Members of the Royal Family gathered in London to start the commemorative events in marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day. Their attendance at the procession in one of several events that will be attended by the Royals.
On 8th May 1945, VE Day marked the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany to the Allied forces, ending World War II in Europe. Fighting had ceased the day previous, causing celebrations to break out. The 8th May was the second day of jubilation for the country, and a day that saw Winston Churchill announce the good news over the radio.
The day’s proceedings began with actor Timothy Spall reading powerful extracts from Winston Churchill’s iconic VE Day victory speech of 1945.
Soon after, Normandy veteran Alan Kennett, aged 100, symbolically initiated the procession. He handed the Commonwealth War Graves’ Torch For Peace by Air Cadet Warrant Officer Emmy Jones, representing the passing of memory and responsibility between generations.
The military procession saw more than 1,300 personnel from the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force, reserves, cadet forces, and youth groups march through the capital. The route will begin at Whitehall, proceed through Admiralty Arch, and continue along The Mall towards Buckingham Palace.
Key participants in the parade included ceremonial troops such as the Household Division, Royal Artillery, regiments with WWII lineage, representatives from Commonwealth forces serving veterans of World War Two and descendants of those who fought and cadets and youth organisations.
A number of military musicians on parade included The Band of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, The Band of HM Royal Marines and a military band from the Royal Corps of Army Music.
Awaiting their arrival at the Queen Victoria Memorial were The King and Queen, The Prince & Princess of Wales, The Duke & Duchess of Edinburgh, The Princess Royal & Sir Tim Laurence, The Duke of Kent, the British Prime Minister and Second World War veterans, who all stood on a specially constructed viewing platform.
For the event, The King wore his Naval Uniform No. 1 dress, with no medals or decorations, as his grandfather, George VI wore on the balcony at Buckingham Palace Balcony on VE-Day 1945, whilst The Queen wore a blue Fiona Clare crepe coat and dress with her Royal Lancers brooch.
The Princess Royal wore the uniform of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (Princess Royal’s Volunteer Corps) with no decorations.
The Prince of Wales wore RAF No. 1 Uniform. The Princess of Wales wore a dress by Emilia Wickstead, hat by Sean Barratt and an RAF wings brooch. Queen Camilla in an electric blue Fiona Clare crepe coat and dress with a 12th Royal Lancers brooch, her late father’s regiment.
The Duke of Edinburgh wore Army No.2 Service Dress of the Scots Guards. The Duke of Kent wore Field Marshal No. 2 Service Dress.
A fly past followed the procession where members of the Royal Family watched the aircraft flying from the Balcony at Buckingham Palace, which has become part of summer tours at the London residence.
The flypast included a Voyager transport aircraft, a P8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft, Typhoon and F-35 fighter jets and culminated with the iconic red, white, and blue smoke of the Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows.
Additionally, historic Second World War-era aircraft from the Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight also took part in the flypast.
You can get an in-depth guide as to how Royals will be marking the rest of the anniversary here.
