Prince Charles joins in national Remembrance Day ceremonies Society OTTAWA JOHN WARD The Canadian Press

Prince Charles (right), wearing a Canadian Army uniform, chats with an Honour Guard as he visits Canadian soldiers and their families at CFB Petawawa, Ont. outside of Ottawa, Wednesday. — Photo by The Canadian Press

The man in line to be Canada's next king joined Prime Minister Stephen Harper and thousands of others to pay tribute to the country's war dead at a packed national Remembrance Day ceremony Wednesday.

Prince Charles, colonel-in-chief of three Canadian regiments, donned a full military uniform with the insignia of lieutenant-general as he laid a wreath at the foot of the towering National War Memorial.

It was the start of a royal day of tribute to the military. The prince later went to nearby CFB Petawawa where he paid tribute to soldiers and offered sympathy to the families of those killed in battle.

Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean, titular commander-in-chief of the Canadian Forces, also wore a dress uniform in a rare display as she walked beside the prince and laid a wreath on behalf of the Queen. Her epaulets and cuffs carried the lion insignia of her office.

Along with Gen. Walter Natynczyk, their uniforms gave an unusual martial appearance to the front ranks of the ceremony.

Della Marie Morley of East Saint Paul, Man., this year's Silver Cross mother, was on hand representing all grieving families. Her son, Cpl. Keith Morley, was killed in Afghanistan on Sept. 18, 2006, while serving with the 2nd battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.

The ritual began in bright sunshine and cool temperatures with a choir singing "O Canada" and a bugler playing the haunting notes of "The Last Post."

The crash of an artillery piece and the tolling of the Peace Tower clock sounding the hour of 11 a.m. heralded the two-minute silence.

The hush was broken by the crack of a second gun as a piper sent the keening notes of "The Lament" over the wide plaza around the memorial.

As a children's choir sang "In Flanders Fields," the dignitaries placed their wreaths in front of the tomb of the unknown soldier at the foot of the 21-metre-tall memorial.

Other wreaths were presented on behalf of the Forces, the Royal Canadian Legion, and other veterans' groups. Young people laid one on behalf of the country's youth.

Dozens of diplomats laid row upon row of wreaths along the granite flanks of the monument.

On the plaza, hundreds of veterans, many frail and bundled against the cold, sat with moist eyes as padres offered prayers and poet Laurence Binyon's pledge of remembrance was spoken: "At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them."

Most Second World War vets are in their late 80s. Korean War vets are in their late 70s.