Buckingham Palace has released full details on how the Royal Family will mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day, with a series of commemorative events scheduled across several days in May.
The programme will commence on 5th May, when The King and Queen, along with The Prince and Princess of Wales, The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, and The Duke of Kent will gather at the Queen Victoria Memorial outside Buckingham Palace. There, they will join Second World War veterans to witness a grand military procession.
Members of the Royal Family will watch a flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace. (Defence Imagery)
More than 1,300 members of the Armed Forces, uniformed services, and youth organisations will parade down The Mall. During the procession, an actor will recite excerpts from Winston Churchill’s historic VE Day speech, delivered on 8 May 1945, which announced the end of the war in Europe.
Following the conclusion of the parade, the Royal Family will return to the Buckingham Palace balcony for a Royal Air Force flypast, echoing the iconic 1945 moment when George VI and Winston Churchill greeted crowds from the same spot. Veterans will watch the aerial display from the Palace gardens, joined by the Prime Minister and other senior dignitaries.
Later that afternoon, as Patron of the Royal British Legion, Charles III and Queen Camilla will host a special tea party at Buckingham Palace for around 50 guests. Attendees will include veterans of the British and Commonwealth Armed Forces, former members of the Women’s Royal Naval Service (Wrens), the Special Operations Executive, and civilians who contributed to the war effort on the home front.
The first poppy has been planted at the @TowerOfLondon 🌺 Chief Yeoman Warder Rob Fuller planted the first of almost 30,000 ceramic poppies for The Tower Remembers commemorative display.
📆 6 May – 11 Nov 25
➡️ https://t.co/zH9zctgR5K
🌺 Ceramic poppies on loan from @I_W_M pic.twitter.com/OEVIHR9QaK— The Tower of London (@TowerOfLondon) April 22, 2025
On 6th May, Queen Camilla will visit the Tower of London, where a striking art installation of 30,000 red ceramic poppies will be on display. Each poppy symbolises a wound, serving as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made during the war. The installation follows the acclaimed 2014 artwork ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’, created to mark the centenary of the First World War.
The Royal Family will reconvene on 8th May, the official anniversary of VE Day, for a service of national thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey. Attendees will include The King and Queen, The Prince and Princess of Wales, The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, The Princess Royal and Sir Tim Laurence, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, and The Duke of Kent.
Members of the Royal Family will attend a service of Thanksgiving to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day. (Westminster Abbey)
During the service, King Charles III will lay a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior, followed by The Prince of Wales. Simultaneously, Queen Camilla will lead a group of royals in laying floral tributes at the Innocent Victims’ Memorial, located outside the Abbey’s Westminster Door, to honor civilian casualties of war.
Later that evening, Their Majesties will attend a celebratory VE Day concert held at Horse Guards Parade. The event will feature performances from renowned artists and be broadcast live on BBC One at 8pm.
The location for the VE Day concert. (BBC)
Members of the Royal Family will also attend events to mark Liberation anniversaries, on behalf of The King.
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester will attend the official commemoration of the Liberation of Denmark on 4th May.
Whilst The Princess Royal, accompanied by Sir Tim Laurence will visit the Channel Islands to mark the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of Guernsey and Sark from 9th to 10th May.
