Armistice Day speech template (France)
Published 10 October 2026 · Date checked on 5 October 2026 · Written by the Cue Card Converter team at EventProgrammer, event production professionals
Armistice Day, the 11 novembre, is a public holiday in France. It marks the armistice signed on 11 November 1918, which ended the fighting of the First World War; the ceasefire took effect at 11 a.m. Since 2012 the day has also honoured all who died for France, in every conflict. Ceremonies are held at war memorials across the country, with wreath-laying, the reading of names, a minute of silence and La Marseillaise. Many people wear the bleuet, the cornflower of remembrance.
- Date
- November 11
- Next dates
- Wednesday 11 November 2026
Thursday 11 November 2027
Saturday 11 November 2028 - Country
- France
- Tone
- Solemn – remembrance
- Typical events
- Ceremonies at the monument aux morts in towns and villages, school commemorations, veterans' associations, military units and French embassies and consulates abroad.
- Length
- 185 spoken words · about 1.5 min at 130 words a minute · 5 cue cards
The Armistice Day speech, ready as cue cards
A complete host script in 5 cards, about 1.5 minutes of speaking. Open it in the editor to add your names, change the card size or highlights, and print.
- WELCOME1 / 5
Good morning. My name is {Your name}, and on behalf of {Organisation} I welcome you to this ceremony of remembrance. We gather here at {War memorial}, as communities do across France today, to honour those who died for France. - THE ARMISTICE2 / 5
At 11 o'clock on 11 November 1918, the fighting stopped along the Western Front. The armistice signed that morning at Rethondes, in the forest of Compiègne, ended more than four years of war. Church bells rang across France. Today this date also honours all who have died for France, in every conflict. - THE ROLL OF HONOUR3 / 5
We will now hear the names of those from {Town} who died for France. After each name, please answer together with the words: mort pour la France.
[READING OF THE NAMES] - A MINUTE OF SILENCE4 / 5
A wreath will now be laid at the foot of the memorial. Please remain standing for the Sonnerie aux morts, the minute of silence and La Marseillaise.
[WREATH – SONNERIE AUX MORTS]
[MINUTE OF SILENCE – LA MARSEILLAISE] - CLOSING5 / 5
Thank you to our readers, to the flag-bearers and to everyone who has joined us this morning. As we leave this place, let us carry their names with us, and the peace they never knew. This ceremony is now closed.
Red is used only for names, titles, organisations, dates, times and section headings. Replace the words in {curly brackets} with your own details; lines in [SQUARE BRACKETS] are stage directions and are not read aloud.
How to adapt it
- The usual French order is the wreath-laying, the Sonnerie aux morts bugle call, a minute of silence and La Marseillaise. Confirm the running order with your town hall and adapt the cards to it.
- The bleuet de France, a cornflower, is France's symbol of remembrance. Wear one, and tell guests where to find them if a veterans' association is selling them.
- Prepare the list of names from your local memorial well in advance. Check pronunciation with families or the town archive, and rehearse the readers, often schoolchildren, together.
- Keep the ceremony solemn: no applause, an unhurried pace between each stage, and a short, quiet close once La Marseillaise has ended.
Print and rehearse
“Edit and print these cards” opens the script in the free cue card maker, where you can choose A5, 4 × 6 or 3 × 5 inch cards, print several per sheet with cut lines or export PDF, PowerPoint and Word, and rehearse full screen in practice mode. To write your own programme around it, see how to write an MC script and the run of show template.
Sources
Date and background checked on 5 October 2026 against: 11 novembre 1918 : ces négociations qui mirent fin à la Grande Guerre | Ministère des Armées et des Anciens combattants. Customs vary between organisations and regions; always follow the official programme of your event.
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