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Blood-red sea: Ceramic poppies spill from Tower of London moat to honor World War I dead

Associated Press
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Britain's Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, centre, walks with Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, centre left and Prince Harry, as they view the Tower of London's 'Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red' poppy installation, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of WWI, in London, Tuesday Aug. 5, 2014. Their visit to the work in progress installation, which currently consists of approximately 120,000 ceramic poppies and will finish with 888,246 poppies, was held Tuesday to mark the centenary of World War I. The final ceramic poppy will be placed on Armistice Day on November 11, with each poppy representing a British and Commonwealth military fatality from World War I. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) (The Associated Press)

Britain's Duke of Cambridge Prince William, center, his wife Kate the Duchess of Cambridge and his brother Prince Harry visit a ceramic poppy art installation by ceramic artist Paul Cummins entitled 'Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red' for its official unveiling in the dry moat of the Tower of London in London, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2014. Their visit to the work in progress installation, which currently consists of approximately 120,000 ceramic poppies and will finish with 888,246 poppies, was held Tuesday to mark the centenary of World War I. The final ceramic poppy will be placed on Armistice Day on November 11, with each poppy representing a British and Commonwealth military fatality from World War I. (AP Photo/Matthew Knight) (The Associated Press)

Britain's Duke of Cambridge Prince William, center, his wife Kate the Duchess of Cambridge and his brother Prince Harry visit a ceramic poppy art installation by ceramic artist Paul Cummins entitled 'Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red' for its official unveiling in the dry moat of the Tower of London in London, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2014. Their visit to the work in progress installation, which currently consists of approximately 120,000 ceramic poppies and will finish with 888,246 poppies, was held Tuesday to mark the centenary of World War I. The final ceramic poppy will be placed on Armistice Day on November 11, with each poppy representing a British and Commonwealth military fatality from World War I. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) (The Associated Press)

A blood-red sea of ceramic poppies is spilling from the Tower of London to commemorate British and Commonwealth soldiers killed in World War I on the 100th anniversary of its start.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined Prince Harry on Tuesday to "plant" the ceramic poppies in the dry moat surrounding the Tower to honor the military dead.

The installation, called "Blood Swept Lands And Seas Of Red," is made up of 120,000 ceramic poppies. More will be added in the coming months until there are 888,246 — one for each of the British and Commonwealth soldiers killed in the war.

Gen. Richard Dannatt says one of the installation's virtues is that it allows the dead to be remembered together as well as being individuals.