ROME – On Monday, beneath an electric-blue November sky, members and friends of the commonwealth and allied nations community gathered for their annual Remembrance Day service in Rome.

 Held at the beautifully maintained Commonwealth War Cemetery, the hour-long service featured readings from a variety of religious and military personnel, as well as some singing from the Chamber Choir of St George’s International School.

 The service was opened with biblical readings by the Rev’d Canon Warren, the Rev’d Gabuyo, and the Rev’d Canon Cassidy, as well as a longer excerpt delivered by Maj Gen John Clark OBE.

 The congregation also had the pleasure of hearing Ambassador Edward Llewellyn read a poem, who then laid a wreath alongside other representatives from a diverse range of Commonwealth nations. This February, Amb. Llewellyn will celebrate three years as Ambassador to Italy, which follows a five-year stint as Ambassador to France from 2016-2021.

 ‘The Last Post’ was performed by a military official, followed by the act of reflection. The choristers from St. George’s British International School, located just outside of Rome, sang an arrangement of John McCrae’s ‘In Flanders Fields’, with accompaniment on guitar and violin, thus concluding the service.

 After the memorial, guests were invited back to the Ambassador’s official residency in San Giovanni for a reception. Ever a hive of activity, the Deputy Ambassador told of the variety of events hosted at Villa Wolkonsky in an ordinary week, from film screenings to conferences. It also welcomed British PM Sir Keir Starmer in September, to discuss migration management with his Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni.

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