The Royal Family joined veterans and politicians at Westminster Abbey today for a moving national service of thanksgiving marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla led a host of senior royals in London as they commemorated the sacrifices of Second World War veterans and their generation.
They were joined by Prince William, Kate, Prince Edward, Sophie, Princess Anne, Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was also present as well as former PMs such as Rishi Sunak, Lord David Cameron and Boris Johnson – but there was unsurprisingly no Prince Harry or Meghan Markle, five years after they stepped down as senior royals.
A handwritten note on a wreath from the Prince and Princess of Wales said: ‘For those who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Second World War, we will remember them.’ Another from the King on his wreath stated: ‘We will never forget.’
On May 8, 1945 the nation celebrated Victory in Europe (VE) Day with church bells ringing out across the country and people gathering to revel in the end of hostilities, with crowds gathering outside Buckingham Palace calling for King George VI.
After almost six years of fighting against Hitler’s Nazi regime peace was declared, although the war against Japan would continue until August 15 that year.
During today’s service ten-year-old Alexander Churchill, the great-great-grandson of wartime prime minister Sir Winston Churchill, lit a candle of peace as young members of the congregation handed out white roses to Second World War veterans.
The live televised service on BBC One began with a national two-minute silence at 12pm in honour of those who made sacrifices during the conflict, both on the front line and at home, to protect people’s freedom and shared values.
Members of the Royal Family began arriving at Westminster Abbey at about 11.50am.
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh made their way into the historic church, followed by the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.
Also present were the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent.
When the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence made their way through the abbey, they stopped to talk and shake hands with members of the congregation.
Sophie – wearing a hat by milliner Jane Taylor – was seen folding a handkerchief and dabbing her nose after taking her seat.
The Prince and Princess of Wales then arrived.
Kate was wearing a white polkadot dress by Alessandra Rich and hat by Juliette Botterill, and earrings which belonged to William’s late mother Diana, Princess of Wales.
The Prince was dressed in a lounge suit with Household Division tie and his Great Master of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath Neck Order.
William was also wearing his Golden, Diamond, Platinum and Coronation medals.
The pair were met by the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, and guided inside to meet a line-up of dignitaries including the Archbishop of York.
After them, the King and Queen arrived at the abbey to the sound of a trumpeters’ royal fanfare.
Charles was wearing a lounge suit with medals and neck order.
Camilla was dressed in a white crepe silk dress and white coat with black stitching by Anna Valentine, with a black and white hat by Philip Treacy.
The Queen was also wearing a brooch of the 12th Lancers.
Her father, Major Bruce Shand, served with the 12th Lancers during the Second World War and was awarded the Military Cross in 1940 during the retreat to Dunkirk, and again in 1942 for his efforts in North Africa.
A national two-minute silence was then held at midday.
The King, the Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales stood motionless around the Grave of the Unknown Warrior near the West Door in solemn tribute to those who fought for freedom during the Second World War.
The 78 veterans amid the 2,000-strong congregation joined in the moment of reflection as they observed the silence.
At the end of the two minute-silence, the choir sang an introit of the well-known moving extract from Robert Laurence Binyon’s 1914 poem For The Fallen, which features the words ‘At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them’.
The King moved forward to lay a wreath at the black marble Grave of the Unknown Warrior, followed by the Prince of Wales.
MPs and peers ‘followed in the footsteps’ of their predecessors by forming a procession to Westminster Abbey to mark the anniversary Day.
Sir Keir moved a motion to suspend the House of Commons sitting today, telling Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle: ‘So we may attend Westminster Abbey to give thanks and commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day, the greatest victory in the history of our great nation.’
Sir Lindsay said: ‘We will now follow in the footsteps of our predecessors 80 years ago.
‘On May 8 1945, honourable members formed a procession out of the House of Lords, where they secretly relocated because the House of Commons chamber had been destroyed during the Blitz.
‘Today we shall again follow the mace but this time from our own chamber through the bomb-scarred Churchill arch, which stands as a permanent reminder of the fortitude of those who stood firm through the war.’
The House of Lords delayed its start time today to ensure peers could also attend the national service of thanksgiving.
The King’s message read simply: ‘We will never forget’ and was signed Charles R.
William wrote: ‘For those who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Second World War. We will remember them.’ The white card was signed both ‘William’ and ‘Catherine’.
Their floral tributes were made of seasonal flowers including pink, white and peach roses, which would have been found in bloom 80 years ago on May 8. 1945.
The prince stepped back and bowed his head in tribute after leaving his wreath.
Charles placed his wreath on behalf of the nation and the Commonwealth while William did so for the veterans and the Second World War generation.
At their side, watching from his wheelchair, was veteran Ken Hay, 99, who served in the infantry regiment.
Second World War artefacts including a gas mask and an air raid warden’s helmet, representing the armed forces and the Home Front, were processed through the abbey.
Everyday objects evoking memories of the sacrifices made during the Second World War were carried in a poignant procession to the High Altar.
Among them were a child’s tiny gas mask next to the yellowed cardboard box it was kept in close at hand, a sailor’s Navy ratings cap, a set of campaign medals, an air raid warden’s battered helmet and a volume of the Book of Civilian War listing all civilians killed across the UK during the conflict.
The artefacts, carried on navy velvet cushions, represented both the armed forces and the home front.
The King, Queen and the congregation stood for the Procession of Witness which took place to the sound of wartime song When The Lights Go On Again (All Over The World) played by the RAF band.
Amid the hymns, wartime anthems formed the soundtrack to the anniversary commemorations with The White Cliffs Of Dover sung by Zizi Strallen and When The Lights Go On Again (All Over The World) played by the RAF band.
At the end of the service, the tune of We’ll Meet Again made famous by forces sweetheart the late Dame Vera Lynn will be heard.
The song was channelled in 2020 by the late Queen Elizabeth II, who expressed the sentiment in her televised address to the nation at the start of the pandemic.
The music also included Hubert Parry’s Songs Of Farewell, which was sung at the late Queen’s state funeral.
On VE Day, the then-Princess Elizabeth, just 19, secretly celebrated among the crowds who gathered on the streets of London with sister Princess Margaret, jubilant that peace had come to Europe after Nazi Germany’s surrender.
A setting of words from Psalm 46 by Sir John Rutter, which was composed specially for a service to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day in 2020 that was unable to go ahead due to the Covid-19 lockdown, was performed for the first time on television today.
Actor Josh Dylan read a moving letter from Lance Corporal Fredrick Burgess to his seven-year-old son Freddie, written while he was serving in Italy.
Lance Corporal Burgess’ granddaughter Susan was among those listening in the abbey.
The servicemen had expressed how proud he was of his son, telling him: ‘When I do come home, and it will not be very long now, I’m going to buy you something extra specially nice for being such a good boy.’
He described the rain in Italy and how his small tank, which he named Freddie II after his son, had been damaged with a ‘whacking big hole’ by a bomb.
Dylan revealed: ‘Seven months after writing this letter, Lance Corporal Burgess was killed.’
The voice of Sir Winston Churchill also sounded out around the church.
An excerpt of the wartime prime minister’s 1945 victory speech in which he declared the war in Europe was over was played.
Sir Winston Churchill’s great-great grandson Alexander Churchill, 10, lit the VE Day 80th candle of peace.
The youngster, dressed in a suit and tie, stepped forward and made his way up the steps in front of the altar, where he was handed a flame to light the large cream church candle, which was surrounded by white flowers and green foliage, on a central plinth.
Alexander proudly stood with his hands clasped in front and smiled at the Dean of Westminster after completing his poignant task.
In a moving moment, six young members of the congregation handed out white roses, carried in wicker baskets, to Second World War veterans seated in the nave.
Veterans were seen to nod and say ‘thank you’ as they received the symbol of peace.
Alexander later read a prayer for ‘peace in Europe and across the world’, and for the ‘sacrifice of those who have gone before us to be honoured in the defence of liberty, justice and peace’.
Sir Keir gave a Bible reading from Matthew 5 and wartime favourite The White Cliffs Of Dover was sung by Zizi Strallen.
Actress Nina Sosanya read a letter written on VE Day by Janet Thornton to her teenage daughters Renee and Pippa, who were away staying in Dorset.
She told them it was the ‘most important day of your life and of the world’, and urged them ‘enjoy yourselves, shout, scream, sing, wave flags, eat, drink, lemon or barley water, and make it a day of rejoicing’.
Janet’s grandson Colin Vallance-Owen was in the abbey to hear his grandmother’s words.
He told the BBC: ‘My grandmother wrote the letter on VE day itself. She was away from her daughters. They were in Sherbourne, so she wrote it on VE Day. She seemed to have got the moment.’
He added: ‘She felt very very seriously that this was a very, very important day for all of us.’
He described Janet, who died in 1986, as ‘absolutely tiny with a huge personality’, adding: ‘It’s a bit of history really.’
And Cadet Warrant Officer Bethan Holmes read from the memoir of Joan Broome, a 15-year-old girl, of her experience of VE Day in London.
Outside the abbey Kate joined Camilla and other royals in laying flowers at the Innocent Victims’ Memorial outside the abbey’s West Door in tribute to all victims of war and oppression as the proceedings draw to a close.
Camilla, Kate, Sophie, Anne and the Duchess of Gloucester placed posies and Sir Tim, the Duke of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent left white roses at the large circular slate.
The blooms were picked yesterday within the walls of Windsor Castle and the surrounding estate. They included rosemary for remembrance, oak for endurance and bluebells which traditionally represent gratitude.
The bells of the abbey church were ‘fired’ 80 times – meaning all 10 bells were sounded simultaneously to produce a powerful clashing sound.
The gesture is generally reserved for great celebrations, anniversaries and rejoicing.
The sermon was delivered by the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, the temporary leader of the Church in England in the absence of an Archbishop of Canterbury.
The King, the Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales and other members of the royal family met veterans in the nave at the end of the service.
William was seen warmly placing his hand on one veteran’s shoulder as he chatted to the former serviceman who stood to speak with the prince and Kate.
The princess crouched down to meet one woman, holding her hand as she chatted to the veteran, who was wearing medals and sat in her wheelchair.
The King was seen deep in enthusiastic conversation with a number of veterans, bending close to speak to them.
Also in attendance were senior government and military representatives, members of the Diplomatic Corps, service chiefs, parliamentarians, former British prime ministers and representatives of faith communities.
A group of young people attending the service at Westminster Abbey said they were there to challenge stereotypes about their generation.
Georgina Heron-Edmends, 19, Henry Hughes, 21, and Sophia Kaur Badhan, 24, are from Youth Collaborators and are working on a report to influence government strategy on young people.
Ms Kaur Badhan said: ‘We think it’s really important for young people to be invited to this today.
‘There’s been some coverage in the media suggesting we aren’t interested in VE Day or don’t know what it is – we’re here to challenge that.
‘We’re very interested – we think it’s really important and it’s a privilege to be here.’
Meanwhile a former Air Marshal warned that today’s world is far from safe and lessons from the past must not be forgotten.
Stewart Atha, 64, who served in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, said the VE Day commemoration was not only about remembrance but also reflection.
‘As we reflect and salute those that have served, we think about those lessons and apply them today,’ he said.
‘This is not a safe world – if you want peace, you prepare for war.’
He added: ‘That’s the lesson from the 1930s – we failed to deter Hitler and we need to make sure we don’t make the same mistakes again.’
Four days of events commemorating the 80th anniversary of VE Day will culminate this evening with a concert in London’s Horse Guards Parade attended by the King and Queen.
There will be performances by The Darkness, Toploader and classical singer Sir Willard White.
UK Government buildings and departments will remember and thank those who fought with a silence at noon today, with other organisations invited to follow suit.
Pubs and bars have been granted permission to stay open for longer to mark the anniversary.
Venues in England and Wales which usually close at 11pm will be able to keep serving for an extra two hours to celebrate.
Churches and cathedrals across the country will ring their bells as a collective act of thanksgiving at 6.30pm, echoing the sounds that swept across the country in 1945, the Church of England said.
Tonight’s VE Day party, presented by Zoe Ball, will air from 8pm to 10pm on BBC One.
Celebrations have been ongoing since Monday, when Ukrainian troops joined British soldiers in a parade through Central London followed by an RAF flypast.
On VE Day – May 8 1945 – short ‘thanksgiving for victory’ services were held every hour in the abbey from 9am to 10pm, with an estimated 25,000 people attending.
Speaking ahead of today’s service, Alexander Churchill said it is ‘very important’ for his generation to thank Second World War veterans and to ‘never forget’ those who fought for freedom in Europe.
He added that he felt ‘very honoured’ to have been chosen to participate in the commemoration.
Alexander said: ‘My great-great-grandfather’s very important to us and we’re just very proud to know that he is part of our family and also I think it’s very important for our generation, my generation, to say thank you to all the veterans and everyone who took part in the war because I think that’s very important.’
He continued: ‘I think people can learn that they should never forget all of the people who have sacrificed and helped us restore freedom to England and Europe and also I think it’s very important that they should carry on fighting for freedom.’
Of his part in the service, Alexander added: ‘I feel a bit nervous, but I think that’s all right.’
Meanwhile Sir Keir said VE Day was ‘a hugely important part of our history, of which we should be extremely proud as a country’.
Speaking to the We Have Ways Of Making You Talk podcast in 10 Downing Street, he said: ‘I’ve got children who live in peace and in a democracy as a result of other people, which is incredible.
‘And then, you know, the reminder with the Ukrainian contingent in the procession, that the idea that this was all just history and it doesn’t matter now somehow is completely wrong. Those values of freedom and democracy matter today.’
Adding that he felt a ‘personal responsibility’ for maintaining the peace that Europe has largely enjoyed since 1945, he said he was determined to ensure the Nato alliance – ‘the cornerstone of that peace’ – continued ‘for decades to come’.
He went on to say his work with French president Emmanuel Macron to create a ‘coalition of the willing’ showed Britain could ‘step up as a country’ as it did 80 years ago.
Britain and France have been at the forefront of the coalition and planning for a European peacekeeping force in Ukraine should a ceasefire be agreed between Kyiv and Moscow.
Sir Keir said: ‘If you’re really going to make a difference, you have to go at the speed of those that want to go furthest.
‘When you’ve got a group, or a coalition of any sort, the temptation is always to go at the speed of the country that wants to move most slowly or is more cautious for different reasons.
‘I think what we’ve done with the Coalition of the Willing is to break through that and say, no, if we go at the pace of the sort of most reluctant or most cautious member, then we’re going to be going very slowly and not very far.’
In Scotland, a service of thanksgiving will also take place at Glasgow Cathedral at 1pm, with guests including representatives from the military, veterans’ organisations, emergency services and religious groups.
Members of the Royal British Legion, the Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA), and the Soldiers’, Sailors’ and Airmen’s Families Association (SSAFA) will be taking part in the service, along with their families.
A number of elected officials are also set to be in attendance, including Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes and Scotland Office minister Kirsty McNeill.
The anniversary is also being marked in Scottish Government buildings, where a two-minute silence will be observed at midday.
The Scottish Government’s Victoria Quay and St Andrew’s House buildings in Edinburgh will also continue to be lit up in red as part of a campaign to light significant buildings across the UK.
Edinburgh Castle was among the buildings to be lit up in red on Tuesday in the run-up to the anniversary.
Memorial events are also set to continue in Lerwick aboard vessels that arrived there from Norway on Tuesday, in commemoration of the Shetland Bus that operated between Scotland and Norway during the war.
The 80th anniversary of VE Day is also being marked with events across Northern Ireland.
Secretary of State Hilary Benn described an opportunity to remember the ‘huge sacrifice made by that great generation’ at the end of the Second World War in Europe.
Last night, some landmark buildings in Belfast were lit up to mark VE Day, including Belfast City Hall in red, as well as Parliament Buildings in blue.
Later today, beacons will be lit across a number of locations including Bangor, Newtownards, Lisburn, Armagh, Enniskillen, Coleraine, Londonderry and Coleraine.
Mr Benn took part in a number of visits across the region.
He officially opened a special Second World War exhibition at Antrim Castle Gardens, before travelling to the Ulster Aviation Society, where he met veteran Fred Jennings.
He also visited the NI War Memorial Museum, which focuses on Northern Ireland’s role in the Second World War and the impact that the war had on its people, and attended a Service of Remembrance at St Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral in Armagh.