The Queen asked the Prince of Wales to lay her wreath at the Cenotaph, in the first time the monarch has broken tradition and not performed the symbolic duty while in attendance at the Whitehall service.
A two-minute silence took place at 11am and wreaths were laid at the foot of the Whitehall memorial by senior royals and political leaders.
The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh watched the service from a Foreign and Commonwealth Office balcony, along with the Duchess of Cornwall.
The Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Wessex and Princess Alexandra watched from a second balcony.
For Royal-watchers, the Cenotaph ceremony will have been a significant moment, as the heir to the throne represents his mother in one of the key public duties of the year.
Announcing the decision last month, Buckingham Palace said the Queen wished to be by her husband's side on the balcony and had asked the Prince to lay a wreath instead.