- DURATION 60 mins
Event Description
Over one hundred years ago, the body of the Unknown Warrior was brought from the battlefields of France to be re-buried in Westminster Abbey, among the great and the good of British life. This unidentified serviceman was commemorated with all the pomp and circumstance of a State funeral, attended by King George V, other members of the British Royal Family and other important dignitaries, both civil and military. But why was this, what is the story behind the burial of the unknown warrior and what was the public reaction at the time? Who first thought of the idea of re-burial and was/is the identity of the unknown warrior actually known to a privileged few?
Since 1920, many different accounts of the circumstances behind this national event - an idea copied by many other countries since - have been written and there has been much speculation and some contradictions. What is certain is that the re-burial of an unknown serviceman captured the imagination of the British public like few events before or since, and was partly a victory for 'people power'.
Please join us to find out more about the story of the Unknown Warrior, the background behind the imposing ceremony itself and the special place that his tomb occupies in our national history and the hearts of the nation.
- Duration: 60 mins
- Online Zoom event: Join from your computer, phone or tablet (no replay available)
Meet the Host, Margaret
Margaret has taught as a qualified lecturer in further, higher and adult education for over 33 years, and currently teaches English Literature and History in adult education. For many years, she has given talks to various different clubs, societies and other organisations, including Rotary and Probus Clubs, U3A’s, WI’s, Townswomen’s Guilds and Archaeological & Historical Societies. She writes a book review each month and contributes short local history topics for a community radio station, alongside writing published articles for the Brontë Society, the Jane Austen Society, Community Archives and the British Association for Local History. Her aim is that her talks are informative and interesting, with a touch of humour!
Preparing for the Event
For the best experience, you will need to have Zoom downloaded onto your computer. Please ensure you're connected to broadband/wifi rather than using your mobile phone connection (3G/4G).
We also recommend that pets are either calmly sitting on your lap or in another room, and any refreshments you may require are within your reach!
Resources
The Burial of the Unknown Warrior has supplementary learning materials provided by the event host. Once you book an event, you will get access to these resources.
More Information
What if I can’t make the event?
If a recording’s available for the event, you can still register for it and we will send you an email with a link to a recording shortly after it ends.
Will my camera be on and will I be visible to the other people?
Your camera and microphone does not need to be on for you to enjoy the event. The choice about whether to do this is completely yours.
How do I watch the live event?
Rest Less events are hosted on Zoom, a computer application that allows you to attend online events just by clicking a link. For detailed instructions, please go to our "FAQ" page, which you can find a link to in the nav bar at the top of the page.
How do I sign-up for and access the recording? (Recorded events only)
Book the event as normal (as if you are attending live). After the event ends you will automatically receive a post-event email with a link to the recording, as long as the event was recorded. You do not need to do anything else and there is no separate booking process for recordings only. Please note it can take up to 24 hours for Zoom to process recordings.