Queen Camilla leaves Buckingham Palacepublished at 15:38 British Summer Time 5 May
Mallory Moench and Ashitha Nagesh
Reporting from the Mall
Queen Camilla leaves Buckingham Palace and gets dropped off at Clarence House, with the car returning empty.
Summary
Street and tea parties are being held across the country, including at Buckingham Palace and Downing Street, to mark 80 years since World War Two ended in Europe
It comes after the Royal Family watched the Red Arrows fly over the Palace, with the King and Queen waving to thousands of people gathered on the Mall
The Prince and Princess of Wales, and their three children, joined the monarch - see the younger royals’ reaction
Earlier, the King saluted a military procession watched by thousands of spectators - one family tell the BBC they left home at 05:30 BST to bag a front-row spot
The World War Two veterans at today's events are in their late nineties and are representatives of a shrinking number of that generation, our royal correspondent Sean Coughlan writes
Watch: The royal moments you may have missed
Queen Camilla leaves Buckingham Palacepublished at 15:38 British Summer Time 5 May
Gun salute and VE Day party at HMS Belfastpublished at 15:34 British Summer Time 5 May
A few miles down the River Thames from Buckingham Palace, HMS Belfast is hosting a private VE Day 80 anniversary event.
Just over 80 years on, the now-retired war vessel today plays host to an afternoon tea, which veterans are expected to attend - our colleague Matt Chorley has been reporting from deck for BBC 5 Live where a gun salute has just taken place.
"Now you need your ear defenders," he says, as HMS Belfast's guns begin to fire. "I think they're getting bigger."
"As we look across to the Tower of London on one side... its guns are sounding right around us to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day."
Later on this evening, the warship is also holding an "after-hours party", with the public able to purchase tickets to mingle with history reenactors and listen to music from the time.
The menu aboard HMS Belfastpublished at 15:25 British Summer Time 5 May
Nick Johnson
Reporting from HMS Belfast
Image caption, Preparations for lunch are under way on the HMS Belfast
HMS Belfast - a mainstay of the River Thames in central London since the 1970s - was a crucial weapon in the Royal Navy's arsenal during the Second World War.
She helped protect the Arctic Convoys from Nazi attack – sinking the German ship Scharnhorst. She also fired some of the opening salvos during Operation Overlord – the allied assault on the beaches of Normandy in 1944.
Sir Winston Churchill himself wanted to be on the bridge of Belfast during the D-Day operation before being dissuaded.
To mark 80 years of VE Day, there is an afternoon tea on board – "National Loaf" and Ration Cake are on the menu, as well as other appealing options.
Among those invitees include those who served on Belfast in conflicts after World War Two, as well as some who lived through the horrors of the conflict.
This may be one of the final times we're able to hear their stories first hand.
Image caption, Part of the menu being served on the HMS Belfast
Bunting, baked cakes and fizz in West Yorkshirepublished at 15:18 British Summer Time 5 May
Josh Parry
Reporting from Meltham, West Yorkshire
Here on Tinker Lane in Meltham, West Yorkshire they've pulled out all the stops to make sure that the VE Day commemorations are also celebratory.
Residents have organised a street party and have brought out the bunting, baked cakes and are even enjoying a few bottles of fizz.
Throughout the day the plans involve the Meltham and Meltham Mill band who will give a special performance, and there was also a flypast by a Spitfire.
Valerie Swingbank, pictured with family friend Layla, has brought out her commemorative tea towels which show details of the ration books issued by the government during the war.
She said: "We're lucky and fortunate that we all get on with each other to organise events like this.
"It wouldn't be possible without this community."
Although the mood is celebratory, she told BBC News she felt it was also "very important to remember those who didn't come home".
An 'emotional and poignant day', says Palace tea party inviteepublished at 15:06 British Summer Time 5 May
Kris Bramwell & Cachella Smith
Your Voice, Your BBC News
Image source, Poppy Taylor PorterJoan Poppy Taylor, 90, is one of those who has been invited to Buckingham Palace today to attend the VE Day garden party.
"Today is a very emotional and poignant day for me," she tells the BBC.
"I'm so proud to be representing the wartime evacuees at Buckingham Palace, and I can't wait to celebrate VE Day to help keep the memory alive for generations to come."
Her granddaughter, also called Poppy, explains: "My Nan was evacuated to Dorset from Southampton.
"She remembers the troops preparing to launch for D-Day as she had a train line which ran through her garden in Southampton, and she remembers them throwing her badges and food."
'That's not something you forget'published at 15:03 British Summer Time 5 May
Mallory Moench
Reporting from the Mall
Image caption, Lucy, Miyara and her mum before the ceremony began
I just ran into Miyara Chibber, a London fire cadet from Kent, and Lucy Plummer, a fire cadets supervisor.
I met them earlier when Maya's mum was dropping her off before the parade started.
Miyara and Lucy got to sit in the back row of the stage during the parade. "It was an amazing experience," Miyara gushed.
The King and Queen passed in front of them and said hello, the pair said, and Prince William and a Princess Catherine gave them a little wave too.
Earlier in the day, Miyara had told me that her and Lucy were most excited about seeing the princess.
During the flypast, they moved out the back of the stage, opposite the balcony of Buckingham palace.
"It was incredible to see the old planes going over the Queen Victoria memorial," Lucy said.
"It was absolutely beautiful. And the sound of them as well - that’s not something you forget."
Royals, Red Arrows and a spot of rain: VE Day so farpublished at 14:49 British Summer Time 5 May
Ben Hatton
Live reporter
Image source, PA MediaCrowds have gathered in central London and at events across the country to kick of celebrations for the 80th anniversary of VE Day. Here's a quick recap of what we've seen so far:
The ceremony in central London began when Big Ben struck midday and actor Timothy Spall read part of Winston Churchill's VE Day broadcast from 8 May 1945.
We then had the VE Day procession, involving more than 1,300 people, which began at Parliament Square and went past the Cenotaph, down the Mall and to Buckingham Palace.
Image source, PA MediaThree generations of royals and Prime Minister Keir Starmer were among those in attendance.
At around 13:45 BST we had the flypast, with the iconic Red Arrows among 23 aircraft taking part, watched by the crowds lining the Mall, and on the balcony of Buckingham Palace by King Charles and Queen Camilla, Princess Anne, the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children.
Image source, Reuters
Image source, PA MediaAnd there's still more to come. This afternoon, the King and Queen will host a tea party at Buckingham Palace for around 50 veterans, their families and other members of the wartime generation.
And community events and street parties are taking place across the country – including one on HMS Belfast which had fired some of the opening shots on D-Day in 1944.
The Mall empties outpublished at 14:38 British Summer Time 5 May
Ashitha Nagesh
Reporting from the Mall
With the procession over and the flypast done, the crowds are quickly clearing out of the Mall.
Despite the rain and cold, there are big smiles on people's faces.
And here's a street celebration from 1945published at 14:36 British Summer Time 5 May
Kris Bramwell
Your Voice, Your BBC News
Image source, Alan SearleNicky Cowell has sent us this image of a VE Day celebration that took place in Merton in Surrey back in 1945.
The image belonged to his late father, Alan Searle, who passed away in February.
"He’s one of the children sitting on the left-hand side of the table," Nicky says,
"The lady at the front (holding a baby) is my grandmother Ivy Searle."
Dancing in Halifax to celebrate anniversarypublished at 14:33 British Summer Time 5 May
Crowds gathered in the square outside the Piece Hall - a listed building in Halifax - to celebrate the anniversary.
People could be spotted dancing in the square, while wearing 1940s clothing and uniforms.
Image source, EPA
Image source, EPA
Image source, EPAFrom Durham to Seaford, your VE day celebrationspublished at 14:24 British Summer Time 5 May
It's not just central London where people are coming together to mark VE Day's 80th anniversary.
Image source, ReutersImage caption, In Seaford, East Sussex, a street party is in action
Image source, Reuters
Image source, BBC/ Kaushal MenonmuralidharanImage caption, At the Thatch Inn in Quedgeley, Gloucester, union jack party hats have been spotted
Image source, BBC/Robin DaviesImage caption, And up north in Durham, a big band marks the occasion
People in crowd impressed with 'amazing' flypastpublished at 14:20 British Summer Time 5 May
Mallory Moench
Reporting from the Mall
Image source, Getty Images"It was amazing," Hayley Lucas said about the flypast.
She came from Stevenage today with her husband Jim and daughter Emma to watch - their first VE Day.
They were pressed into the crowds in front of Buckingham Palace with some of the best views possible of the planes.
"We love our history and the aircraft flying over," Jim said.
"I really enjoyed the typhoons earlier."
Earlier, the family went to see the ceramic poppy display at the tower of London and the HMS Belfast, which will host a party later.
"Maybe we’ll come back for VJ Day [Victory Japan Day]," Jim said.
Brollies out at the Palacepublished at 14:11 British Summer Time 5 May
Ashitha Nagesh
Reporting from outside Buckingham Palace
The rain held off just long enough for the flypast.
But now the ceremony’s over, the heavens have opened.
More images from Buckingham Palace balconypublished at 14:10 British Summer Time 5 May
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The roar of a maritime patrol aircraft and two typhoons startled one pigeon which couldn't quite escape this photographer's shot
While swathes of crowds gathered outside the gates of Buckingham Palace, the Royal Family were perched on the balcony that little bit closer to the aircraft.
Images of the reactions of the Royal Family members are starting to come through to us - let's share some of them with you below.
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, King Charles and Queen Camila stood in the centre of the balcony, flanked to their right by the Duke of Edinburgh, Princess Anne; and to their left the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Prince Louis points to the skies as his siblings, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, watch on with their mother
Rain comes after flypastpublished at 14:04 British Summer Time 5 May
Mallory Moench
Reporting from the Mall
Umbrellas out! It just started pouring rain, shortly after the flypast finished.
But crowds of people are still stuck in the Mall, not going anywhere, as people begin to file out.
Crowds crane their necks to watch flypastpublished at 14:03 British Summer Time 5 May
As the Red Arrows flew past, people on the ground erupted into applause, craning their necks back to look at the blue, white and red streams, as the planes let out a tremendous roar.
Then the crowd joins in the national anthem, ending with cheers.
Watch the moment Red Arrows fly over Buckingham Palacepublished at 14:03 British Summer Time 5 May
Royals watch on from balconypublished at 14:02 British Summer Time 5 May
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, PA Media
Image source, Reuters
Image source, PA MediaView of the flypast from the crowdpublished at 14:00 British Summer Time 5 May
Mallory Moench
Reporting from the MallI've just watched the flypast among the crowds of people outside Buckingham Palace – here are a couple of pictures:
Military aircraft soar over Royal Family and crowds on the Mallpublished at 13:58 British Summer Time 5 May
Let's look back at some of the images as the thousands who had gathered looked up above to see six waves of military aircraft soar above them.
The fly over was led by one of two operational Lancaster bombers as well as 23 other aircraft including some of the most advanced combat aircraft.
Below are a flurry of images of some of the aircraft which just roared over London.
Image caption, Flanked by two Typhoon jets, a Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft were part of the fly over
Image caption, From RAF Brize Norton the huge C-17 Globemaster III towered over the crowds which had gathered below
Image caption, The Red Arrows left trails of coloured blue, red and white smoke above the skies of London
