The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have revealed their pride at launching the Royal British Legion's 2021 Poppy Appeal during a very special year for the charity.
Prince Charles and Camilla met with a group of ten collectors at Clarence House, who each represent a decade as the RBL marks its centenary year.
Devastatingly, the charity was forced to cancel all face-to-face fundraising for the first time in its history in 2020, due to the pandemic. And now the RBL is celebrating the return of 40,000 volunteers to help raise vital funds to support its work.
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WATCH: Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall launch 2021 Poppy Appeal
The Prince said: "This year, we warmly welcome the return of Poppy Appeal collectors to our communities. My wife and I are immensely proud to launch the Poppy Appeal in this seminal year and we invite the nation to come together and, once again, wear a poppy in support of our Armed Forces community. After all, every poppy counts."
© Photo: AlamyCharles views a poppy collection tin from the 1920s
It comes after the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge showed their support for the Poppy Appeal last year by baking beautifully decorated cupcakes, which were delivered to a RBL care home in Norfolk.
RBL's ten collectors include Jill Gladwell, 95, who is celebrating 80 years of collecting for the Poppy Appeal this year.
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© Photo: AlamyCharles and Camilla meeting collectors Jill, 95, and Maisie, ten
Jill, who first began volunteering aged 14 during World War Two, said she was "excited" to be back collecting and have the support of the royal couple, adding: "It's likely to be my last year collecting as I hand it over to my family, so I hope lots of people come and find me to donate.
"I saw first-hand the effects of the Second World War and know how important it is to continue helping the Armed Forces community who sacrifice so much."
The youngest collector is ten-year-old Maisie Mead from Plymouth, who has been involved in the Poppy Appeal since the age of four, after her dad was medically discharged with a life-changing back injury while serving with the Army in the Royal Logistics Corps.
The RBL's Poppy Appeal takes place from Thursday 28 October until Remembrance Sunday on 14 November. The charity was formed in the aftermath of the First World War to fight for the rights of those who had given so much and come back to so little.
For further information, visit britishlegion.org.uk
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