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Having worked on both sides of Whitehall, photographed Remembrance Sunday on a few occasions, and walked past it countless times, I’m very familiar with the Cenotaph.
It’s hard to miss as one of four structures sitting in the middle of the road along Whitehall (the other three being the George Duke of Cambridge statue, Field Marshal Earl Haig Memorial, and the Women of World War II monument).
You’ll find it at the opposite end of Whitehall to Trafalgar Square; undoubtedly, it’s one of the highlights of Whitehall.
The Cenotaph
The Cenotaph has been the centre of the United Kingdom’s Remembrance for over a century. It’s the nation’s chief war memorial to the dead of the First and Second World Wars and each subsequent conflict.
If you were wondering, the word cenotaph is defined as “a monument to someone buried elsewhere, especially one commemorating people who died in a war” and derives from the Greek ‘kenos taphos’, meaning ’empty tomb’.
It’s one of almost 6000 war memorials recorded in London by the UK National Inventory of War Memorials and one of several in the capital managed by English Heritage.
According to Parliament, throughout World War One, 880,000 British forces died, which was 6% of the adult male population and 12.5% of those serving.
Many of these were never recovered or identified, but for those who were, it was decided not to repatriate them, instead burying them in cemeteries near where they fell.
As a result, thousands of war memorials were erected across Britain, including private memorials, parish crosses, and municipal monuments, but the Cenotaph on Whitehall became the national focal point.
A Brief History of the Cenotaph
The complete history of the Cenotaph is surprisingly long for a monument, so here’s a shorter, more digestible version.
Initially, the Cenotaph was built as a temporary monument in 1919, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, who became the Imperial War Graves Commission architect after the First World War.
The initial design was made of wood and plaster and was erected for Peace Day events in July 1919 at the request of Prime Minister David Lloyd George.
However, the structure won the public’s hearts, and almost one million people made the pilgrimage to Whitehall to see the monument.
Many of the visitors left wreaths for the dead and missing from the Great War (what we now call World War One).
The Cenotaph became a permanent memorial because of the public’s ardour for it.
It was to be made from Portland stone and unveiled on Armistice Day, November 11, 1920, and has been the centre of the Remembrance Service ever since.
The design of Lutyen’s permanent memorial was one of sophistication and geometrical purity – simplicity and austerity were intended to provide a universal quality, memorialising each of the 1,100,000 men from across the British Empire, regardless of race or religion, who gave their lives in the war.
The Cenotaph Now
Today, the Cenotaph is looked after by Engish Heritage.
It’s one of several war memorials in London under their care.
To help protect it from pollution and weathering, maintenance work is carried out twice a year, including water cleaning and shelter coating, as well as freshening up the flags on the sides (which consist of a Union flag on both sides. On the east side, you’ll see a White Ensign and a Blue Ensign flanking the Union flag, and on the west side, you’ll find a Royal Air Force and Red Ensign flag flanking the Union flag.)
Lots of events are held at the Cenotaph each year, but Armistice Day and Remembrance Day are the most notable.
Armistice Day is the anniversary of the signing of the First World War-ending Armistice on November 11, 1918, and is held on the same day each year.
Remembrance Day (which grew from Armistice Day and is very closely linked) falls on the second Sunday of November.
Despite being a military event, you might be surprised that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport organises it, not the Ministry of Defence.
Visitor Information
📍The Cenotaph, Whitehall, London, SW1A 2ET
💷 Free
🕙 24 Hours
📞 03703331181
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