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The reason why the royal family wear three poppies

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The reason why the royal family wear three poppies
The reason why the royal family wear three poppies

POPPIES are a symbol of both Remembrance and hope for a peaceful future since the First World War.

The Royal Family is often spotted wearing multiple poppies during Remembrance Day events - here's why.

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The late Queen would wear five poppiesCredit: AFP and Licensors

When does the Royal Family wear three poppies?

The reason why the Royal Family wears three poppies has not been confirmed.

However, one theory is that they wear multiple brooches to honour family members who have fought and died in wars.

For example, Kate Middleton's great-grandmother had three brothers who were killed in action during the First World War.

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The Princess viewed letters from her ancestors during a poignant visit to the Imperial War Museum in 2018.

Other people believe the royal's decision to wear multiple poppies is simply because three poppies are more visible than one.

The late Queen traditionally wore five poppies – which was thought to represent each service in the war (the Army, the Navy, the RAF, the Civil Defence and women).

Other royal experts suggest her choice to wear multiple poppies could be a way to symbolise that she is the most senior dignitary at the ceremonies.

What do the poppies represent?

Poppies are worn as a show of support for the Armed Forces community.

The poppy is a well-known symbol that carries a wealth of history and meaning with it.

It originates back to WW1 when the flower grew on the battlefields soldiers lost their lives.

However, the poppy wasn't made a popular way to remember the brave until a WW1 poem called In Flanders Fields was written by John McCrae.

Since then, the poppy has been a symbol of remembering everyone who lost their lives to wars and have died on behalf of their country.

The Royal British Legion was founded on May 15, 1921.

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They sold out straight away and raised more than £106,000 for those whose lives had been affected by the war.

In response, Major George Howson set up the Poppy Factory in 1922, to employ disabled ex-servicemen.

The factory is still around today and its warehouse in Aylesford produce millions of poppies each year.

Poppies used to be made out of silk, unlike today where they are made out of paper.

Although red is the most commonly worn remembrance poppy, there is a choice of colours, each with its own meaning, but all commemorate the losses of war.

The money raised by the poppies helps veterans who may need to find new jobs or somewhere to live, or any other support they may need.

It is also used to help those who have lost loved ones because of wars.

While the majority of people wear their poppy on their chest, there is no right or wrong way to wear a poppy.

Wearing a poppy is a personal choice, and it reflects individual experiences and memories.

As the Royal British Legion says: "We only ask you to wear it with pride."

Why do some royals wear three poppies while others one or two?

The exact reason why some royals wear more than one poppy has not been revealed.

Camilla, Queen Consort chose to wear just one poppy in 2022 despite having previously worn three.

She is believed to have worn the poppy on the left side as it is closest to the heart.

In 2019, for the Remembrance Sunday service, the Duchess of Cambridge opted to wear a particularly special brooch.

Kate chose to wear The Codebreakers Brooch in honour of her grandmother Valerie Glassborow, Valerie's twin sister Mary and her great-aunt, who all served as codebreakers at Bletchley Park during the Second World War.

The British Legion's official website states that there is "no 'correct' way to wear a poppy" and it all boils down to personal preference.

Lydia Hawken

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