The Royal Family, including the King, Queen, Prince and Princess of Wales and their children have all turned out to watch a spectacular military parade and flypast as commemorations for the 80th anniversary of VE Day begin
The Prince and Princess of Wales’s children have made a rare public appearance as they joined the King, Queen and veterans to watch a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe. The procession of 1,300 members of the armed forces and Nato allies, past some of London’s most famous buildings and monuments and ending at Buckingham Palace, commemorates the service of those who fought to bring peace to Europe and the rest of the world.
Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis joined their parents, William and Kate, to see the spectacle, which began a few minutes before they arrived at the royal box. The royals sat among veterans watching the parade, with the children shaking their hands and listening to their stories. And in one sweet moment, Louis, aged seven, brushed lint from dad William’s RAF uniform jacket, as the Prince of Wales explained the parade to his youngest son.
Charles and Camilla led the royal party, sitting in the shadow of the Queen Victoria Memorial, which included Princess Anne and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and the Duke of Kent. Nearby were Second World War veterans and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, and crowds lined The Mall, with some waiting since early morning to secure a good spot to watch events.
The King echoed his grandfather, King George VI, by wearing naval uniform No.1 dress, with no medals or decorations, like the monarch back on VE Day in 1945. Camilla wore a sapphire blue wool crepe dress and coat, by Fiona Clare, with the 12th Royal Lancers Brooch, Her Majesty’s late father’s regiment.
Meanwhile, in a sweet nod to the late Queen, Princess Anne wore the uniform of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (Princess Royal’s Volunteer Corps) with no decorations – just like her mother did on the Buckingham Palace balcony in 1945.
On VE Day back then, large crowds gathered outside Buckingham Palace to catch a glimpse of King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, and Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret.
The royal family are scheduled to take part in engagements over the next four days, as they hope “nothing will detract or distract” from the commemorations following Prince Harry’s bombshell interview with the BBC. He told the broadcaster his father will not speak to him and he does not know how much longer the King has left.
The King and Queen are “looking forward” to the week’s events, and it is understood that, out of respect for the surviving veterans, Buckingham Palace hopes “nothing will detract or distract from celebrating with full cheer and proud hearts that precious victory and those brave souls, on this most special and poignant of anniversaries”.
Crowds started to gather on The Mall on Monday morning, with some arriving the day before to secure a good viewing spot. Elsewhere, street parties are set to take place in towns and cities across the UK.
Sir Keir Starmer said the week’s events are a reminder that victory was “not just for Britain” as personnel from the US, France and Germany will be among those joining the military procession in London on Monday. In an open letter to veterans, he said: “VE Day is a chance to acknowledge, again, that our debt to those who achieved it can never fully be repaid.”
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