Keir to the rescue! Prime Minister springs into action to hand Queen Camilla a bottle of water during VE Day military procession

Daily Mail​

05-05-2025

Prime Minister Keir Starmer came to Queen Camilla's rescue during today's VE Day festivities.
The wife of King Charles, 77, was seated next to the monarch as the couple watched the military procession on Monday - when she suddenly appeared to suffer a coughing fit.
The politician, 62, who was seated in the row behind, quickly stood up and reached down to help Her Majesty with a drink to help.
He knelt to pick up a bottle of water, handing it to Camilla while gesturing to his own throat.
Deeply grateful, the Queen appeared to thank Keir as he sat back down. After taking a sip, she seemed to be feeling much better.
The Royal Family turned out in force to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day in London today, watching a stunning Royal Air Force flypast as Britain remembered the end of the Second World War in Europe.
Charles and Camilla were joined by Prince William, Kate and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis along with other senior royals on the Buckingham Palace balcony this afternoon.
They watched the spectacular display featuring the Red Arrows and a score of historic and current military aircraft, about an hour after viewing a procession through London of 1,300 members of the armed forces and Nato allies.
The flypast at 1.45pm featured planes involved in tensions with Russia - including P8 Poseidons, which carry out reconnaissance missions surveying Russian vessels near UK waters; and Voyager aircraft which deliver equipment to Ukrainian forces and fly Ukrainian recruits to the UK for training.
Crowds gathered below on The Mall also got to see Typhoon fast jets, which are a key part of Nato Air Policing, and fifth generation F-35 Lightning fighters.
Earlier, the royals observed a military procession from a specially built dais on the Queen Victoria Memorial outside Buckingham Palace while thousands of people packed the streets as four days of commemorations began.
William shook the hand of one veteran as he passed him to take his seat, and his children followed his example with Kate the last to greet the old serviceman and she sat beside him. He later appeared to show her some photographs.
Louis then briefly struggled to gain the attention of his father - tapping his shoulder repeatedly while William was in conversation.
After a few moments, William turned to his son and they spoke. George, Charlotte and Louis were last seen together in public when they attended the Christmas Day church service on the Sandringham estate.
The military fly past passes over The Mall and Buckingham Palace at the end of the procession for VE Day 80 today
The Princess of Wales and Prince Louis on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to view the flypast this afternoon
A Ministry of Defence photograph of the Red Arrows and Typhoons taking part in the flypast over Buckingham Palace today
The military fly past passes over The Mall and Buckingham Palace at the end of the procession for VE Day 80 today
King Charles III and Queen Camilla and the Prince of Wales on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London today
Queen Camilla and the Prince of Wales on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to view the flypast featuring RAF planes today
The Royal Air Force team flies past the London Eye as part of the armed forces and veterans' parade this afternoon
Members of the royal family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to view the flypast in London this afternoon
King Charles III salutes during the military procession to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day in London today
Prince Louis puts his hand on his father William's shoulder at the event to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day today
Grenadier Guards march past the Queen Victoria Memorial during a military procession along The Mall this afternoon
Charles chatted to Joy Trew, 98, who enlisted in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force aged 17 in 1944 and served as a wireless operator working at RAF Chicksands Priory in Bedfordshire, a station taking morse code messages from stations in Germany.
Beside him was Camilla who had Royal British Legion veteran Jack Mortimer on her right.
Hundreds of street parties are also being held across the UK today while formal military events take place in London – while Charles hosted a tea party for some of the last living heroes of the conflict as well as their families. Prince George joined his mother and father to meet veterans at Buckingham Palace, and was seen with William.
George and William spoke with Royal Engineers veteran Alfred Littlefield, 101, who served during D-Day, as William spoke of the importance of preserving veterans' stories.
William smiled as he shook hands with veterans and said it was 'very important' for George and the 'next generation' to hear the stories from those who fought in the war.
George listened intently as his father chatted to Mr Littlefield and William later told veteran Douglas Hyde, who joined the merchant navy aged 18 in 1944, that his son was 'very keen' to ask the ex-serviceman some questions.
Charles was wearing Naval Uniform No.1 dress, with no medals or decorations, as his grandfather King George VI wore on the palace balcony on VE Day in 1945 – while William wore RAF No.1 Uniform.
Camilla was dressed in a sapphire blue wool crepe dress and coat, by Fiona Clare, with the 12th Royal Lancers Brooch, the regiment of her late father Major Bruce Shand.
Kate wore a dress by Emilia Wickstead, hat by Sean Barratt and an RAF wings brooch.
The Duke of Edinburgh wore Army No.2 Service Dress of the Scots Guards, while Duke of Kent wore Field Marshal No.2 Service Dress.
Princess Anne, who was also present, wore the uniform of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (Princess Royal's Volunteer Corps) with no decorations.
The late Queen Elizabeth II, as Princess Elizabeth, wore the military uniform for her palace balcony appearance on VE Day 1945 as a member of the Auxiliary Territorial Services.
In Whitehall the Cenotaph was draped in a large Union flag, with the south and north face of the landmark 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.