Ceramic poppies to be planted in the Tower of London's moat
9 May 2014 10:20 AM
888,246 ceramic poppies
will be planted in the moat at the Tower of London to commemorate British and
Commonwealth fatalities during the First World
War.
Plans to ‘plant’
888,246 ceramic poppies in the moat at the Tower of London have been announced.
The poppies – one for each British and Commonwealth fatality during the
First World War – will be unveiled on 5 August to mark the centenary of
Britain’s entry into the conflict.
Artist Paul Cummins and stage
designer Tom Piper are the creative force behind the idea, which is part of
Historic Royal Palaces’ programme to mark the centenary.
First World War Centenary
minister, Helen Grant, said:
This promises to be an
impressive and eye-catching work that will, I hope, really bring home to
everyone the sheer scale of the sacrifice our servicemen and women made across
those dark years in our history. There will be many events and programmes
across the centenary and this seems set to be one of the most
memorable.
Michael Day, Chief Executive
Historic Royal Palaces, said:
The First World War was a
pivotal moment in our history, claiming the lives of over 16million people
across the globe; its consequences have shaped our modern society. It is
important for us to ensure that those who lived, fought and served during this
time are remembered and we hope that the Tower of London’s involvement
during this centenary anniversary will serve as a fitting marker to those who
lost their lives, whilst encouraging others to reflect on our
past.
During the First World War the
Tower’s moat was used to swear in over 1,600 men who had enlisted by the
end of August 1914 at the recruitment station in the City to form the 10th
Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers - the so called ‘stock
brokers battalion’ who fought for the duration of the
war.
A programme of events will
accompany the installation which will remain until 11 am on 11 November 2014.
They will then be sold individually to the public, to raise money for six armed
forces charities.
Information about the First
World War Centenary