Four generations of royals honour WWII heroes with a moving Red Arrows flypast and veteran tributes on ve day’s 80th anniversary.
Crowds lined The Mall under brooding skies as four generations of the Royal Family stepped out onto the Buckingham Palace balcony to mark 80 years since Victory in Europe (VE) Day. King Charles III, flanked by Queen Camilla and senior royals, saluted a spectacular flypast led by a wartime Lancaster bomber, followed by Typhoon jets and the iconic Red Arrows streaking red, white, and blue through the clouds.
It was a moment steeped in poignancy and symbolism. Following Queen Elizabeth II’s death in 2022, this year marked the first major VE Day anniversary without any royals who had stood on the same balcony in 1945 beside Winston Churchill. In their place stood the future—Prince William, Catherine, and their children George, Charlotte and Louis—witnessing history and making their own.
At noon, acclaimed actor Timothy Spall recited Churchill’s iconic VE Day speech, launching the first of four days of national commemoration. The King and Queen, joined by their family, watched a grand military procession move from Parliament Square to Buckingham Palace, involving over 1,300 British troops and NATO allies.
The King stood and solemnly saluted as the procession reached the Queen Victoria Memorial, a tribute to a generation of soldiers, sailors, and airmen whose courage changed the course of history.
As aircraft soared above London, dodging gathering storm clouds, memories of 1945 were evoked—not just by the machinery of war, but by the people. Veterans stood tall once again, sharing stories and laughter at a tea party inside Buckingham Palace. Prince George, now 11, sat beside his father and grandfather, chatting with 101-year-old D-Day veteran Alfred Littlefield.
Samantha Davidson from Hampshire watched the touching moment. “George was fascinated,” she said. “He even asked my grandfather how old he was during his service. It was moving to see that kind of interest in the next generation.”
The tea party offered veterans finger sandwiches, scotch eggs and soup—simple comforts that belied the day’s emotional weight. Meanwhile, in Downing Street, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Lady Starmer hosted a VE Day street party, handing out cakes and cheer to guests gathered outside No. 10.
The public played their part too. Maria and Chris Naynor arrived with their grandchildren at 5:30am from Reading, staking out a spot along the Mall. “My dad was wounded in Dunkirk,” said Chris, proudly. “Mum was out in London celebrating VE Day in 1945. We had to be here.”
Others donned custom-made outfits for the day. Grace Gothard from Mitcham fashioned a Union Flag dress stitched with the Ghanaian flag, while Satvinder Cubb from Chingford wore a dress made from “Lest We Forget” scarves. “Why don’t we unite together?” she said. “Why can’t there be peace?”
Beyond London, towns and cities across the UK hosted street parties, with some councils, like Portsmouth, waiving fees for road closures. The Cenotaph in Whitehall was draped in a Union flag for the first time since its unveiling in 1920.
Commemorations will continue across the week. On Tuesday, Queen Camilla will visit an installation of 30,000 ceramic poppies at the Tower of London. National landmarks, from the Palace of Westminster to The Shard and Lowther Castle, will be illuminated at 21:00 BST.
Wednesday will feature a Westminster Hall concert by the Parliament Choir, while Thursday will open with a nationwide two-minute silence and end with a star-studded concert at Horse Guards Parade.
As the final generation of WWII veterans grows fewer, this VE Day 80 celebration stood not just as remembrance—but as a commitment to never forget.
