King Charles and Queen Camilla led England in two minutes of silence at Westminster Abbey on Thursday to mark the 80th anniversary of VE day.
Prince William and Kate Middleton, Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, Anne, Princess Royal, her husband Sir Timothy Laurence, Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, and Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester and Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, all joined veterans and politicians for a Service of Thanksgiving to honor those who served in the Second World War.
It was 80 years ago Thursday when the nation celebrated Victory in Europe Day, now known as VE Day, and jubilant crowds gathered on the Mall at Buckingham Palace to see King George VI, the Queen Mother, and the Princesses Margaret and Elizabeth.
Parties and celebrations took place around the country and the royal family made an unprecedented eight balcony appearances to mark the end of the war, with Britons calling out for the king and queen who had remained at Buckingham Palace during the blitz.
In commemoration on Thursday, both King Charles, who served in the Royal Navy, and the Prince of Wales, who served with the RAF, wore military medals during the service and laid wreaths at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior. Artifacts from the war, including a gas mask and an air raid warden’s helmet to represent the Armed Forces, were processed through the abbey.
Queen Camilla, who is Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Lancers, wore her Lancers brooch while Princess Kate was dressed in a black and white polka dot dress by Alessandra Rich, which she wore to an Order of the Garter event in 2023.
The royals have been front and center of the VE day commemorations, which started on Monday with a military procession involving 1300 servicemen and women and a fly past at Buckingham Palace.
Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis were all in attendance, with Prince Louis enthusiastically pointing at the aircraft, which included typhoons flying over the capital.
The Wales family joined King Charles and Queen Camilla at Buckingham Palace afterwards to meet veterans for a tea party.
On Tuesday, Queen Camilla visited the Tower of London to inaugurate a new installation of ceramic poppies being planted in the Tower’s moat in honor of those killed in World War II, while buildings across the capital were lit up. On Thursday evening, a “VE Day 80: A Celebration to Remember” Concert will take place at Horse Guards Parade.
The royal family has always had close links to the Armed Forces and played a central role in the nation’s rejoicing of VE day. These are the first VE commemorations to take place without the late Queen Elizabeth II who served with the ATS during the Second World War and memorably joined the victory celebrations in the streets when the end of the war was announced by Churchill.
In 2020, the Queen delivered her famous “We’ll Meet Again” speech during the COVID-19 lockdown to mark the 75th VE Day Commemorations. Dame Vera Lynn’s war time song was played at the close of Thursday’s service.
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