The King is preparing to make an historic address next week to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, when allied forces celebrated victory over Japan at the end of the Second World War
The King is to make an historic address commemorating the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, when allied forces celebrated victory over Japan and the end of the Second World War.
King Charles will echo the words of his grandfather, King George VI, who paid tribute to the thousands of British soldiers who perished for our freedom on August 15, 1945.
Charles will deliver an audio address, to be released by Buckingham Palace, on the morning of the anniversary next Friday. Sources say the King has penned the statement himself, keen to recognise the “duty and sacrifice of our greatest generation”.
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The King led the nation three months ago for the commemorations for VE Day, when 80 years ago in 1945, Britain and its allies celebrated defeating Nazi tyranny after six years of war which left Europe on the brink of destruction.
On August 15, 1945, King George VI spoke to the nation to herald the beginning of a new era for Britain and Europe, saying: “Japan has surrendered, so let us join in thanking Almighty God that war has ended throughout the world, and that in every country men may now turn their industry, skill, and science to repairing its frightful devastation and to building prosperity and happiness.
“Our sense of deliverance is overpowering, and with it all, we have a right to feel that we have done our duty. I ask you again at this solemn hour to remember all who have laid down their lives, and all who have endured the loss of those they love.”
George also spared a moment to recognise the loss felt even by our enemies, after Hitler’s war machine wreaked havoc across Europe and then Asia with Japan’s involvement in the war.
As part of national commemorations next week the country is set to fall silent for two minutes to honour the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. A host of commemorative events are planned and a service of remembrance will take place at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire on August 15, featuring a 400-strong contingent from the armed forces, a display by the Red Arrows and historic planes from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
Organised in collaboration with the Royal British Legion (RBL), the remembrance service will be attended by Second World War veterans. It will also feature members of the VJ associations, top-ranking politicians, and military officials, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said.
Tom Berry, a 101-year-old Second World War veteran and RBL ambassador from Cheshire, who served on HMS Tartar during Japan’s surrender, said: “For veterans like me and all those who carried on fighting until VJ Day was announced, this will be a very emotional day – a moment in history.”
The Prime Minister Keir Starmer is encouraging people to stay home and tune in to the ceremony on TV. He said: “I’ll be watching the service at home, and I’d ask the country to do the same – to stop and remember all those who gave so much for our freedoms, and those who never made it back.”
As part of the commemorations this year, the King, 76, in January travelled to Poland to commemorate 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. The monarch said “the act of remembering the evils of the past remains a vital task” as he met Holocaust survivors in Poland.
While VE Day, on May 8, 1945, marked the conclusion of the war in Europe, the fight against Japanese forces in Asia and the Pacific continued for three more months, involving thousands of British and Commonwealth troops.
During four days of commemorations in London, King Charles welcomed some of the last remaining WWII veterans and their families to Buckingham Palace for a special engagement to acknowledge their sacrifice.
At a concert in Horse Guards Parade he further echoed the words of his grandfather saying: “His words echo down through history as all this week, and especially today, we unite to celebrate and remember with an unwavering and heartfelt gratitude, the service and sacrifice of the wartime generation who made that hard-fought victory possible. While our greatest debt is owed to all those who paid the ultimate price, we should never forget how the war changed the lives of virtually everyone.”
Buckingham Palace is working closely with the government on a range of special events next week to recognise the occasion, on one of the last significant anniversaries with survivors of the horrors of the war.
Lisa Nandy, Secretary for Culture, said: “Those who continued to fight bravely in Asia and the Pacific in those last few months of the Second World War must never be forgotten. It is so important for us as a nation to come together on this important anniversary to remember our VJ Day veterans and hear their stories first-hand so we can ensure that their legacy is passed on to future generations and their sacrifice is never forgotten.”
Defence Minister John Healey said: “VJ Day was the final victory in a war that changed the world, and we honour those who served in the Far East with enduring gratitude. Just as we proudly marked VE Day, we reflect on the courage, sacrifice and resilience shown by so many to secure peace. Their legacy must never be forgotten, and it’s our duty to pass their stories on to future generations.”
