Armistice Day speech template (United Kingdom)
Published 10 October 2026 · Date checked on 5 October 2026 · Written by the Cue Card Converter team at EventProgrammer, event production professionals
Armistice Day, on 11 November, marks the armistice that ended the fighting of the First World War on the Western Front at 11 a.m. in 1918. Today it is a day to remember members of the Armed Forces and civilians who have died in war and conflict. At 11 a.m. people across the United Kingdom stop for a two-minute silence, wherever they are. It is not a public holiday, so many people keep the silence at work, at school or in public places, and many wear a red poppy.
- Date
- November 11
- Next dates
- Wednesday 11 November 2026
Thursday 11 November 2027
Saturday 11 November 2028 - Country
- United Kingdom
- Tone
- Solemn – remembrance
- Typical events
- Workplace and office gatherings timed for 11 a.m., school assemblies, town squares, railway stations, war memorials, and Royal British Legion branch events.
- Length
- 179 spoken words · about 1.5 min at 130 words a minute · 4 cue cards
The Armistice Day speech, ready as cue cards
A complete host script in 4 cards, about 1.5 minutes of speaking. Open it in the editor to add your names, change the card size or highlights, and print.
- BEFORE THE SILENCE1 / 4
Good morning, and thank you for joining us. My name is {Your name}. In a few minutes, together with people in offices, schools and town squares across the country, we will keep the two-minute silence. Please make sure your phones are switched off or set to silent. - WHY ELEVEN O'CLOCK2 / 4
On 11 November 1918, the armistice took effect at 11 o'clock in the morning, and the fighting on the Western Front stopped. Ever since, this hour has been kept to remember members of the Armed Forces and civilians who have died in war and conflict, and all whose lives were changed for ever. - THE TWO-MINUTE SILENCE3 / 4
It is now almost 11 o'clock. Please stand if you are able, and stay where you are. I will mark the end of the silence by saying thank you.
[11:00 – TWO-MINUTE SILENCE]
Thank you. Please be seated. - CLOSING4 / 4
Thank you for keeping the silence with us. Poppies are available at {Location}, and donations to the Poppy Appeal support serving personnel, veterans and their families. As you return to your day, take a moment to remember the people behind the names on our memorials.
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
- Start gathering by about 10.50 a.m. so the silence begins exactly at 11 a.m. A visible clock, or a radio or television broadcast of the national silence, helps the host time it precisely.
- Armistice Day is always 11 November, whatever the day of the week. Remembrance Sunday is a separate occasion, with the national ceremony held at the Cenotaph in London.
- Some gatherings add the Exhortation, from Laurence Binyon's poem For the Fallen, just before the silence, with the audience repeating its final line. If you include it, give the reader the text on a separate card.
- Keep the tone quiet and inclusive. Remembrance covers people of all backgrounds and every conflict, so avoid applause, talk of victory or references to current political debates.
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: Armistice Day | About Remembrance | Royal British Legion. Customs vary between organisations and regions; always follow the official programme of your event.
More United Kingdom speech templates
- St David's Day · March 1
- St George's Day · April 23
- Remembrance Sunday · Second Sunday in November
- St Andrew's Day · November 30