VJ Day 80 years on: King Charles says ‘greatest weapons' are unity as UK remembers Pacific war heroes with silence
Commemorations and attendance
The service brought together 33 veterans aged between 96 and 105, all of whom served in the Far East and Pacific campaigns. They attended as guests of honour, alongside the Japanese ambassador. Wreaths and floral tributes were laid by the King, Queen, and Prime Minister before the silence was observed.
A flypast featured the Red Arrows alongside historic Spitfire and Hurricane aircraft, while military bagpipers performed at The Cenotaph in London, Edinburgh Castle and the National Memorial Arboretum at dawn. A piper was also scheduled to play at a Japanese peace garden to mark post-war reconciliation between the UK and Japan.
King Charles's address
In a six-minute speech, King Charles paid tribute to the 'courage and camaraderie' of those who fought in the Pacific and Far East during what he described as 'humanity's darkest hour.' He reflected on the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, acknowledging the 'immense price' paid by civilians and expressing hope that no nation would face such devastation again.
This VJ Day, we remember all those who fought for our freedom over 80 years ago.#VJDay80 pic.twitter.com/XFOQqmZQw8
The King also emphasised that the cost of war extends beyond battlefields, affecting every aspect of life, and urged that lessons of unity from World War Two remain relevant today. 'The greatest weapons are not the arms you bear, but the arms you link,' he said.
Political and public tributes
Prime Minister Starmer described the nation's 'great debt' to those who fought for a better future. Historic buildings across the UK — including Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, the Tower of London and the White Cliffs of Dover — were set to be illuminated in the evening to mark the occasion.
VJ Day, observed annually on 15 August, is the date in 1945 when Japan surrendered to the Allied forces, bringing the Second World War to an end. While fighting in Europe had ceased in May 1945, the Pacific war continued until that surrender, following the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
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