Politicians join the Queen in silent tribute to war dead

David Cameron, Nick Clegg, Ed Miliband, John Major and Tony Blair pay tribute to Britain’s war dead. (AP)

John Major and Tony Blair joined David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband to pay tribute to Britain's war dead.

Dignitaries stood in silence as the Queen laid the first wreath at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday.

Millions of people across the UK and the Commonwealth fell silent for two minutes in memory of members of the armed forces who died fighting in all conflicts since the First World War.

The Duke of Edinburgh and the Duke of Cambridge, with his wife, Kate, watching from a balcony, joined military leaders, veterans and serving personnel in Whitehall as Big Ben struck to mark the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

British troops in Afghanistan marked Remembrance Sunday with a simple ceremony at their headquarters in Lashkar Gah. Around 150 personnel from the Army, Navy and Royal Air Force marked the two-minute silence at 11am local time and a bugler sounded The Last Post before a piper from The Royal Dragoon Guards played a traditional lament.