On 11 November 2025, The Veterans Charity’s annual Routes of Remembrance initiative marked a powerful step forward in its mission to carry wreaths and tributes on meaningful journeys of remembrance — this year with special significance, featuring the participation of Her Majesty The Queen.
The event began at Chippenham station, where Queen Camilla boarded a specially-designated early-morning service of the Great Western Railway (GWR). With communities gathered on the platform, including members of The Veterans Charity and local schoolchildren presenting wreaths of crocheted poppies, the train carried the message of remembrance through the railway network to London’s London Paddington station.
At Paddington, the wreaths were laid on Platform 1’s war memorial in a moving service. Queen Camilla, alongside veterans and railway industry personnel, observed the two-minutes’ silence, attended a performance by the Military Wives Choir, and met reservists and veterans working within the rail sector. The Queen spoke to our Trustee who created the concept in 2020 and he explained how it was an idea initially to help one elderly veteran in Cornwall.
The 2025 Routes of Remembrance event placed special emphasis on the enduring link between railways and military service — recognising decades of service from war-time mobilisation to present-day veterans stepping into rail industry roles. Whilst this year marks the 200th anniversary of the creation of the railways, it was also 170 years ago that a dedicated railway was built in the Crimea to directly support the British Army.
As part of this year’s commemoration:
Over 250 wreaths were transported into London via GWR services from more than 60 stations across the network.
Queen Camilla acknowledged the efforts of young learners at Chippenham who had produced handmade wreaths especially for the occasion.
The Veterans Charity’s team and volunteers stood alongside guests at the ceremony – emphasising that Routes of Remembrance is not simply about one journey, but a movement linking communities, transport networks and military heritage.
In short, the 2025 edition of Routes of Remembrance was a deeply moving reminder that remembrance is carried through more than ceremonies — it travels by rail, by road, by sea, and by the dedication of many. With Queen Camilla’s participation the nation was offered a tribute both historic and hopeful, uniting rail workers, veterans, communities and young people in honouring the fallen and supporting the veterans of today.
This year Routes have visited South America, Antarctica, Asia and many other additional countries across Europe such as Poland and Norway. The only continent not to have been visited, yet, is Africa and plans are well underway to complete the continents in 2026.
