A 15-year-old Carlisle schoolboy has been selected to attend the annual Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall on behalf of Cumberland and Westmorland Royal British Legion (RBL).

Sam Lee has been a member of the Wigton RBL branch for a year and attends Caldew School in Carlisle.

Alongside his studies he is a corporal with 1862 City of Carlisle Squadron Air Training Corps and is a regular rugby player.  

Each year, Cumberland and Westmorland RBL have to select 1 standard bearer to attend. 

The job is hotly contested every year for the chance to have a branch standard paraded at the annual televised event.

Sam has been selected for this prestigious job and the chair of the Wigton branch of the RBL is ‘fairly sure’ that he is the youngest person ever from Cumbria to represent the county.

“Sam didn't need much in the way of training for the standard bearer role as his basic foot drill skills learned within the ATC stood him in good stead,” said John Daly, chairman of the Wigton RBL branch.

“He also knew the principles of good uniform care so was already comfortable with a military uniform.

“Still, he had to undergo standard bearer training with the RBL county parade marshal to ensure he was of a level fit to be displayed on national TV. 

“Sam has risen to all of the challenges and has been chosen to not just carry the branch standard, but the brand-new county youth standard on its first official outing - what a debut!”

READ MORE: List of Remembrance Day events across Cumbria

Sam and his family will travel to London to start practicing with the rest of the cast on Friday for a dress rehearsal on Friday and then two performances on Saturday, the evening one in front of the HM King Charles III. 

“As a veteran of the Falklands and branch chairman it makes me immensely proud to be associated with young people such as these and I am confident that as the RBL is the guardian of remembrance that we are in good hands,” said John.

So that Sam does not leave the branch without a standard bearer for the remembrance events this weekend, Sgt Brooke Wilson, who is also a youth member of the RBL and the ATC, will carry the Wigton branch standard in his absence on Armistice day and Remembrance Sunday.