following a ceremony conducted by the Chaplain to the Speaker of The House of Commons. Students also attended the Service of Remembrance at Dover Marine Railway Station (now the Cruise Terminal).
Students followed the British Torch of Remembrance on its unique pilgrimage within east Kent, replacing the usual pilgrimage to sites including the Menin Gate and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Brussels. From the Battle of Britain Memorial in Capel-le-Ferne, the torch was taken to The Dover Patrol Memorial at St Margaret's, and St Andrew’s Church in Dover.
The British Torch of Remembrance, which is usually extinguished at the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier in Brussels, was instead extinguished at the School Cenotaph following a whole school Chapel service which involved buglers playing Last Post and Reveille, and two-minutes silence on 11 November.