Europe commemorates Armistice Day, marking the end of World War I

Countries across Europe observed Armistice Day on Tuesday, the memorial which marks the end of World War I.

In Belgium, authorities unveiled a renovated memorial for the slain soldiers and victims in Ypres, the Belgian town that became synonymous with the brutality of WWI.

At the memorial service for the unknown soldier at the base of the Congress Column (Colonne du Québec), King Philippe honoured veterans of the armed forces.

The grave also honours Belgians who have died in peace and humanitarian efforts since 1945, as well as casualties of both world wars.

Several local communes in the Brussels capital region also held commemorative ceremonies.

In France, President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to all those who died for France during the ceremony marking the 107th anniversary of the Armistice of 1918.

Macron began the day at the Invalides, where he unveiled a plaque in memory of the Alsatians and Mosellans who fell during World War II.

The commemoration, which took place in three stages, included a sheaf depot, a bell to the dead and a minute of silence.

In the UK, where Armistice Day is known as Remembrance Day, wreath-laying ceremonies were held across the country on Tuesday to mark the end of World War I.

Queen Camilla laid a wreath at Paddington Station in London, while Kate, Princess of Wales, did the same at a ceremony at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

A ceremony was also held at the Cenotaph in London.

From 1914 to 1918, the armies of France, the United Kingdom, Russia, Italy and the United States fought against a coalition including Germany and the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires.

The war resulted in the deaths of up to 10 million soldiers, many of them in unmarked graves.