A meeting with veteran John Barber brought a personal connection to a century of remembrance at London’s Guards Memorial.
Anne, Princess Royal, joined the rededication of London’s Guards Memorial on October 16, marking 100 years since its unveiling. Among those she met was John Barber, a 100-year-old veteran whose lifetime spans the monument’s entire history. The Royal Family’s official account identified him as an Irish Guards veteran who served from 1944 to 1948.
The official photographs show Anne at the ceremony and meeting the former serviceman, giving a personal face to an occasion centered on remembrance. The engagement was already listed in our Royal Diary; the completed ceremony adds the story of the people who gathered and the history they were there to honor.
A century of remembrance
PA reported that Anne unveiled the newly restored memorial, addressed the parade and laid a wreath. In her speech, she emphasized each generation’s responsibility to understand and remember those who died. Serving personnel, veterans, cadets and Chelsea Pensioners were among those she met.
For American readers familiar with the guards through royal ceremonies, the occasion also offers context. The Foot Guards are serving British Army soldiers, with operational duties alongside their ceremonial role, PA explains.
The history behind the bronze figures
According to the Royal Parks, the memorial was unveiled in 1926 by the Duke of Connaught, an uncle of King George V. Designed by H. Chalton Bradshaw, it features five life-size figures by sculptor Gilbert Ledward, representing the Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Welsh and Irish Guards.
The figures were made using guns captured during the First World War and modeled on real guardsmen. An inscription remembering the dead of the Second World War was added later. The monument itself was damaged by German bombing during that war; the Royal Parks says a small hole was deliberately retained in a sculpture during repairs.
One monument, two world wars
Unveiled to remember the Guardsmen who died in the First World War.
A later inscription extended its remembrance to those lost in the Second World War.
The centenary brought that history into the present through both the rededication and the people attending, including Barber, whose service began during the Second World War. Anne’s meeting with him offered a direct connection between the generations remembered by the monument and those gathered around it today.
Continue exploring
Sources and further reading
The Royal Family: official Facebook photo post and matching Instagram post, October 16, 2026; Anna Wise, Press Association, via The Irish News, October 16, 2026; Royal Parks: Guards Memorial history.
Last updated: October 17, 2026.
