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Queen Elizabeth II has led British royals, politicians and veterans in the country's annual Remembrance Day service, which pays tribute to all those who have fallen in combat.

In a solemn tribute Sunday, the queen; her husband, Prince Philip; and her grandsons, Princes William and Harry, laid wreaths at the foot of central London's Cenotaph war memorial.

Thousands of veterans and well-wishers attended the ceremony and observed a two-minute silence. Services also took place across Britain and in Commonwealth countries.

The ceremony takes place every year on the nearest Sunday to the anniversary of the end of World War I on Nov. 11, 1918. The day now also pays tribute to the dead in all conflicts, including World War II, Iraq and Afghanistan.