Celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day are set to begin, with crowds already starting to build along The Mall at Buckingham Palace.
The royal family will come together as King Charles is joined by senior royals and veterans in leading the nation’s events today.
Thousands are expected to line the streets of central London to watch a grand military procession and a Red Arrows flypast commemorating the victory of Britain and its allies over Nazi Germany on 8 May 1945.
Sir Winston Churchill’s victory speech will be read out by actor Timothy Spall to open proceedings, with street parties also being held across the UK on bank holiday Monday.
Ukrainian troops who are currently training with the UK military as part of Operation Interflex will join British forces for the military procession, a mark of solidarity amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
The royals are hoping to present a united front after a turbulent weekend in which a war of words between Buckingham Palace and Prince Harry reignited, after the latter said his father refuses to speak to him.
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said it will be a “moment of national unity”, describing it as a “chance to applaud the lion-hearted generation that defeated Nazi evil”.
Watch live: London prepares to host 80th VE Day anniversary celebrations
Crowds start to build along The Mall at Buckingham Palace
Crowds are starting to build along The Mall at Buckingham Palace.
Caroline Tomlinson, 59, travelled from Doncaster to witness the parade. She arrived at the Palace at 2pm on Sunday afternoon and camped overnight.
Dressed in Union flags, she said: “I’ve been watching lots of footage from 1945 when everybody was gathering outside the palace, so just great to be a part of it here we are again 80 years later to do the very same.
“I got here at 2pm yesterday afternoon, sat in the red chair all night, had a little bit of sleep.
“I’m used to this, I’ve been to the other events. I’ve been to the Platinum Jubilee, the Coronation, the Queen’s funeral, Royal weddings. Sleeping over is now my thing.
“It was very cold but I dressed accordingly and got through it. Slept about three times in one-hour bursts.
“I came here alone, the community is always so lovely. I’m absolutely hoping to catch a glimpse of the Royals.”
‘We owe debt of gratitude to those prepared to make ultimate sacrifice for our country,’ PM says
Sir Keir Starmer has said that “we owe a debt of gratitude to those prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for our country”, ahead of VE Day commemorations.
In a post on X on Monday morning, the Prime Minister said that the Government is “giving veterans better access to housing, employment, health and welfare support”.
“As we celebrate VE Day, we honour all those who have served in our armed forces,” he added.
Many veterans taking part in VE Day commemorations have not told their stories before, RBL chief says
Many veterans taking part in VE Day commemorations have not told their stories before, the director general of the Royal British Legion (RBL) said.
Mark Atkinson told BBC Breakfast: “We want to make sure that all of our veterans are at the very heart of these commemorations so we put the call out to invite people to step forward, to share their experiences, to tell their stories and to be here today at Buckingham Palace for the start of what is a week of commemorations and celebrations.
“But so many people coming forward having never really shared in any detail their experiences of the Second World War so we’re delighted to put them right at the centre of these commemorations.”
Mr Atkinson said RBL is supporting 30 veterans at Buckingham Palace on Monday, aged between 98 and 104.
“It will be one of the last opportunities that we all have to thank those veterans and their families for their service,” he continued.
“And hearing that first hand is incredibly important. It will soon be a historical fact – those stories and those voices and those experiences won’t be heard in the same way.”
Highlights of day ahead as nation celebrates VE Day
The King and Queen, with members of the royal family and the prime minister, are to join Second World War veterans to watch the military procession arrive at Buckingham Palace at midday.
Charles and Camilla will be joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales, Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Royal and Sir Tim Laurence, Duke of Kent and the Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the Queen Victoria Memorial outside Buckingham Palace, alongside veterans from the Royal British Legion, to observe military units processing down The Mall from Whitehall in honour of those who served during the Second World War.
The procession will begin in Parliament Square after Big Ben strikes midday and actor Timothy Spall will recite extracts from Winston Churchill’s VE Day speech.
Air cadet Warrant Officer Emmy Jones will then pass the Commonwealth War Graves Torch for Peace to Alan Kennett, 100, a Second World War veteran who served in the Normandy campaign.
The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment and The King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery will then lead the procession from Parliament Square, down Whitehall and past the Cenotaph which will be dressed in Union Flags, through Admiralty Arch and up The Mall through to Buckingham Palace where the procession will finish.
The procession will conclude with The Mall being filled by members of the public and a fly past featuring the Red Arrows and 23 current and historic military aircraft, which the royal family will watch from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
Starmer praises veterans for ‘selfless dedication’ ahead of VE Day
Sir Keir Starmer has praised veterans for their “selfless dedication” in an open letter ahead of VE Day.
The sacrifice made by members of the armed forces is a “debt that can never fully be repaid” but the nation will show how thankful it is during events to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe, the Prime Minister wrote.
He said the stories we will hear this week from those who fought are a reminder that “our victory was not just for Britain”.
“It was also a victory for good against the assembled forces of hatred, tyranny and evil. VE Day is a chance to acknowledge, again, that our debt to those who achieved it can never fully be repaid,” Sir Keir said.
As the nation falls silent on Thursday, he said his thoughts will turn both to those who served in the Second World War and those who “carry the torch of their legacy” today.
“Alongside our history and our values, service is the other great force that binds a nation together.
“So this week, I want you to know: the whole nation is inspired by the selfless dedication of your example.
“It is not just that you keep us all safe. It is also that you represent the best of who we are. A living link of service that unites the values we must stand for in the present, with the stories we must pass down from our past.”
Second World War veterans to join the King for VE Day tea party
Second World War veterans, aged from 98 to 104 years old, are to meet the King at a Buckingham Palace tea party in a special event to help mark VE Day, the Royal British Legion has said.
A 98-year-old former prisoner of war, a 99-year-old who served in the Desert Rats and took part in the D-Day landings and a 100-year-old woman who worked in the Special Operations Executive (SOE), known as Churchill’s Secret Army, are among 30 veteran guests of honour, according to the Royal British Legion (RBL), who helped organise the event.
They will have prime spots to watch the military parade and flypast in central London as the nation’s VE Day 80th anniversary celebrations begin on Monday.
RBL director general Mark Atkinson said the charity was “proud” to be taking a place “at the heart of these national celebrations and commemorations as this really will be one of our last opportunities as a nation to pay tribute to those veterans still with us today”.
British and Commonwealth armed forces veterans from the Royal Navy, the British Army and the Royal Air Force, plus Wrens, Special Operations Executives, D-Day veterans and Desert Rats are among those who are attending the tea party with Charles and other members of the royal family.
They will be joined by veterans who were still in active conflict in other parts of the world after VE Day and people who contributed to the war effort on the home front, plus their families and carers.
Evacuees are also among some of the other 20 Second World War generation guests who are set to attend.
Pictured: Cenotaph on Whitehall dressed in Union flag ahead of procession
In Whitehall, where the military procession for the 80th anniversary of VE Day will pass later, the Cenotaph is draped in a large Union flag.
The south and north face of the landmark are covered.
It is the first time the war memorial has been draped in Union flags since it was unveiled by King George V more than a century ago, in 1920.
A hundred metres away, the base of the Monument To The Women Of World War II is covered in poppy wreaths.
Met Office weather forecast for Bank Holiday Monday
The Met Office has predicted temperatures below average on Bank Holiday Monday after last week’s mini-heatwave – so those heading out for VE Day celebrations should remember to pack a jumper.
The forecaster says: “The cloudiest conditions are expected in the south and east, with further scattered showers possible at times. Temperatures on Monday may be a touch higher than Sunday, but still below average and feeling chilly, especially along the east coast.”
Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Tony Wisson adds: “We reach our coldest temperatures on Sunday and Monday. Then from Tuesday onwards we’re likely to see a very gradual increase in temperatures day on day, though not to the levels of warmth we’ve seen recently. High pressure will continue to dominate the UK weather next week, bringing largely dry weather and variable cloud amounts.”
Mapped: What is the procession route
The picture below shows the official map of the VE Day procession and flypast, with the procession route marked in red.
The public can watch the procession at the viewing areas along the route marked in brown, while suggested walking routes from nearby stations are shown in orange.
The image also shows various facilities at the viewing areas and along the route, including water refill points, toilets, medical points, and kiosks to buy food and drinks.
Source: independent.co.uk
