THE Earl of Wessex will lay the first wreath at the annual Remembrance Service in Sunderland on Sunday.

The Earl and Countess are paying a two-day visit to the city this weekend, during which they will take part in the service - one of the biggest outside London.

The Royal couple will attend a concert of remembrance at the Seaburn Centre on Saturday evening, featuring the RAF College Band, Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service Pipes and Drums, children from Hill View School and opera singer Alison Barton.

On Sunday, 500 serving and ex-servicemen will take part in the parade, including detachments from Sunderland's adopted ship, HMS Ocean, two regiments of the Royal Artillery, the 2nd Battalion the Light Infantry and soldiers from the Household Cavalry and 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards.

The Earl will be laying a wreath in his capacity as Royal Honorary Colonel of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry.

The parade will leave the civic centre at 10.30am for the service at the war memorial in Mowbray Park at 11am.