THIS year, the red poppy will pay tribute not only to the UK’s armed forces, but to those who have lost their lives in terrorist incidents.
The poppy’s ‘meaning’ has been updated?
It is renowned as a symbol of remembrance, as well as acting as an emblem of hope for a peaceful future. But the Royal British Legion has updated its definition of the poppy to be “more explicit” about what it represents.
From now on?
It will remember “the sacrifice of the armed forces from Britain and the Commonwealth”, as well as paying “tribute to the special contribution of families and the emergency services” and acknowledging “innocent civilians who have lost their lives in conflict and acts of terrorism”.
What’s behind the change?
The Royal British Legion's assistant director, Robert Lee, said that while the body, founded in 1912, has always acknowledged “the human cost of conflict”, they want to recognise that “remembrance is inclusive of all modern Britain”.
How did the poppy come to represent remembrance?
During World War One, as the countryside of Western Europe was relentlessly bombed into barren scenes, a notable exception were the bright red poppies in Flanders fields, growing in their thousands.
Canadian Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae was so moved by the sight, he wrote the famous poem "In Flanders Fields”.
A campaign began in the US?
An American academic adopted the poppy to remember those who had fallen in the war. The practice spread and Earl Haig - founder of the Royal British Legion - was persuaded to adopt the poppy as the body’s emblem.
They were a huge hit?
Earl Haig ordered 9 million poppies and sold out of them in November 1921, raising more than £106,000 to help veterans.
Demand was so high that few poppies made it to Scotland and to address this, Earl Haig’s wife established the Lady Haig Poppy Factory in Edinburgh in 1926.
How many poppies are made?
The Poppy Factory in London, produces around 36 million poppies annually, while the Edinburgh factory makes around 5 million.
The Scottish poppies are different?
They have no leaf, unlike the rest of the UK. The Scots poppies are still made by hand by disabled ex-servicemen at the historic factory and distributed by the Legion’s sister body, Poppyscotland.
More than £50 million was raised for veterans and their families last year.
It’s controversial?
Some feel it has become politicised and three years ago, football teams from Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland were fined for wearing them as Fifa deemed them a political symbol.
White poppies?
Wearers say they opt for white to help remember those who have died in conflict, but also to emphasise a commitment to peace. It was first introduced in 1933 by the Women's Co-operative Guild.
There is no right or wrong way to wear it?
It is “a matter of personal choice”, but many say on the left, keeping those you have died close to you heart. The Queen wears hers on the left.
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