A charity urging people to wear white rather than red poppies has been accused of attempting to ‘hijack’ Remembrance Sunday after calling for the occasion to be ‘decolonised’ and not ‘glorify’ the British Empire.
The Peace Pledge Union has claimed that annual ceremonies to commemorate the armed forces ‘gloss over the history and violence of colonialism’.
The organisation, which distributes white poppies, demanded there be more attention paid to ‘the human cost of colonial conflicts’ – highlighting the 1919 Amritsar massacre in Punjab, India, and the 1952-1960 Mau Mau uprising in Kenya.
Both happened when the territories were under British colonial rule.
But critics have condemned the timing of the PPU’s new campaign, ahead of the King this morning leading the annual Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph in London while similar events take place across the UK.
Col Richard Kemp, former commander of UK forces in Afghanistan, told PPU activists: ‘Do it on a different day.’
Red poppies have been sold on fundraising behalf of the Royal British Legion since 1921, with its Poppy Appeal last year generating £49.2million for members in need of the armed forces and this year setting a target of £53.1million.
White poppies – symbolising a commitment to peace and commemorating all victims of war, including both military and civilian – were introduced in 1933 by the Co-operative Women’s Guild.
The PPU has now issued a statement aimed at drawing attention to the UK’s colonial past, coinciding with Remembrance Sunday today and tomorrow’s Armistice Day which marks the anniversary of the First World War’s end in 1918.
The group said: ‘To remember the victims of colonial wars, we must actively challenge nationalist narratives that whitewash or glorify colonialism.
‘We also need to oppose the racist legacies of colonialism that continue to influence who is remembered and whose histories and experiences are erased.’
King Charles will this morning lead the nation in a two-minute silence at 11am to honour those who have died in conflict.
Members of the royal family will, together with senior politicians, lay wreaths during the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph to mark the Armistice of the First World War and all other conflicts involving British and Commonwealth forces.
The Royal British Legion’s veteran parade will see 10,000 veterans, representing 326 different armed forces and civilian organisations, march past the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London.
Thousands of people are expected to line Whitehall to take part in the two-minute silence.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in the Second World War and the 25th anniversary of the end of the war in Kosovo.
It also marks the 75th anniversary of Nato and the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale between the UK and France.
More than 800 sailors, soldiers and aviators will be on duty on Remembrance Sunday, representing their services at the Cenotaph and at commemorative services at Westminster Abbey and Westminster Cathedral.
And among those criticising the PPU’s statement amid such commemorations was Col Kemp, who led Operation Fingal in Afghanistan between June and November 2003, the Telegraph reported.
He said: ‘Frankly, if they have a genuine interest in commemorating or making a statement about people who died as a result of British colonisation – by all means, do it, but do it on a different day.
‘Don’t do it on the day that we commemorate people who died to give us the freedoms that we have today.
‘Thousands of people from the British colonies from the First and Second World Wars voluntarily served to fight for the British Empire – they weren’t forced to, they wanted to do it. And those who lost their lives are commemorated alongside British people on Remembrance Sunday.’
‘If people want to wear the white poppy that is entirely up to them but one of the problems is that the money donated to do white poppy goes to propagandising their political cause, it doesn’t go to helping wounded servicemen and their dependents as the red poppy does.
‘It is a diversion from some of the benefits of Remembrance Sunday.’
The Conservatives’ shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said: ‘The point about the festival of Remembrance is that it is to remember those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in order to defend the freedom of our nation and all freedom-loving nations.
‘I will be proud to wear the traditional red poppy because we must never forget the sacrifice of those who gave their lives so that we can be free.’
He accused the PPU’s campaign to ‘decolonise’ today of threatening to ‘completely undermine that message’, adding: ‘I would encourage everyone to continue to support the poppy appeal and to observe all the traditional facets of Remembrance weekend.
‘As the war in Ukraine has shown, if you want to have peace, you have to be ultimately prepared to fight for it by deterring your adversaries.’
The PPU’s remembrance project manager Geoff Tibbs has said: ‘When we still see politicians openly celebrating the British Empire, it is vital that we remember the impacts that colonial wars and violence have had – and continue to have – around the globe.
‘We need to make space for the victims of colonial wars on Remembrance Day. This involves listening to the voices of those affected by that history and the ongoing impacts of colonialism, both in the UK and elsewhere.
‘It involves actively challenging the racist legacies of colonialism that continue to influence whose lives are valued and whose are not.’
He highlighted how various official Remembrance Sunday events across Britain were including white poppies in their ceremonies.
The organisation’s website says: ‘At a national level, any profits from white poppy sales go towards promoting peaceful alternatives to war, campaigning against militarism and our peace education work.
‘At a local level, peace groups, shops and other outlets that sell white poppies may choose to donate money raised to a charity or campaign supporting victims of war.’
Meanwhile, the Princess of Wales is expected to watch today’s Whitehall event from above, on the nearby Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office balcony.
It will be her second consecutive day of royal duties, having attended last night’s Festival of Remembrance event at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
Kate, 42, has made just a handful of public appearances so far in 2024, after she underwent major abdominal surgery in January and then was diagnosed with cancer.
In a video the princess released in September, she revealed she had finished her chemotherapy treatment, and spoke of how she was ‘looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months’.
The King, who received a standing ovation and applause upon entering the Royal Albert Hall last night, was sitting next to the Princess Royal.
But the Queen was absent from the Festival and is also due to miss today Cenotaph ceremony to ensure she makes a full recovery from a chest infection, and to protect others from any risk.
Camilla, 77, pulled out of an Olympic and Paralympic reception at the Palace and the opening of the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey earlier this week after developing the seasonal respiratory bug following her long-haul tour to and Samoa and spa break in India.
Of the Remembrance weekend, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the ‘courage and sacrifice of so many over the generations’ brings the country together on Remembrance Day ‘in a spirit of the most profound gratitude and respect’.
And Defence Secretary John Healey said it was a ‘duty’ to ‘educate future generations about their courage and commitment to defending Britain’.
According to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport ‘people of all ages’ will be among those marching today – from bereaved military children of the Scotty’s Little Soldiers charity through to D-Day veterans of the Spirit of Normandy Trust.