Buckingham Palace has announced that King Charles will address the nation next week to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. The King has pre-recorded an audio message, set to be broadcast on 15 August, marking the day Japan surrendered to the Allies in 1945, effectively ending World War II.
This broadcast will precede a remembrance service at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, attended by the King and Queen, WWII veterans, and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. The BBC will broadcast the service live, honouring all who served in the Asia-Pacific theatre, including Burma Star recipients, British Indian Army veterans, former prisoners of war, and those who fought in key battles such as Kohima and Imphal in India.
The Royal British Legion, in partnership with the Government, is hosting the event. The King and his wife, along with other senior figures, will lay floral tributes.
The ceremony will conclude with a national two-minute silence, followed by an aerial display from the Red Arrows and a flypast by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. After the service, the King and Queen will attend a reception with WWII veterans.
While Charles and Camilla attend the event at the National Memorial Arboretum, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will be present at a service at the Scottish National War Memorial at Edinburgh Castle, organised by the Royal British Legion Scotland, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Simultaneously, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester will join the congregation at the Far East Prisoners of War VJ Day 80th Anniversary Service at Norwich Cathedral, before attending another commemorative service dedicated to the Children and Families of the Far East Prisoners of War in Suffolk.
Before VJ Day, Sophie is scheduled to meet Second World War veteran Jim Wren, who was serving on HMS Repulse when he was captured and held on the Indonesian island of Sumatra until the end of the war.
The 80th anniversary of VJ Day commemorations will conclude with a reception for veterans at Windsor Castle later in the autumn.
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