Queen Elizabeth paid tribute to the 20th anniversary of 9/11, instructing her guards at Windsor Castle to play “The Star-Spangled Banner” on Saturday afternoon.
The move mirrored the request made by the Queen two decades ago, when the U.S. National Anthem was played during the ceremonial Changing of the Guard outside of Buckingham Palace.
The Queen sent a message of solidarity to President Biden, touching on her own experience visiting Ground Zero in New York in 2010.
“My visit to the site of the World Trade Center in 2010 is held fast in my memory,” the Queen said in a statement. “It reminds me that as we honor those from many nations, faiths, and backgrounds who lost their lives, we also pay tribute to the resilience and determination of the communities who joined together to rebuild.”
Just as they did at Buckingham Palace twenty years ago to show solidarity with our US allies, the Band of the @WelshGuards this morning played the US National Anthem at changing of the guard. #911Memorial #NeverForget @Corpsarmymusic @RoyalFamily @UKinUSA @BritishArmy pic.twitter.com/YNktnO5HwE
— The Army in London (@ArmyInLondon) September 11, 2021
Thousands, many of whom were Americans, gathered outside of Buckingham Palace on September 13, 2001 to listen to the Star- Spangled Banner just two days after the attacks. Some attendants, visibly emotional, waved American flags.
A total of 2,977 people were killed in the terror attacks, including 67 British nationals.
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson released a video message to honor the lives lost from 9/11.
Mr. Johnson lambasted the terrorists “failed” attempt “to shake our belief in freedom and democracy.”
“The fact that we are coming together today in sorrow but also in faith and resolve demonstrates the failure of terrorism and the strength of the bonds between us,” Mr. Johnson said.
Two new museum exhibits have also opened up around London to commemorate and remember the events of 9/11.
The U.S. Embassy in London put out a recent display that included artifacts from the day, including American flags that held written messages of support.
The Imperial War Museum also opened up a section dedicated to 9/11, featuring photos taken at Ground Zero on that day in New York.
• Mica Soellner can be reached at msoellner@washingtontimes.com.
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