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Edinburgh Live
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Prince William's true character is clear as he shares moment with son Louis
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info As the 80th anniversary of VE Day celebrations kicked off yesterday, a tender moment was captured between Prince William and his son Louis. A heartwarming clip, which quickly spread across social media platforms, showed Louis, who celebrated his seventh birthday last month, brushing off his father's shoulder. He looked like he was getting the future king ready for his appearance in uniform. Touched by the gesture, one social media user tweeted: " looking after his dad,". Another person commented online: "Prince Louis dusting off his papa's uniform. Such a sweet little kid." A third agreed, saying: "Prince Louis rubbing Prince William's shoulder, so adorable!". It wasn't just Prince Louis who was praised following the adorable interaction. People think the Prince of Wales showed his true character with how he reacted to the gesture. A commenter said: "Watching Prince Louis tapping William on the shoulder while William was talking to a gentleman to his side. Just like all kids! And just like all good parents, William acknowledged Louis with his hand touching him, ('hang on a minute son') but continued his conversation." The pair were accompanied by Princess Catherine, Prince George, and Princess Charlotte, making it an family affair with the party of five sat among veterans during the ceremonies by the Queen Victoria Memorial. Moments later, Prince Louis became the centre of attention again as he amusingly imitated his elder brother George, 11. As a gust of wind hit the Royals, George had to restyle his hair – smoothly sweeping it back to suit his side parting. But Louis, who has previously captured hearts with his comedic expressions at Royal events, immediately mimicked George, in what appeared to be gentle ribbing about his preoccupation with his appearance. "Oh Prince Louis so funny without trying!" exclaimed a social media user in reaction. Another observed: "Louis is almost trolling George!". And a third commenter wrote: "I love it! He's so cheeky." Later in the day, the King and Queen Consort held a Tea Party at Buckingham Palace for veterans and individuals from the Second World War era. Attendees included British and Commonwealth military veterans, former members of the Women's Royal Naval Service (WRENs), Special Operations Executive agents, and those who made significant contributions domestically during the war, alongside their families and caretakers. Queen Camilla is set to visit the renowned ceramic poppy display at the Tower of London today (May 6). On Wednesday, a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey will be attended by the King and Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Princess Royal and Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, and the Duke of Kent. The King and Queen are also partaking in a live celebratory concert from Horse Guards Parade to wrap up the national VE Day commemorations. The event will feature music performances from the era, intertwined with the stories of veterans from the Second World War.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
London VE Day map shows procession, flypast, viewing areas and toilets
This Early May Bank Holiday, on Monday, May 5, London will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two. The four-day commemorative celebration is jam packed with celebratory events including from a military procession to a flypast, as well as a concert at Horseguards parade, 2,500 beacons being lit across the UK and a display of over thousands of ceramic poppies at The Tower of London. A map released by TFL details exactly where the events will start and end on the Monday including the procession route, toilets and viewing areas. We have covered the route as well as all the key events happening across the four days of celebration. World War Two lasted nearly six years and May 8, 1945, would have been the first VE Day or Victory in Europe Day. After almost six years of war, Germany officially surrendered on May 7, 1945, ending the conflict. The next day celebrations erupted around the world. READ MORE: The best seaside towns in England have been named and 6 of them are within 2 hours of London READ MORE: 'Magic' first of its kind spray that contains frizz called 'miracle' by hairdresser The announcment that the war was over was broadcast across the radio to the British people on the evening of May 7 with a news flash announcing that VE Day would be a national holiday and would take place the next day. The government says this upcoming VE Day will be 'an opportunity for the nation to come together to honour and pay tribute to the Second World War generation from across the UK and Commonwealth'. Veterans will attend the events and Britons are being urged to participate in the celebrations as it 'might be our last chance to thank' surviving veterans. With over 12,500 people expected to attend, including a number of World War Two veterans, and with the events spread out across London, over four days, there is going to be a lot going on. A lot of the key events including the flypast and procession are happening on the Monday. Here are the key events and timings and locations: The VE Day 80 procession from Parliament Square to Buckingham Palace will pass national monuments to British military history. The procession will start from Parliament Square and travelling along Whitehall and The Mall, it will finish at the Queen Victoria Memorial. The special flypast is expected to feature the Red Arrows as well as more than 20 current and historic military aircraft and will culimminate with the iconic red, white, and blue smoke of the Royal Air Force's Red Arrows. Here's a rundown of Monday's events, timings and locations: Monday, May 5: 12pm: the events kick off at 12:00 with a short ceremony in Parliament Square. 12.10pm: the procession leaves from Parliament Square and will travel along Whitehall and The Mall, finishing at the Queen Victoria Memorial. 13.45pm: the flypast over The Mall and Buckingham Palace takes place. The procession will be made of up of more than 1,300 members of the armed forces. Youth groups will also be involved, reflecting the importance of intergenerational remembrance. After the procession has passed down The Mall, people will be able to walk down The Mall towards Buckingham Palace to watch the flypast at 13:45. Later on, there'll be a tea party for some of the veterans and their families. And no doubt, nationwide there will be plenty of street parties including the HMS Belfast street party. Communities will hold their own get togethers, as would have happened at the end of the war. The four day nationwide party continues with several events over the next few days. Here's a snapshot - Tuesday, May 6: An installation of 30,000 ceramic poppies will go on show at the Tower of London to 'reflect on the lasting legacy of conflict'. In the evening, several historic UK landmarks will be lit up. Wednesday, May 7: In the evening, the Parliament Choir will host a Victory in Europe Day 80th Anniversary Concert in Westminster Hall, the oldest part of the Palace of Westminster. The concert takes place exactly 80 years after a newsflash announced that the following day would be Victory in Europe Day. Thursday, May 8: While the Royal British Legion VE Day tea party will be for World War Two veterans and their families, the general public are welcome to attend the commemorative service. There will be seating available for the public at the commemoration service - but it will be on a first come first serve basis after ticketed guests are seated. Later in the day, there'll be a service at Wedsminster Abbey as a moment to give thanks and 'honour a generation that showed extraordinary courage and resillience". Finally, the Official VE Day 80 commemorations will end with a concert at Horsehuards Parade, which will feature 'stars of stage and screen'. The concert will be broadcast live on BBC One at 8pm. You can watch the VE Day procession in person at viewing areas along the procession route in London. Entry to the viewing areas are free. The viewing areas are along the procession route, on both sides of the Mall and Whitehall. For those who won't be able make it in-person, the procession and flypast will be broadcast live on national television. Although entry to the viewing areas is free, there are large crowds expected and therefore visitors are advised that they should be prepared to queue to enter the viewing areas. As capacity is limited, viewing areas will be closed when they are full, so visitors are advised to arrive early. As well as first aid points, water refill stations and concession kiosks (for food and drinks), there will be toilets along the route as well as accessible toilets. There won't be screens along the route or in any of the nearby parks, however, there is accessible viewing area which can be used by people with access requirements, and a quiet viewing space. Stay up to date about London's hottest events, latest restaurant openings, and best deals with our Going Out Out newsletter. Sign up HERE!
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Red Arrows, royals and street parties: What to look out for on VE Day at 80
VE Day marked the end of World War Two in Europe. Huge crowds took to the streets on 8 May 1945 to sing, dance and rejoice after nearly six years of war. To mark the 80th anniversary, four days of commemorative events have been planned across the UK, from 5 to 8 May. Here's a guide to what's happening and when. London's Cenotaph will become a focal point for quiet reflection when commemorations begin on Bank Holiday Monday. The monument will be draped in Union Flags, echoing its 1920 unveiling in honour of the fallen soldiers of World War One. Throughout the four days of remembrance, it will serve as a place of silent tribute to those who died in World War Two, both at home and abroad. On Monday, more than 1,300 armed forces and members of the public are expected to participate in a military procession from Whitehall to Buckingham Palace. The event will begin at 12:00 BST in Parliament Square with an actor reciting extracts from Prime Minister Winston Churchill's VE Day speech. The procession will travel down Whitehall, past the Cenotaph, through Admiralty Arch and up the Mall. World War Two veterans will watch the event from the Queen Victoria Memorial, alongside Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The procession will be followed by a flypast of current and historic military aircraft. This will include a Voyager transport aircraft - a fleet extensively used in the UK's support for Ukraine - and the Royal Air Force's Red Arrows, famous for their red, white and blue smoke trails in the sky. King Charles and Queen Camilla are expected to make an appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony at the military parade on Monday. They will also host a tea party for war veterans, their families and other members of the wartime generation in the palace gardens. The 2025 VE Day commemorations will be the first to take place without any of the royals who appeared on the balcony 80 years ago. In 1945, large crowds gathered outside Buckingham Palace to catch a glimpse of King George VI, the Queen Mother, a young Queen Elizabeth II, and Princess Margaret. King and Queen to host VE Day tea party for war veterans On Monday, HMS Belfast is hosting a private VE Day 80 anniversary event, with Radio 5 Live's Matt Chorley joining for afternoon tea. In the evening, there is a late night extravaganza with drinks, music and special guests. The famous ship, now parked next to Tower Bridge, is the most significant surviving WW2 warship. It fired some of the opening shots on D-Day in 1944 and protected Arctic convoys during the war. Street parties will also take place up and down the country, with local communities encouraged to organise their own get-togethers to echo the celebrations from 80 years ago. Councils are hosting events and some have waived their usual road closure fee. Check your local council website to see what festivities are taking place in your area. And pubs in England and Wales will stay open late on Thursday to allow customers to raise a glass in their local until 01:00 BST. From jelly to hummus: a history of street party food Pubs to stay open late for VE Day 80th anniversary On Tuesday, the Tower of London will open an art installation of 30,000 ceramic poppies. The flowers originally featured in Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, an artwork created to mark the centenary of WW1 and included 888,246 poppies at the castle. Royal Historic Palaces (RHP) said the poppies "will pour across the lawn overlooked by the ancient White Tower, where the blood-red flowers will form a crater, with ripples flowing outwards". Visitors can see the new installation as part of a general admission ticket to the Tower of London, although a small part will be visible from the public footpath. The exhibition runs until Armistice Day on 11 November. Poppies to return to Tower for WW2 anniversary On Wednesday, the Parliament Choir will host an anniversary concert at the Palace of Westminster marking the moment when a newsflash announced 8 May 1945 as VE Day. On the same day, the IWM North war museum in Manchester is hosting Letters to Loved Ones, a performance about personal stories of the conflict and people's understanding of the war today. On Thursday commemorations will be marked by a thanksgiving service at Westminster Abbey and VE Day 80: A Celebration to Remember, an evening concert at Horse Guards Parade. Expected to draw over 10,000 attendees, the concert will feature stars such as Samantha Barks, Fleur East and John Newman. At the Royal Albert Hall, VE Day 80: The Party, will feature the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and is organised by SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity. Outside London, elaborate VE Day celebrations are planned across the country. To search for an event in your local area, visit your council website or use the In Staffordshire, the Royal British Legion will host an anniversary tea party and service of remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum on Thursday, bringing together one of the largest gatherings of WW2 veterans and their families on VE Day. In Belfast, there will be guided tours of wartime landmarks and a "tea dance" hosted in the City Hall. In Pontypool Wales, the Blaenavon Workmen's Hall is hosting a Great Victory Bake off, a Knit for Victory event and a costume competition. On the north coast of Scotland at Banff Castle, a "full programme of music, dance and entertainment" is slated for VE Day. VE Day 80 celebrations in Hull and East Yorkshire VE Day 80th celebrations in Lincolnshire VE Day street parties encouraged across the West VE Day celebrations across the South announced The BBC will commemorate VE Day with a variety of special programmes. Highlights on BBC One include special editions of Saturday Kitchen on 3 May (10:00 BST), Antiques Roadshow on 4 May (20:00 BST), The One Show on 5 May (18:30 BST), Who Do You Think You Are? on 6 May (21:00 BST) and EastEnders on 8 May (19:30 BST). There will be special programmes across BBC Radio including a concert from Alexandra Palace on BBC Radio 2. Online, BBC News will cover VE Day with a range of reporting including live pages of the commemorations and a rich selection of video interviews with people who lived through the war. There will also be live broadcasts of major events on BBC One and iPlayer including: Monday 5 May - VE Day 80: The Nation Pays Tribute (BBC One, 10:30 BST), presented by Sophie Raworth with commentary from Paddy O'Connell on the military procession in London. Thursday 8 May - VE Day 80: The Nation Remembers (BBC One, 10:45 BST), a service of thanksgiving from Westminster Abbey presented by Sophie Raworth with commentary from Petroc Trelawny. Thursday 8 May - VE Day 80: A Celebration to Remember (BBC One, 20:00 BST) a live concert from the Horse Guards parade in London presented by Zoe Ball. To read more about what's happening across the BBC, click here.
