ROYAL TRIBUTE 

Sweet moment Princess Kate greets two young boys after paying her respects to fallen heroes at Anzac Day service

PRINCESS Kate shared a sweet moment with two young boys as she paid her respects to fallen heroes at the annual Anzac Day service.

The Princess of Wales had earlier attended a wreath-laying ceremony and parade at the Cenotaph in Westminster, central London.

Kate shared a sweet moment with two youngsters outside Westminster AbbeyCredit: Splash
 

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She leant over and shook their hands while leaving the serviceCredit: Splash
 

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The Princess of Wales at the wreath laying and parade service this morningCredit: Getty
 

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Kate looked solemn as she laid a wreath at the CenotaphCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
Anzac Day was first established to commemorate the 1915 Gallipoli landing of Australian and New Zealand troops during the First World War.

It honours the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who have served and died in all wars and conflicts.

Kate also attended a service at Westminster Abbey alongside veterans and politicians including Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel.

And in a sweet moment while leaving the abbey, The Princess of Wales chatted with two young boys and their serving mother.

She shook their hands and leant over to speak with them after the service.

Kate – who wore a poppy on her lapel – had earlier placed a wreath at the foot of the national war memorial on Whitehall.

The ring of poppies – adorned with white flowers on top – also included a note signed Catherine and William.

It read: “In memory of the Australian and New Zealand soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom”.

The high commissioners for New Zealand and Australia, Hamish Cooper and Jay Weatherill, then laid their wreaths.

Reverend Dr Lyndon Drake recited from The Fallen by English poet Laurence Binyon.

He said: “They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; age shall not weary them nor the years condemn.

“At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.”

A Royal Marines Portsmouth Road Band trumpeter played the last post, before the crowd observed a one-minute silence.

Kate joined attendees singing the hymn O God Our Help in Ages Past before the men and women in military uniforms marched off.

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Kate later attended a service at Westminster AbbeyCredit: Reuters
 

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The Princess of Wales wore a poppy on her lapel throughout the ceremoniesCredit: PA
 

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The Princess Royal attends a Dawn Service commemorating Anzac DayCredit: PA
The service has been observed in London since King George V first attended at Westminster Abbey in 1916.

The Princess Royal had earlier attended a dawn service at Wellington Arch in central London to mark Anzac Day.

Princess Anne arrived for the service – organised by the New Zealand and Australian High Commissions – shortly before it started at 5am.

Anne laid a wreath during a service that included a reading of the John McCrae poem In Flanders Fields.

She was joined by members of the military at the New Zealand Memorial on Hyde Park Corner.

It concluded with the national anthems of the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia.

Services were also held across New Zealand, Australia and Gallipoli today.

It was also marked in Villers-Bretonneux, a village in the Somme region of France, which Australian units helped defend during the First World War.

A post on the Royal Family social media account this morning also paid tribute to the fallen heroes.

It read: “Today is #ANZACDay – which honours the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who served and died in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations.”

Earlier this week, Kate hugged a tearful George Cross hero as the Royal Family united in memory of Queen Elizabeth II.

The Princess of Wales embraced ex-Met Police hero Tony Gledhill who won the award in 1966 after chasing down and capturing gun-toting crooks.

Tony, one of 190 special guests invited to the memorial party, was emotional as he told Kate his wife had recently passed away.

But as Kate held his arms warmly and shared an embrace, he told her his wife’s dying wish for him to attend the palace bash.

Kate gave him a hug and held his hands and said: “We’ll keep in touch, you must, if you want to? Writing? Will you keep in touch? Please do.”

Tony, 88, said afterwards: “She was fantastic.”

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Anne was joined by members of the military as she laid a wreath at the New Zealand MemorialCredit: Getty