The Cenotaph

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Address:: Cenotaph, Whitehall, Westminster,
London SW1
England
Buses:: 3 11 12 24 53 87 88 91 148 159 214 453
Trains:: Charing Cross BK NR, Embankment BK CR DS NR, St. James’s Park CR DS, Westminster CR DS JBNote: The nearest station to Cenotaph is Westminster. We can help plan your journey from Waterloo, King’s Cross and many other stations
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The Cenotaph in Whitehall, with military banners on the side

^{The Cenotaph, Whitehall}

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The Cenotaph is London’s memorial to the war dead. Its name comes from the Greek words Kenos and Taphos, meaning ‘empty tomb.’

History of the Cenotaph

The Cenotaph that we see today was built by Edwin Lutyens at the end of World War I, to replace the plaster body which was hastily erected for the Allied Victory Parade. It now represents every Commonwealth battle since 1918.

The body consists of a simple carved wreath on either side of the words The Glorious Dead. The flags of the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force join the Union Jack around the base. There are no religious motifs on it whatsoever.

Remembrance Day Parade

Every year, on the Sunday closest to November 11th, a steady stream of veterans march down Whitehall past the Cenotaph for the Remembrance Day Parade. The Queen, Prime Minister, and other leading dignitaries gather for a sombre service, and lay poppy wreaths at the foot of the tower.

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Drummerboy’s blog – The Cenotaph

Drummerboy – “The Cenotaph has always seemed a little bland to me. It’s just a concrete box standing on end. I know that’s probably the point, to make it devoid of decoration. But why should that be so? What’s wrong with a bit of celebration for these guys? Everyone wants to have the biggest gravestone in the churchyard… I know do, and I don’t even deserve it. I want the plushest walnut coffin to lie in, and silk pillow too. But we lumber these soldiers with a big concrete box… continued.”