This royal steps in for Queen Camilla after her exhausting trip.

A lesser-known royal stepped in for Queen Camilla today at the 98th Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey.

The Duchess of Gloucester attended the annual memorial service in place of the Queen.

Queen Camilla would normally perform this duty, but she is taking rest days after returning from a busy royal tour in the Caribbean.

King Charles and Queen Camilla only flew back to the United Kingdom yesterday.

The Duchess of Gloucester was greeted at the event by the Dean of Westminster, The Very Reverend David Hoyle, and the President of the Poppy Factory, Vice Admiral Sir David Steel.

Prayers were said before the Duchess laid a cross.

The Last Post was sounded.

The Exhortation to Remembrance was then read by Vice Admiral Steel ahead of the two-minute silence.

Her Royal Highness afterwards spent time looking at the poppies, meeting service personnel, and spending time with veterans and their families.

Various crosses have been laid by The Rifles, The Royal Lancers and The Grenadier Guards, of which The Queen is Colonel.

Crosses have also been laid by The Royal Army Chaplains' Department, The Submariners Association (HMS ASTUTE), The RAF Association (RAF Halton and Leeming), New Zealand, Canada, Australia and the Royal Navy Medical Service.

The Field of Remembrance is organised by the Poppy Factory.

It has been held in the grounds of Westminster Abbey since November 1928.

Its aim is to commemorate those who have lost their lives serving in the Armed Forces.

Members of the public, as well as ex-servicemen and women, are invited to plant a cross or a symbol carrying a personal message in memory of those who have lost their lives in the service of others.

This year there are 234 plots, including new plots to represent the Lisbon Maru Memorial Association, Association of Royal Navy Officers, Maritime Reserves, General Service Corps Association and Royal Army Medical Services.

The Poppy Factory, which organises the memorial space, supports veterans and families looking for employment.

It uses its specialist service to help over 1,200 veterans and family members in England and Wales feel healthier, more independent and better connected.

The important royal outing today comes ahead of other Remembrance events in the UK.

The Royal Family will step out this Sunday for Remembrance Sunday.

King Charles and Queen Camilla have had a successful visit to Antigua and Barbuda, following on from His Majesty's solo visits to the Bahamas and Guyana.

They touched down on UK soil on Thursday, just in time for Bonfire Night.

However, it may not be a big celebration in the royal household.

The royal couple have two dogs: Bluebell, a rescue Jack Russell Terrier adopted by Camilla from the Battersea Dogs & Cats Home in 2012, and Moley, a part Jack Russell Terrier adopted from the same place in 2025.

It is well known that dogs can struggle with the loud bangs that come with fireworks, and are often unsettled during this time of year.

The Jack Russell breed in particular, being a non-hunting breed, is said to not cope well with the sounds.

So Charles and Camilla may be spending their post-travel evening comforting their pooches if they aren't happy.

Advice on the Battersea Dogs Home website includes playing classical music to soothe and calm your pet, giving them a long-lasting chew to keep them distracted, and also drawing the curtains to block out the light from fireworks.

The Queen is a huge dog fan and she has written about her love for her four-legged companions.

In 2022, she referenced her pet dogs at the time, Bluebell and Beth, in a foreword for the book Top Dogs: A British Love Affair.

"They are both colourful characters – and now I cannot imagine my life, my home or my sofas without them," she penned about her adopted pooches.

This is a passion she shared with the late Queen Elizabeth II, who had a long-standing love affair with dogs, particularly corgis.

She would often roam around Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle with dogs at her feet.