This is when the 2 minute silence is being broadcast on Remembrance Day - and full TV schedule

Remembrance Day marks the end of the First World War, and each year around 11 November the BBC releases a special television schedule in commemoration of those who fought and lost their lives in the conflict.

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Despite the unusual circumstances this year, an adapted Remembrance Week television line-up is still going ahead, with programmes being shown across BBC One from 7 November.

Tim Davie, BBC’s Director General, said: “I am proud of the role the BBC plays every year in marking Remembrance.

“This year is particularly significant, as we gather remotely to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice and pay tribute to their lives.”

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Here’s everything you need to know about Remembrance Day 2020’s TV coverage.

What’s on TV for Remembrance Day?

Saturday 7 November

The Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance will be shown on BBC One at 9:10pm.

There’s still a jam-packed schedule for the night, despite the pandemic, with Presenter Huw Edwards hosting the event from the Royal Albert Hall in London.

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There won’t be as many guests this year, but specially-invited people, seated at a safe distance, will represent those who can’t attend.

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will give special tributes to the Armed Forces and nursing staff, while actors Samantha Morton, Kara-Leah Fernandes and Julian Ovenden will recite people’s first-hand experiences of the Second World War.

Captain Sir Tom Moore, the 100-year-old war veteran who was knighted after raising £33 million for the NHS by walking 100 laps of his garden during the first lockdown, will feature on the programme to discuss what remembrance means to him.

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There will also be performances from Armed Forces military musicians, alongside singers Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Freya Ridings, Mica Paris and Marisha Wallace, and Michael Ball and Alfie Boe will surprise veterans and Royal Hospital Chelsea.

Sunday 8 November

This year’s Remembrance Sunday event at The Cenotaph will be shown at 10:15am on BBC One.

Although the traditional annual service is going ahead, the format has been adapted for coronavirus safety and it will be closed to members of the public for the first time in history, with spectators encouraged to watch from home.

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Presenter David Dimbleby will host the live coverage from the site in London, where royal family members, government officials and the Armed Forces will still gather for the two-minute silence at 11am.

This will be followed by the usual wreath-laying in remembrance of the soldiers who died in conflict.

Wednesday 11 November

On Remembrance Day itself, Huw Edwards will be at Westminster Abbey to present The Unknown Warrior 100, at 10:30am on BBC One.

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This programme marks the 100th anniversary of the burial of the Unknown Warrior - an unidentified British soldier who was killed during the First World War.

The burial at Westminster Abbey, in 1920, symbolised all the soldiers who had died for their country but whose place of death was unknown, or whose body remained unidentified.

The ceremony will include singing by the Abbey Choir, an address by the Archbishop of Canterbury and a performance by Ruby Turner who will sing the hymn Abide With Me.

Why do we celebrate Remembrance Day?

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Armistice Day, also known as Remembrance Day, marks the agreement made between the Allies and Germany to stop the fighting during World War One.

It was signed on November 11, 1918 - 102 years ago - and the guns stopped at the eleventh hour that same day, essentially bringing four years of warfare to an end.

As well as the soldiers that lost their lives during the Great War, Remembrance Day shows appreciation for the fallen soldiers of the Second World War.

Why do people wear poppies?

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In the run-up to Armistice Day, millions of Brits wear poppies as a mark of respect to the soldiers who died representing their country.

The poppies symbolise the flowers that grew over the battlefields after the end of the war.

Money raised by the Poppy Appeal, which is run by charity The Royal British Legion, is used to raise money for the servicemen and women affected by conflict.

What is Remembrance Sunday?

Remembrance Sunday isn’t the same as Remembrance Day.

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A National Service of Remembrance is held at The Cenotaph in London on the second Sunday in November every year, with members of the royal family and the government in attendance.

This year’s Remembrance Sunday services will take place on 8 November.

The soldiers who died fighting have been honoured on every Remembrance Sunday since 1919 by a two-minute silence, which takes place at 11am at war memorials, cenotaphs, religious services and even shopping centres around the country.

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