Closing summary
Thank you for reading today’s live blog on the UK marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day. This blog will be closing shortly but you can see all the Guardian’s VE Day coverage here.
Here is our main story from today:
Plus, here is a summary of the day’s events:
Senior royals joined thousands of people in London to observe a military procession and RAF flypast that began a series of commemorations marking the end of the second world war in Europe. King Charles and Queen Camilla were joined in the royal box by the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis to watch the procession. They later watched the RAF flypast, including a display by the Red Arrows, from the Buckingham Palace balcony. Afterwards, a tea party for 30 second world war veterans aged from 98 to 104, and about 20 evacuees and others who lived through the war, was hosted by the king and queen at the palace.
Nato allies joined 1,300 members of the UK armed forces for the parade, with the words of Winston Churchill’s 1945 victory speech spoken by actor Timothy Spall kicking off events for the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
In Whitehall, the Cenotaph was draped in a large union flag, with the south and north face of the landmark covered. It was the first time the war memorial had been draped in union flags since it was unveiled by King George V more than a century ago, in 1920.
Crowds started to gather on the Mall on Monday morning, with some arriving the day before to secure a viewing spot. The commemorations featured displays by the Red Arrows and street parties took place across the UK.
Keir Starmer, who was also at the London procession, said the week’s events were a reminder that victory was “not just for Britain” as personnel from the US, France and Germany joined the military procession. 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.”
Starmer was greeted with applause from guests as he joined the VE Day street party in Downing Street after the parade. The prime minister, joined by his wife, Victoria, walked out of No 10 holding a plate of cakes, which he then handed out to some of the guests. Starmer then picked up a commemorative teapot and walked around the tables to serve tea before taking his seat.
Alan Kennett, a 100-year-old Normandy veteran, began the military procession which set off down Whitehall, through Admiralty Arch and up the Mall towards Buckingham Palace. The procession officially began shortly after midday when Kennett received the Commonwealth War Graves’ Torch For Peace by air cadet Warrant Officer Emmy Jones. Thirty further veterans attended official events on Monday, including 26 who watched the procession in London.
Representatives of the Ukrainian military, selected from the UK armed forces’ training programme for Ukrainian recruits, also took part in Monday’s military procession, receiving cheers and applause from the crowds gathered. The Nato detachment, which included personnel from Poland, Lithuania and Sweden, marched in the procession wearing the uniforms of their nations under the Nato flag.
The royal family are scheduled to take part in engagements over the next four days. King Charles and Camilla 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”.
Updated
Here are some more images from today’s commermorations for the 80th anniversary of VE Day:
