The United Kingdom has joined the United States in remembering the nearly 3,000 people killed in the September 11 terrorist attacks, 25 years after the tragedy changed global security and foreign policy.
In a message marking the anniversary on Friday, the UK Ministry of Defence paid tribute to the victims, including 67 British citizens, as well as emergency workers and members of the armed forces who later died while fighting terrorism.
The ministry said Britain stood with the United States in 2001 and continues to stand with its American ally today.
Ceremonies held across the United States
Families of victims gathered at the National September 11 Memorial in New York, where the names of those killed were read aloud. Moments of silence marked the times when the hijacked aircraft struck the World Trade Center and when the two towers collapsed.
Other services were held at the Pentagon in Virginia and near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed after passengers and crew members tried to regain control of the aircraft.
Reuters reported that Vice President JD Vance joined four former US presidents at the New York ceremony. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attended a separate service at the Pentagon.
A seventh moment of silence was included in the New York ceremony to recognise people who later died from illnesses linked to toxic dust and other conditions caused by the attacks and recovery work.
What happened on September 11, 2001
On the morning of September 11, 2001, 19 al-Qaeda members hijacked four passenger aircraft in the United States.
Two planes were flown into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center in New York. A third struck the Pentagon, the headquarters of the US Department of Defense. The fourth crashed into a field near Shanksville after passengers and crew members resisted the hijackers.
The attacks killed 2,977 victims from more than 90 countries. The figure does not include the 19 hijackers. Among those who died were 343 members of the New York City Fire Department.
The National September 11 Memorial and Museum said the anniversary is especially important for younger generations. It noted that about 100 million Americans are now too young to remember the attacks personally.
British victims remembered
Sixty-seven British citizens died in the attacks, according to an earlier UK government account. Britain suffered more deaths than any country other than the United States.
The UK’s commemorations included a special Guard Mounting tribute at Buckingham Palace. The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester represented King Charles III at the event, according to the Royal Family’s official diary.
The Band of the Coldstream Guards performed music connected with the United States and remembrance. The ceremony continued a tradition established shortly after the attacks, when Queen Elizabeth II authorised the US national anthem to be played during the Changing of the Guard.
Firefighters and staff across the London Fire Brigade also observed a minute’s silence at 1.46 pm, which was 8.46 am in New York. That was the time the first aircraft struck the North Tower.
The brigade said the tribute honoured all those killed, including the 343 New York firefighters who died while responding to the emergency. London firefighters also attended a memorial service in the City of London.
An attack that changed global security
The attacks led to major changes in airport security, intelligence sharing, policing and counterterrorism policies across the world.
They also produced the first and only use of NATO’s Article 5 collective-defence clause. Article 5 treats an armed attack against one member of the alliance as an attack against all members.
NATO later supported the United States with intelligence cooperation, air patrols and naval operations. The United Kingdom also joined military operations in Afghanistan, where al-Qaeda had been given a base by the Taliban government.
The response to 9/11 shaped international relations for more than two decades. It also led to long wars, political disputes and continuing debate about security, civil liberties and the human cost of military action.
A quarter-century of grief and remembrance
The 25th anniversary is both a public commemoration and a deeply personal day for families who lost relatives.
The White House declared September 11, 2026, Patriot Day and directed US flags to be flown at half-staff. Ceremonies across the country honoured victims, survivors, emergency workers and people who continue to live with health problems connected to the disaster.
For Britain and the United States, the anniversary also reflects a long security partnership strengthened in the immediate aftermath of the attacks.
Twenty-five years later, the central purpose of the commemorations remains unchanged: to remember each person who died and recognise the lasting effects on survivors, families and emergency workers.
