James Wild MP has planted a tribute to people from North West Norfolk in the House of Commons ‘Constituency Garden of Remembrance’.
The Speaker of the House of Commons, the Rt Hon Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, invited Members of Parliament to take part in the second Constituency Garden of Remembrance, located in New Palace Yard on the Parliamentary Estate.
The Garden will remain in place until Remembrance Sunday, November 13 and will contain a stake representing each of the 650 constituencies of the United Kingdom.
James Wild MP said:
"Once again as a nation we will come together to pay tribute to all those who serve and have served in our Armed Forces to defend the freedoms we enjoy and our way of life. In West Norfolk, the Royal British Legion, the Bridge for Heroes, Scotty’s Little Soldiers, along with other charities play a vital role in supporting veterans and their families. By planting this stake, I am recognising the service and sacrifice of people from West Norfolk on behalf of my constituents.”
Parliament played a pivotal role in the establishment of our nation’s Remembrance traditions following the end of the First World War.
In 1919 Parliament with the support of King George V instituted Britain’s first Remembrance Day on the 11th of November, also known as Armistice Day. The National Service of Remembrance at The Cenotaph in Whitehall was also introduced. The first Remembrance Day was held on November 11, 1921, following a campaign led by Earl Haig, Commander-in-Chief of the Army during the First World War, and founder of the British Legion.
This followed the unveiling of the Cenotaph in Whitehall by King George V on November 11, 1920 and the decision to adopt the poppy as a symbol of remembrance.
