Latest news with #VEDay75
The Independent
06-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
Poignant commemorations mark first VE Day without late Queen
The 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe marks the first major VE Day commemorations to be held in the absence of Queen Elizabeth II. The late Queen was meant to publicly lead the 75th anniversary of VE Day in 2020, but the Covid pandemic scuppered plans for widescale in-person national celebrations. She died in 2022 and her eldest son the King will now steer the nation as tributes are paid to those who served during the conflict. Elizabeth II had a personal link to the historic celebrations – as a young princess she secretly joined thousands of revellers as they jubilantly gathered outside Buckingham Palace on the night of May 8 1945. While in lockdown at Windsor Castle five years ago, she delivered a poignant televised address on the day of the 75th anniversary, in place of public commemorations. 'Never give up, never despair – that was the message of VE Day,' she told a stricken nation. 'But our streets are not empty; they are filled with the love and the care that we have for each other,' she added. 'And when I look at our country today, and see what we are willing to do to protect and support one another, I say with pride that we are still a nation those brave soldiers, sailors and airmen would recognise and admire.' The Queen's words were her second televised address during the coronavirus outbreak, after her speech to the country in April 2020 when she delivered a message of hope, saying if people remained resolute in the face of the outbreak 'we will overcome it'. She echoed Dame Vera Lynn's wartime anthem by telling those in lockdown, separated from their families and friends: 'We will meet again.' Despite swathes of VE Day events being cancelled because of the pandemic, the UK found ways to come together to honour those who served in the Second World War. After the Queen's broadcast, the nation was invited to open doors and windows and take part in sing-a-long of We'll Meet Again, during the BBC's VE Day 75 show. The then- Prince of Wales had led a poignant two-minute silence from Balmoral. The RAF staged flypasts across the country, with the Red Arrows soaring through the sky above Buckingham Palace and the London Eye and Typhoon fighter jets flying over Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast. Residents decorated their streets in patriotic bunting and held socially distanced tea parties and virtual get-togethers. Five years on, four days of celebrations are being staged from May 5 to 8, including a procession of more than 1,300 members of the armed forces along The Mall in central London, watched by thousands of members of the public, as well as the King, the Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales and other royals.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Poignant commemorations mark first VE Day without late Queen
The 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe marks the first major VE Day commemorations to be held in the absence of Queen Elizabeth II. The late Queen was meant to publicly lead the 75th anniversary of VE Day in 2020, but the Covid pandemic scuppered plans for widescale in-person national celebrations. She died in 2022 and her eldest son the King will now steer the nation as tributes are paid to those who served during the conflict. "Never give up, never despair – that was the message of VE Day" An address by Her Majesty The Queen on the 75th anniversary of VE Day #VEDay75 — The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) May 8, 2020 Elizabeth II had a personal link to the historic celebrations – as a young princess she secretly joined thousands of revellers as they jubilantly gathered outside Buckingham Palace on the night of May 8 1945. While in lockdown at Windsor Castle five years ago, she delivered a poignant televised address on the day of the 75th anniversary, in place of public commemorations. 'Never give up, never despair – that was the message of VE Day,' she told a stricken nation. 'But our streets are not empty; they are filled with the love and the care that we have for each other,' she added. 'And when I look at our country today, and see what we are willing to do to protect and support one another, I say with pride that we are still a nation those brave soldiers, sailors and airmen would recognise and admire.' The Queen's words were her second televised address during the coronavirus outbreak, after her speech to the country in April 2020 when she delivered a message of hope, saying if people remained resolute in the face of the outbreak 'we will overcome it'. She echoed Dame Vera Lynn's wartime anthem by telling those in lockdown, separated from their families and friends: 'We will meet again.' Despite swathes of VE Day events being cancelled because of the pandemic, the UK found ways to come together to honour those who served in the Second World War. After the Queen's broadcast, the nation was invited to open doors and windows and take part in sing-a-long of We'll Meet Again, during the BBC's VE Day 75 show. The then-Prince of Wales had led a poignant two-minute silence from Balmoral. The RAF staged flypasts across the country, with the Red Arrows soaring through the sky above Buckingham Palace and the London Eye and Typhoon fighter jets flying over Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast. Residents decorated their streets in patriotic bunting and held socially distanced tea parties and virtual get-togethers. Five years on, four days of celebrations are being staged from May 5 to 8, including a procession of more than 1,300 members of the armed forces along The Mall in central London, watched by thousands of members of the public, as well as the King, the Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales and other royals.
Telegraph
04-05-2025
- Climate
- Telegraph
Inside the BBC's VE Day coverage: ‘We must protect the veterans at all costs'
The 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, on Thursday, may be the last significant milestone for many of those who risked their lives to end the Second World War, and, given that the 75th anniversary of VE Day fell during the early phase of the coronavirus pandemic, this week's commemorations feel like one big last hurrah to celebrate the ultimate victory over Nazi Germany. A large military parade takes place tomorrow, and there will be a morning memorial service at Westminster Abbey and a star-studded evening concert at Horse Guards Parade on VE Day itself. These landmark events will be broadcast by the BBC, with an expected audience of millions. The plans to co-ordinate the Armed Forces, the Royal family and pop stars are nightmarishly tricky. But Claire Popplewell, the BBC executive charged with overseeing the broadcasts and who has delivered coverage of previous global events, including the weddings of the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as well as Nelson Mandela's funeral and VE Day 75, knows that the most important people there will be the military veterans. Popplewell says that her team is 'very aware' of the dwindling number of heroes who helped liberate the Continent from Adolf Hitler 's clutches, and 'we're talking to as many veterans as we possibly can' as part of the BBC's coverage. The oldest who has been interviewed is 108, with 'three or four' who are 106 or 107. Does the fact that many of these people may not be around for the 90th anniversary add to the pressure? 'Possibly,' she says. 'The lovely thing with VE Day is that it crosses so many generations. It isn't just about those who fought on the front line, but so many people who were affected, whether it's those serving at home, whether it was the Land Army, or the ladies in the factories, or the evacuees, who are of a slightly younger generation, but were still hugely impacted by the Second World War.' With nearly all the VE Day events taking place outdoors, thoughts inevitably turn to the unreliable British weather. After all, Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee Thames flotilla was marred by unseasonably heavy rain in June 2012, and Prince Philip was subsequently hospitalised with a bladder infection. Popplewell tries not to worry about the weather. 'You can't change it, can you? I always hope... when the sun shines, it transforms an event,' she says. 'Many times I've watched Trooping the Colour where it has been so hot, you've had people fainting, or so wet that the puddles are massive on Horse Guards Parade. I don't even look at the forecast, because you will either be hopeful or worried. You've just got to go with it on the day.' Former servicemen will not be exposed to any inclement weather this year. 'What we do is always to protect the veterans, so they will be under cover. The veterans have that duty of care.' Popplewell has been creative director for events at BBC Studios, the corporation's for-profit arm, since November 2018. The years since have been unprecedentedly busy from a ceremonial-event point of view: the centenary of the end of the First World War in 2018, Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022, her death and funeral that September, then the King's Coronation in May 2023. On top of that are all the usual annual events, such as Trooping the Colour and the Remembrance Day service at the Cenotaph. Popplewell says that she had no 'grand plan' to work in such a specialised field of broadcasting. Having started out as a producer of daytime programmes, she moved to sport and then food, where she was a director on Gary Rhodes's programmes. Her first taste of the ceremonial side of television was the Queen Mother's funeral in 2002. 'I love the discipline of live [TV], I love the fun. I like it when it almost goes wrong, but it doesn't... as long as it really doesn't.' The most nerve-racking event of her career was Queen Elizabeth's funeral, which followed Popplewell working flat out to cover all the events after her death in the run-up to her being laid to rest. Tens of millions were watching in the UK alone. 'It had to be perfect,' she says. 'It was a complete lack of sleep by the time we got to that funeral day, because we had been going for so long.' Of course, Huw Edwards was the commentator on both Queen Elizabeth's funeral and the King's Coronation. Now that Edwards is in disgrace, the cast of presenters appears to be widening, so as not to have one person dominating all national occasions. Sophie Raworth is anchoring the VE Day coverage from a studio in St James's Park, for instance. 'Sophie is our reporter for the Cenotaph,' says Popplewell, 'and she has an amazing connection with the veterans.' Has the departure of Edwards, who had become the heir to David Dimbleby, changed how the BBC picks its presenters for these big national occasions? 'No. I don't think, in all honesty, anything has changed at all. The fact that people move on creates a natural opportunity for new people to come forward,' says Popplewell. 'Yes, Huw was a big part of our team. But Sophie has worked with us for equally as long.' Some previous commemorations of military victories – including the centenary of the Battle of Passchendaele, in 2017 – have been criticised for being too gloomy in parts. In an attempt to avoid such comments this time, the Thursday-night concert, hosted by Zoe Ball, will feature Strictly Come Dancing stars performing to the music of the X Factor singer Fleur East, a mini-revival of Dad's Army starring Derek Jacobi and Larry Lamb, as well as the West End star Samantha Barks performing Vera Lynn's wartime classic We'll Meet Again. 'The thing about VE Day is, yes, you remember the sacrifice that people have made, but what is so special is this actually is a celebration. The overriding tone is [that of] a party,' says Popplewell. 'It's the nation coming together.' While Popplewell's brief is to make an entire nation of TV viewers feel like they are part of proceedings this week, she is ultimately focused on those who risked their lives during the war. 'I just want the veterans to have a good time,' she says. 'More than anything, whether they are watching at home, or whether they are there, or whether it's their families, I want them to know the gratitude I think this nation does have for the sacrifices that so many of them made.'
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The night the late Queen did the hokey cokey secretly among VE Day crowds
Amid the jubilant throngs celebrating VE Day outside Buckingham Palace, a teenage Princess Elizabeth, just 19, danced unnoticed, later recounting it as "one of the most memorable nights of my life." Joined by her 14-year-old sister, Princess Margaret, the future Queen Elizabeth II slipped into the crowds on May 8, 1945, experiencing the historic moment alongside thousands of revellers. The princesses joined in the revelry, dancing the hokey cokey and the Lambeth Walk, and even participating in chants of "We want the King" at the Palace railings. Their evening's adventure extended beyond the Palace gates, walking for miles and even dancing the conga through the Ritz hotel in Piccadilly. The Queen, speaking in 1985, recalled: 'My sister and I realised we couldn't see what the crowds were enjoying… so we asked my parents if we could got out and see for ourselves…' She added: 'I remember lines of unknown people linking arms and walking down Whitehall, and all of us were swept along by tides of happiness and relief.' The Queen said: 'After crossing Green Park we stood outside and shouted 'We want the King', and were successful in seeing my parents on the balcony, having cheated slightly because we sent a message into the house to say we were waiting outside. 'I think it was one of the most memorable nights of my life.' 'I remember lines of unknown people linking arms and walking down Whitehall, all of us just swept along on a tide of happiness and relief.'The Queen was 19 years old on VE Day. More than thirty years later, she recorded her memories for a unique BBC Broadcast. #VEDay75 — The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) May 8, 2020 She described how she was terrified of being recognised on the streets 'so I pulled my uniform cap well down over my eyes' but was told off by a Grenadier officer who was part of their group. Three-quarters of a century later in 2020, the Queen, by then the UK's longest-reigning monarch, addressed the country to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. She urged the nation to 'never give up, never despair' echoing the message of VE Day – poignant words which resonated during the Covid-19 lockdown. As part of the official celebrations in 1945, King George VI and his wife Queen Elizabeth made eight appearances on the Palace balcony in 10 hours – on one occasion accompanied by Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Here's Winston Churchill & the Royal family greeting the public from Buckingham Palace balcony, #VEDay, 8 May 1945 — Science Museum (@sciencemuseum) May 8, 2015 Elizabeth and Margaret appeared six times with their parents throughout the day and evening. In an unprecedented and spontaneous breach of royal protocol, they also hurried out of the Palace after dinner to join the crowds, accompanied by a group of Guards officers, who were friends of the princesses. It was Margaret's idea and the King and Queen agreed to the excursion, with the monarch writing in his diary that day of his daughters' lack of social life: 'Poor darlings, they have never had any fun yet.' Under the cover of darkness, the royal teenagers went unnoticed in the throng. Jean Woodroffe, one of the Queen's first ladies in waiting, once recalled how Elizabeth delightedly joined in the celebrations. 'What was amusing is that we went into the Ritz hotel through one door and out of the other door, the other end, doing the conga,' Ms Woodroffe told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme in 2006. 'The extraordinary thing was that nobody seemed to take much notice. 'Then we stood outside Buckingham Palace with the crowd and we all shouted 'We want the King' with everybody else until the King and Queen came out onto the balcony.' Elizabeth, who in February 1945 at the age of 18 had undertaken National Service in the Auxiliary Transport Service, wore her ATS uniform on the day. She had been registered as No. 230873 Second Subaltern Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor and took a driving and vehicle maintenance course at Aldershot, qualifying as a driver. Margaret described the war years as 'black and gloomy', but said VE Day came as a 'wonderful sunburst of glory'. The royal family had led by example and lifted morale during the conflict. On the outbreak of hostilities, it had been suggested that Queen Elizabeth and her daughters should be evacuated to the safety of Canada or the United States. But she declared: 'The children won't go without me. I won't leave the King. And the King will never leave.' Elizabeth and Margaret moved to Windsor Castle during the war, just as the Queen did during the coronavirus pandemic. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, later the Queen Mother, slept at Windsor but won praise for spending their days at Buckingham Palace during the Blitz. After German bombs fell at the palace, Queen Elizabeth said: 'I'm glad we've been bombed. It makes me feel I can look the east end in the face.' The east end of London was just one of the badly-hit areas the royal couple visited during the war to show support. The princess became Queen just seven years after the end of the war when her father died in 1952.
The Herald Scotland
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Late Queen danced secretly among VE Day crowds on ‘most memorable night'
The princesses did the hokey cokey and the Lambeth Walk, and took part in chants of 'We want the King' at the Palace railings. Huge crowds in Trafalgar Square celebrated Victory in Europe Day on May 8 1945 (PA) They walked for miles and also danced the conga through the Ritz hotel in nearby Piccadilly. The Queen, speaking in 1985, recalled: 'My sister and I realised we couldn't see what the crowds were enjoying… so we asked my parents if we could got out and see for ourselves…' She added: 'I remember lines of unknown people linking arms and walking down Whitehall, and all of us were swept along by tides of happiness and relief.' The Queen said: 'After crossing Green Park we stood outside and shouted 'We want the King', and were successful in seeing my parents on the balcony, having cheated slightly because we sent a message into the house to say we were waiting outside. 'I think it was one of the most memorable nights of my life.' 'I remember lines of unknown people linking arms and walking down Whitehall, all of us just swept along on a tide of happiness and relief.' The Queen was 19 years old on VE Day. More than thirty years later, she recorded her memories for a unique BBC Broadcast. #VEDay75 — The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) May 8, 2020 She described how she was terrified of being recognised on the streets 'so I pulled my uniform cap well down over my eyes' but was told off by a Grenadier officer who was part of their group. Three-quarters of a century later in 2020, the Queen, by then the UK's longest-reigning monarch, addressed the country to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. She urged the nation to 'never give up, never despair' echoing the message of VE Day – poignant words which resonated during the Covid-19 lockdown. As part of the official celebrations in 1945, King George VI and his wife Queen Elizabeth made eight appearances on the Palace balcony in 10 hours – on one occasion accompanied by Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Here's Winston Churchill & the Royal family greeting the public from Buckingham Palace balcony, #VEDay, 8 May 1945 — Science Museum (@sciencemuseum) May 8, 2015 Elizabeth and Margaret appeared six times with their parents throughout the day and evening. In an unprecedented and spontaneous breach of royal protocol, they also hurried out of the Palace after dinner to join the crowds, accompanied by a group of Guards officers, who were friends of the princesses. It was Margaret's idea and the King and Queen agreed to the excursion, with the monarch writing in his diary that day of his daughters' lack of social life: 'Poor darlings, they have never had any fun yet.' Under the cover of darkness, the royal teenagers went unnoticed in the throng. VE Day celebrations in the East End of London (PA) Jean Woodroffe, one of the Queen's first ladies in waiting, once recalled how Elizabeth delightedly joined in the celebrations. 'What was amusing is that we went into the Ritz hotel through one door and out of the other door, the other end, doing the conga,' Ms Woodroffe told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme in 2006. 'The extraordinary thing was that nobody seemed to take much notice. 'Then we stood outside Buckingham Palace with the crowd and we all shouted 'We want the King' with everybody else until the King and Queen came out onto the balcony.' Elizabeth, who in February 1945 at the age of 18 had undertaken National Service in the Auxiliary Transport Service, wore her ATS uniform on the day. Princess Elizabeth, in her uniform of Sea Ranger, and Princess Margaret (right), at Girl Guides march past the year in 1946 a year on from VE Day (PA) She had been registered as No. 230873 Second Subaltern Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor and took a driving and vehicle maintenance course at Aldershot, qualifying as a driver. Margaret described the war years as 'black and gloomy', but said VE Day came as a 'wonderful sunburst of glory'. The royal family had led by example and lifted morale during the conflict. On the outbreak of hostilities, it had been suggested that Queen Elizabeth and her daughters should be evacuated to the safety of Canada or the United States. But she declared: 'The children won't go without me. I won't leave the King. And the King will never leave.' King George VI and Queen Elizabeth stand amid the bomb damage at Buckingham Palace (PA) Elizabeth and Margaret moved to Windsor Castle during the war, just as the Queen did during the coronavirus pandemic. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, later the Queen Mother, slept at Windsor but won praise for spending their days at Buckingham Palace during the Blitz. After German bombs fell at the palace, Queen Elizabeth said: 'I'm glad we've been bombed. It makes me feel I can look the east end in the face.' The east end of London was just one of the badly-hit areas the royal couple visited during the war to show support. The princess became Queen just seven years after the end of the war when her father died in 1952.
