It is Britain's way of honouring its fallen soldiers, and it remains a national focal point, much as it was when Elizabeth, 88, was a young princess. There is the mournful symphonic music, the march of around 10,000 veterans, and the sense that Britain and much of the Commonwealth has come to a halt to recognise those who have lost their lives in battle.
The pageantry harkens back to the days of the British Empire, even as contemporary losses of British personnel in Afghanistan are sadly noted.
Elizabeth, dressed in black, bowed her head after she placed the wreath at the Cenotaph, built after World War I to recognise soldiers killed in action. She spent more than a half hour standing motionless as the ceremony unfolded.
William's pregnant wife Kate and Charles' wife Camilla watched from a nearby balcony. Both wore black. The royals were followed by Cameron, and other politicians and dignitaries from Britain, Commonwealth countries and the Republic of Ireland.
Large crowds, including a leather-lunged enthusiast who managed to shout "Hooray" loudly enough to be picked up by national television, thronged the surrounding streets on a cold, clear day in the capital.