The King and Queen, along with Prince William and Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, hosted a special reception at Windsor Castle for Second World War veterans
The King and Queen were joined by Prince William as they chatted warmly to World War Two veterans to mark Armistice Day.
The Prince of Wales was with his father, Charles and stepmother Camilla as they hosted the touching event at Windsor Castle. The trio were also joined by Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, as well as the Duchess of Gloucester in welcoming the veterans who have served in the Pacific in the war as well as their families.
The special outing came as this year marks 80 years since the end of the Second World War and VJ Day. The day on August 15 marks the anniversary of Japan’s surrender to the Allies following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, effectively ending the Second World War.
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The royals mixed with the group of elderly veterans and their families, hearing of their stories of sacrifice during the conflict. The event comes at the end of a busy Remembrance Day for the royals, who have been commemorating the nation’s fallen soldiers today.
Veteran Henry Rice, who served in the Pacific, was seen talking to William and Camilla, while the royals posed for a group photo with the former soldiers. Defence Secretary John Healey also attended the reception at Windsor Castle marking the end of the war.
Earlier, the Princess of Wales led the nation in a poignant two-minute silence on a moving visit to the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.
Kate stood silent, still, and deep in thought as she joined veterans in honouring the war dead at the Armed Forces Memorial, before laying a wreath in memory of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Watched by the crowd, which included veterans and their families, she stepped forward to lay a large ring of poppies before appearing to take a moment of reflection and then returning to her seat.
She bowed her head as the crowd prayed for those who had been affected by conflict, including members of the armed forces and civilians.
Earlier, Camilla, meanwhile, joined commuters on a train from Chippenham to London Paddington to take part in Great Western Railway’s Poppies to Paddington initiative.
She travelled on the 9.28am service to London from the Wiltshire station to mark the initiative, where wreaths are placed on early morning train services and brought to Paddington station for a special service.
William also earlier marked Armistice Day by telling young people about the importance of wearing a red poppy and that “remembrance is for everyone”. His message to children across the UK was played out at the Royal British Legion’s Remembrance Assembly, which was streamed on YouTube.
In his message, the prince said: “Armistice Day is an important time for us to stop and reflect – it is a reminder that remembrance is for everyone. “When we remember, we connect with service in a personal way. We learn from the courage of others, and we carry their stories forward, so they are not forgotten.
“It’s not just about the past – it’s about shaping who we become in the future. Remembrance teaches us empathy, resilience, and responsibility. And when we wear a red poppy or take a moment of silence, we are saying, ‘Thank you. We have not forgotten, and we will not forget’.”
Meanwhile, Princess Anne marked Armistice Day by laying a wreath at the 7 Combat Signal Regiment Memorial on a visit to Gallipoli Barracks in Brisbane as part of her trip to Australia and Singapore.
