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Scottish Sun
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Queen Camilla wears poppy-themed gloves at Tower of London art installation for 80th anniversary of VE Day
THE Queen proved a good fit for a striking 80th anniversary commemoration of VE Day by donning a pair of striking poppy-themes gloves. Camilla placed the final flower at a new display of nearly 30,000 ceramic poppies at Tower of London. 2 The Queen proved a good fit for a striking 80th anniversary commemoration of VE Day by donning a pair of striking poppy-themes gloves Credit: Getty 2 Camilla placed the final flower at a new display of nearly 30,000 ceramic poppies at Tower of London Credit: Goff The installation, called The Tower Remembers, represents a 'wound' across the inner walls of the fortress, symbolising the enduring sacrifices made during the conflict to mark 80 years since the end of the conflict. Wearing black leather gloves embellished with poppies she said: "It was so cold this morning I thought it would be the perfect time to wear them." Poet Laureate Simon Armitage read out a specially commissioned VE 80 poem called 'In Retrospect'. She was taken on a tour by Yeoman Warder Tracey Machin, along with her son Harrison, five, and D-Day veterans Henry Rice, 99, a former Royal Navy signalman and Richard Aldred, a tank driver in the Inniskilling Dragoon Guards. Richard handed the Queen a ceramic poppy, while Henry presented one to Harrison and they paused while before planting each of the flowers into the ground to complete the installation. Speaking afterwards Henry Rice said: "Last year I went to Normandy and had the pride and pleasure of meeting His majesty and Her Majesty. I said to her quietly, 'We met last year', she said, 'Yes, I know' and that that is fabulous. "I mean, why should she remember me?" He said of the installation: "Each one of those poppies represents a man that gave his life to allow me, my family, this country, in fact, to live in peace and comfort." The new display, which is open to the public from today until 11 November, uses poppies created for the 2014 installation Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, which saw the Tower encircled by a sea of more than 880,000 ceramic flowers.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Queen praises ‘beautiful' poppy display at Tower of London
The Queen has described a commemorative poppy display at the Tower of London as 'beautiful' and joked that the ceramic blooms were 'quite tempting' to take home. Camilla visited the historic fortress on Tuesday to launch The Tower Remembers, marking VE Day and the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe. The new installation features 30,000 ceramic poppies from the 2014 Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red artwork, now redesigned to flow from the White Tower. The Queen walks with Constable of the Tower of London, General Sir Gordon Messenger (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Camilla admired the ceramic flowers and joked: 'I see why people would take them. I think they're so lovely. Quite tempting.' ADVERTISEMENT Project lead Tom O'Leary guided the Queen through the artwork, saying afterwards: 'She was very interested in it. She really liked the way that all the different heights comingulate.' Poet laureate Simon Armitage then read In Retrospect, a poem commissioned to mark VE Day. Camilla arrives at the Tower (Stefan Rousseau/PA) The Queen told him warmly: 'Lovely. Lovely poem. Thank you very much,' before asking how long it had taken to write. She met members of the Historic Royal Palaces and Tower teams who helped create the display, as well as D-Day veterans Henry Rice and Richard Aldred, who handed her a poppy to plant. Camilla was also joined by Yeoman Warder Tracey Machin and her five-year-old son Harrison, who planted a poppy alongside the Queen. The Queen gets help with planting a poppy (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Harrison said: 'I did a poppy with the Queen. This is my poppy,' pointing to the ceramic flower he had planted. ADVERTISEMENT Asked why the moment was important, he replied: 'Because it's really, really special.' He said he enjoyed living at the Tower of London, explaining: 'You get to see all the nice stuff,' and that it had been a 'really good' day. Nearly 30,000 ceramic poppies have been loaned by the Imperial War Museum (Stefan Rousseau/PA) After helping with the ceremony, he was given a dragon teddy called Puffy. 'We chatted about all the poppies being here and it was really, really nice for them to be here,' he said. Ms Machin said: 'I could not be prouder of Harrison. He did such an excellent job. The display reflects the long-lasting sacrifices made during the Second World War (Stefan Rousseau/PA) 'When you're five anything could happen so I'm really proud that he stayed very still. Her Majesty the Queen was absolutely wonderful. You can tell she has grandchildren herself. 'She was dressed absolutely beautifully in red and black, co-ordinating perfectly with our poppies. I think she was very impressed with the display as well.' ADVERTISEMENT The Queen was wearing gloves decorated with poppies, and told one attendee she had been given them in France last year. The visit was part of commemorations for VE Day (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Mr Rice, 99, said of the visit: 'Memorable, that's the best word, because last year I went to France and had the pride and pleasure of meeting His Majesty and Her Majesty. I said to her quietly, 'We met last year', she said, 'Yes, I know', and that is fabulous. I mean, why should she remember me?' He added: 'Each one of those poppies there represents a man that gave his life to allow me, my family, this country in fact, to live in peace and comfort. 'I really do thank them and they are my heroes, all of them.' Camilla meets the public at the Tower of London (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Outside the Tower, crowds clapped and cheered as the Queen greeted them. She shook hands with schoolchildren, joking about them missing lessons, before she departed. One member of the public called out: 'God save the King, we all love Camilla, give us a wave.'
Daily Mirror
06-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
Emotional Queen Camilla admires 30,000 poppies in striking new WWII installation
Queen Camilla toured the striking new installation at the Tower of London, titled 'The Tower Remembers', which is designed to symbolise the sacrifices made during WWII The Queen has admired a new display of nearly 30,000 ceramic poppies at the Tower of London to mark 80 years since the end of the Second World War. Camilla toured the striking installation, The Tower Remembers, which represents a 'wound' across the inner walls of the fortress, symbolising the enduring sacrifices made during the conflict. Poppies flow down the side of the White Tower, where a frozen 'splash' of the blood-red flowers begins a cascade of poppies through the heart of the fortress, before emerging under St Thomas's Tower. Nearby, the poppies form a crater with ripples flowing outwards, resembling a 'wound' at the heart of the Tower, which still bears the marks of the bombings which killed five people, including a Yeoman Warder during the Blitz. Camilla, in a red wool crepe dress by Fiona Clare and black cape, wore black leather gloves embellished with poppies, which she was given on the State Visit to France in 2023. 'It was so cold this morning I thought it would be the perfect time to wear them,' she said. But the chilly weather briefly gave way to brilliant sunshine as she arrived at the Tower's East Gate and was received by its Governor Brigadier Andrew Jackson and its Constable Gordon Messenger. She greeted Sir Nicholas Coleridge, Chair of Historic Royal Palaces, with a kiss on each cheek and shook hands with John Barnes, CEO of the charity, which looks after the Tower among other key landmarks. Camilla then walked through a Guard of Honour formed of six Yeoman Warders, and was led onto the lawn to inspect the new installation by project lead Tom O'Leary. There was cheering and applause from the crowd of tourists watching from behind a cordon, and one man shouted: 'God save the King! We all love Camilla! Give us a wave!' Then the Queen met the Tower's Deputy Governor, Brigadier Anna Kimber, Yeoman Warder Tracey Machin, along with her son Harrison, five, and D-Day veterans Henry Rice, 99, a former Royal Navy signalman and Richard Aldred, a tank driver in the Inniskilling Dragoon Guards. 'It's very nice to see you,' she told the veterans. 'Not too cold?' Richard handed the Queen a ceramic poppy, while Henry presented one to Harrison and they paused while Poet Laureate Simon Armitage read out a specially commissioned VE 80 poem, 'The World Asks a Great Deal of the Poppies,' before planting each of the flowers into the ground to complete the installation. 'That was lovely,' she told the poet, who handed her a copy of the poem in a presentation box before admiring her gloves. 'These were given to me in France last year. It was so cold today I thought it was the perfect opportunity to put them on,' she said. 'How long did it take you to write?' Told he had been working on it for about three months, she gestured to the poppies, saying, 'This is rather beautiful, it really is.' Speaking afterwards Henry Rice said: 'Last year I went to Normandy and had the pride and pleasure of meeting His Majesty and Her Majesty. I said to her quietly, 'We met last year', she said, 'Yes, I know' and that that is fabulous. I mean, why should she remember me?' He described the King and Queen as 'A gentleman and his lady,' adding 'That's truly the best compliment I can pay to both of because that's exactly how I feel about them, and I'm speaking truthfully as well.' He said of the installation: 'Each one of those poppies represents a man that gave his life to allow me, my family, this country, in fact, to live in peace and comfort. 'I don't go around thinking of men that gave their lives and all that sort of thing. But then suddenly, when you're in a situation, you're sitting quietly, or you're out walking in the park, and suddenly it comes into your mind, and you realise exactly what these men did, how I really do thank them, and they are my heroes, all of them. Those that are alive even. 'I was in the Royal Navy, on board ship. These men then left my ship. I was on landing ships, and they ran up the beach into a hail of bullets and everything, and I sat quietly on my ship. They were so brave, but I don't know whether I could do it.' The new display, which is open to the public from today until 11 November, uses poppies created for the 2014 installation Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, which saw the Tower encircled by a sea of more than 880,000 ceramic flowers. The 30,000 in use this year are among 40,000 that were bought for the nation by philanthropists Dame Vivienne Duffield and Dame Susie Sainsbury after the original installation and donated to the Imperial War Museum. Camilla greeted each of the women warmly at the Tower today and again said of her distinctive gloves: 'They were given to me in France for D-Day last year. 'How lovely to see you, where does time go?' Gesturing again to the poppies on display, she added: 'It's so beautiful. I can see why people want to take them – I think it's quite tempting sometimes, I was quite tempted,' she said with a twinkle in her eye. 'They are so lovely, but they are not for sale!' The Queen then signed the visitors' book, joking, 'Everything's going to take off,' as a gust of wind lifted the pages. Camilla then met pupils from Cardwell Primary School in Woolwich, who showed off poppies they had made from card. 'They are so cool, you can match them up with the ones in there,' she said, pointing to the ceramic poppies behind the children. Then on an impromptu walkabout, the Queen also shook hands with some of the hundreds of tourists who had chanced upon the royal visit during their own tour of the Tower.
Straits Times
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Queen Camilla visits poppy memorial for Victory in Europe Day celebrations
Britain's Queen Camilla speaks Historic Royal Palaces volunteers during a visit to the display of ceramic poppies for the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, at the Tower of London, Britain, May 6, 2025. Stefan Rousseau/Pool via REUTERS Britain's Queen Camilla stands next to Constable of the Tower of London Gordon Messenger as she views an installation of 30,000 ceramic poppies, taken from the artwork 'Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red' (2014), at Tower of London, commemorating the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day in London, Britain, May 6, 2025. REUTERS/Phil Noble Britain's Queen Camilla holds a ceramic poppy next to Harrison Machin as she visits an installation of 30,000 ceramic poppies, taken from the artwork 'Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red' (2014), at Tower of London, commemorating the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day in London, Britain, May 6, 2025. REUTERS/Phil Noble Queen Camilla with the Constable of the Tower of London, General Sir Gordon Messenger, during a visit to view 'The Tower Remembers', the ceramic poppy installation marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, at the Tower of London. Picture date: Tuesday May 6, 2025. Stefan Rousseau/Pool via REUTERS Britain's Queen Camilla meets well-wishers during a visit to the National Gallery, in London, Britain, May 6, 2025. Chris Jackson/Pool via REUTERS LONDON - The Tower of London was adorned with a flood of ceramic poppies as part of Britain's commemorations for the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, in a display which was visited by Britain's Queen Camilla on Tuesday. Poppies, the symbol of remembrance in Britain, were installed in their thousands to form a bright red cascade flowing from one corner of the 950-year-old White Tower onto the grass below. "They become a metaphor for the spilled blood of all those who died in the war," designer Tom Piper said. The government has planned a series of events in the run-up to the anniversary of Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender, which took effect on May 8, 1945. Camilla visited the display, "planted" a poppy and met staff there. On Monday, she joined her husband King Charles, heir to the throne Prince William and his family, along with veterans and crowds to watch a military parade and flypast outside Buckingham Palace. The new commemorative display of 30,000 ceramic poppies follows a previous installation in 2014 which remembered lives lost during World War One. Named "Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red", it was visited by the late Queen Elizabeth. The Tower of London, located on the north bank of the River Thames, is a Norman fortress which, like many parts of London, was bombed during World War Two. The poppies, which were made by artist Paul Cummins, will be on display until November 11. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Poppies pour across Tower of London to mark VE Day
Nearly 30,000 ceramic poppies are on display at the Tower of London to mark 80 years since the end of World War Two in Europe. The red poppies have been positioned to resemble a cascading "wound" at the heart of the Norman fortress, which was bombed during the Blitz. Some of the flowers were first shown at the site in 2014, when an installation of 888,246 poppies - each representing a military life lost during World War One - drew more than five million visitors. The new artwork, named The Tower Remembers, is designed to reflect the loss of life through war and provide a space for remembrance. Queen Camilla visited the site on Tuesday. Queen Camilla visited the Tower of London on Tuesday afternoon [Reuters] The artwork was designed by Tom Piper, while the ceramic flowers were made and designed by the artist Paul Cummins. Piper previously said the scale of the 2014 installation, named Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, could never be repeated, but that he came to learn "smaller installations could still carry great emotional power". He added: "Everywhere these poppies have been, they have brought people together, with their own stories of sacrifice, commemoration, and hope for the future. "They have much to say about the universality of war and the anguish of suffering and loss." The poppies are on loan from the Imperial War Museums' collection [Getty Images] Visitors will be able to see the poppies as part of a general admission ticket to the Tower of London, though a small part will be visible from the public footpath. The display will remain until Armistice Day on 11 November, which marks when the World War One armistice came into effect. A tradition with its roots in World War One, poppies are a symbol of remembrance in the UK and are worn to commemorate those who lost their lives in two world wars and other conflicts. Part of the display will be visible from the public footpath [Getty Images] [BBC] [BBC]
