Royal Family watch flypast from Buckingham Palace to mark 80th anniversary of VE Day | UK News

The Royal Family have watched a flypast from the Buckingham Palace balcony to mark the start of four days of celebrations for the 80th anniversary of VE Day.

The thousands gathered in front of the palace and on The Mall cheered, clapped and waved flags as the Red Arrows and other RAF planes flew over.

The King and Queen, who were joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales, their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, and other senior royals.

Monday is the first day of commemorations of the moment Sir Winston Churchill declared on 8 May 80 years ago that all German forces had surrendered.

Since Queen Elizabeth II’s death, it is also the first VE Day event without any of the royals who waved to crowds from the balcony in 1945.

The King stood to salute as personnel from allies including the US, Germany and France joined 1,300 members of the UK armed forces in a march towards Buckingham Palace.

Crowds that gathered near the Cenotaph – draped in a Union Flag – fell silent as Big Ben struck 12.

Actor Timothy Spall then read extracts from Sir Winston’s victory speech as the wartime leader told crowds: “This is not victory of a party or of any class. It’s a victory of the great British nation as a whole.”

More than 30 Second World War veterans are at today’s celebrations, which include a street party in Downing Street and a tea party inside Buckingham Palace.

Prince George and his mother were pictured speaking to veterans inside the palace, with the King appearing in good spirits as he chatted to guests.

Monday’s military parade was officially started by RAF veteran Alan Kennett, 100, who in 1945 was in a cinema in Germany when a soldier drove a jeep inside and shouted: “The war is over.”

The Royal Horse Artillery led the march down Whitehall, through Admiralty Arch and up The Mall, while members of the Ukrainian military were also cheered and clapped.

Prince Louis was seen fiddling with his hair in the breezy conditions, apparently mimicking Prince George, while Kate sat next to veteran Bernard Morgan.

The balcony appearance was the King’s first in public since Prince Harry said his father would not speak to him and he did not know how much longer his father has left.

However, a Palace aide insisted the royals were “fully focused” on VE Day events after Harry’s shock interview.

VE Day marked the end of almost six years of war in Europe, in which 384,000 British soldiers and 70,000 civilians were killed, and sparked two days of joyous celebrations in London.

Sir Keir said in an open letter to veterans: “VE Day is a chance to acknowledge, again, that our debt to those who achieved it can never fully be repaid.”

Along with the events in the capital, people are celebrating across the UK with street parties,. tea parties and 1940s fancy dress-ups.

The Palace of Westminster, the Shard, Lowther Castle in Penrith, Manchester Printworks, Cardiff Castle and Belfast City Hall are among hundreds of buildings which will be lit up from 9pm on Tuesday.

A new display of almost 30,000 ceramic poppies at the Tower of London will form another tribute.

On Thursday, a service at Westminster Abbey will begin with a national two-minute silence before Horse Guards Parade holds a live celebratory concert to round off the commemorations.

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.

Pubs and bars have also been granted permission to stay open for longer to mark the anniversary two extra hours past 11pm.