Is it possible for a war memorial to represent absence? That is exactly what the Cenotaph does. We stand before a powerful symbol of remembrance. It stands on Whitehall in London. The Cenotaph is the United Kingdom’s national memorial. It honors the dead of Britain and the British Empire. These brave souls fought in the First World War.
Later, it was rededicated in 1946. It then included those who died in the Second World War. Since then, it has represented casualties from later conflicts. These casualties came from the Commonwealth. The word “cenotaph” comes from Greek. It means “empty tomb”. Most of the dead were buried where they fell. The Cenotaph symbolizes their absence. It serves as a focal point for public mourning.
The Cenotaph’s story began with a temporary structure. It was erected in 1919. This was for a parade celebrating the end of the First World War. More than 15,000 servicemen saluted it. They included French and American soldiers. Over a million people visited the site within a week.
Soon, people wanted a permanent Cenotaph. After debate, the government agreed. Construction began in May 1920. Sir Edwin Lutyens designed it. He added entasis or curvature. Otherwise, he made minimal design changes. The Cenotaph is built from Portland stone. It looks like a tomb chest on a rectangular pylon. The pylon gets smaller as it rises. Three flags hang from each long side. The memorial is austere. It has almost no decoration.
King George V unveiled the permanent Cenotaph on November 11, 1920. The ceremony also included the repatriation of the Unknown Warrior. This unidentified British serviceman was interred in Westminster Abbey. Millions more visited the Cenotaph and the Unknown Warrior after the unveiling. The public loved the memorial. Academics praised it too. Some Christian organizations wanted more religious symbols.
The Cenotaph has been revered since its unveiling. It has also been the site of political protests. It was vandalized with spray paint twice in the 21st century. The National Service of Remembrance is held there every year. This happens on Remembrance Sunday. Other remembrance services also take place there. The Cenotaph is a Grade I listed building. It is part of a national collection of Lutyens’s war memorials.
Many replicas were built. They appeared in Britain and other Commonwealth countries. There was no set standard for First World War memorials. The Cenotaph became a very influential model. Lutyens designed other cenotaphs. They all shared features with the one at Whitehall.
The First World War caused many casualties. More than 1.1 million men from the British Empire died. Thousands of war memorials were built after the war. They appeared across Britain, its empire, and former battlefields. Sir Edwin Lutyens was a prominent designer of war memorials. Historic England called him “the foremost architect of his day”.
Lutyens first encountered the term “cenotaph” at Munstead Wood. He designed a house for Gertrude Jekyll there. Charles Liddell named a seat in the garden the “Cenotaph of Sigismunda”. The British government prohibited repatriating bodies after 1915. War memorials became a focal point for grief. Cenotaphs originated in Ancient Greece. They were built when bodies could not be recovered. The Greeks valued proper burial.
The First World War ended on November 11, 1918. The British government planned a victory parade in London on July 19, 1919. Prime Minister David Lloyd George asked Lutyens to design a “catafalque” for the parade. Lutyens sketched his idea for the Cenotaph quickly.
The government hoped the parade would unite the nation. It wanted to celebrate victory and commemorate sacrifice. Lutyens had the concept in mind for some time. He had designed the Southampton Cenotaph. He had also worked for the Imperial War Graves Commission.
The Cenotaph quickly captured the public imagination. It represented the absent dead. It served as a substitute for a tomb. People began laying flowers and wreaths around it. Within a week, an estimated 1.2 million people came to pay their respects. The Times said, “no feature of the victory march in London made a deeper impression than the Cenotaph”.
Suggestions arose to rebuild the temporary cenotaph as a permanent structure. The cabinet approved rebuilding it in stone. It would remain in its original location. Concerns remained about its location. Lutyens waived his fee. He made subtle changes to the design. He added entasis for visual refinement.
The unveiling of the Cenotaph. A moment of national mourning. A symbol of unity. It continues to stand. It reminds us of sacrifice. It reminds us of the importance of remembrance.