What do red, white and purple poppies represent?
In the build-up to Remembrance Sunday this weekend, the red poppy has started to be seen on TV screens and attached to people's coats.
The remembrance poppy has been part of British society for more than 100 years and has its roots in the end of the First World War.
As people began over time to wear them as a sign of respect to those who had died, charities began to sell them to raise funds for veterans, with several commemoration organisations using it as their logo.
The enduring popularity of the poppy and its connection to war has led to it being politicised over the years, which in turn has led to the growth of different poppies with their own meaning.
The red poppy
By far the most common poppy is red. It is the most common form of remembrance symbol in much of the Western world and in many Commonwealth nations.
According to the Royal British Legion, the idea to use a red poppy came from a poem written by Canadian doctor Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae in 1915.
He called the poem 'In Flanders Fields' and wrote it after losing his friend in Ypres.
It opens: "In Flanders fields, the poppies blow / Between the crosses, row on row. / That mark our place; and in the sky / The larks, still bravely singing, fly / Scarce heard amid the guns below."
The image of poppies being the flower that grew over the graves of the war dead became a powerful image and prompted American academic named Moina Michael to adopt the poppy in memory to those who had fallen.
In the years after the war, the popularity of the poppy in the UK, Canada, America and several other allied nations grew. The creation and sale of poppies quickly became a huge fundraising opportunity for veterans charities and it was adopted as the de facto official image of remembrance.
Although it has declined in popularity in the US, it remains a powerful symbol elsewhere and millions are produced in the UK each year.
In France, a blue poppy, or the 'Bluet de France', is worn as a symbol of remembrance in connection with the blue uniforms French soldiers wore during the First World War.
The white poppy
The white poppy has been adopted as an alternative to the red poppy by various groups. It symbolises peace and is used as both a replacement and an addition to the red poppy at commemoration events.
It was designed by pacifists in the 1920s who wished to show their respects to all those who died in war, not just soldiers, and to symbolise the hope to end all wars.
Proponents of the white poppy also argue the red poppy only remembers the soldiers who died from the home nation rather than their opponents, creating a political divide even after the war is over.
The wearing of a white poppy has been politically controversial for decades in the UK, with people accusing wearers of not respecting members of the Armed Forces.
Former veterans' minister Johny Mercer said in 2018 that he thought they were "attention-seeking rubbish."
During the early months of Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the Labour Party, he sparked controversy when he refused to rule out wearing a white poppy at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday in 2015. He wore a red poppy on the day.
The purple poppy
The purple poppy is a symbol of remembrance for animals that served in wartime in the UK. It was created in 2006 by Animal Aid at a time when historians and the public were re-examining the contribution animals made to the First World War.
Around eight million horses and donkeys died during the conflict as well as countless dogs and pigeons.
Animal Aid sold the poppy to be used alongside the red poppy until 2015 but it has since been picked up by other organisations.
Black and Khadi poppies
Several poppies have also been created to recognise the contribution made by specific groups during the First World War.
In the centenary year of 2018 the Khadi poppy was introduced by the Royal British Legion to recognise the contribution of Indian and Commonwealth nations to the First World War.
They were identical to red poppies except they were made of a spun cloth called khadi that originates from India. The poppy was worn by Theresa May when she was prime minister in 2018.
Black poppies have also been used to represent contributions made by African and Caribbean communities during various wars since the 16th century.
King Charles was seen wearing the poppy in 2023.
