Standing solemnly on Whitehall, the Cenotaph is Britain’s national memorial honoring the men and women who died in the World Wars and later conflicts. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, it was first erected in 1919 for a peace parade and rebuilt in stone the following year after overwhelming public support. Its name comes from the Greek word for “empty tomb,” representing all who have no known grave. Each Remembrance Sunday, the monarch, politicians, and veterans lay red poppy wreaths here in silence as Big Ben tolls eleven. Simple yet deeply moving, the Cenotaph stands as a symbol of sacrifice, unity, and enduring remembrance.