Summary

  • King Charles delivers speech honouring veterans at the VE Day concert at London's Horse Guards Parade

  • The concert features performances from Fleur East, The Darkness, and Freya Ridings and comes at the end of a day of remembrance and commemoration as the nation marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe

  • Following a two-minute silence across the UK, King Charles and the Prince of Wales laid wreaths at the grave of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey

  • Anniversary events took place across the country - from London to Shetland, Cardiff and Howden - including a special tea party at the National Memorial Arboretum

  • "I certainly don't consider myself a hero," the RAF's oldest surviving veteran tells the BBC

  • We've stopped regular updates, but you can watch a special VE Day concert on the stream on this page

'A giant conga': King Charles makes crowd laugh during VE Day speech

Live Reporting

Edited by Jamie Whitehead

  1. LGBT veteran feels 'proud' to be official part of commemorations for first time

    Josh Parry
    LGBT and identity reporter

    81 year old lady, smiling against studio black background. she is wearing a rainbow-coloured hoodie.

    Vito Ward says it's an honour to be an official part of the commemorations

    LGBT veterans who were sacked for their sexuality have for the first time been officially welcomed to take part in VE Day commemorations.

    Vito Ward, 81, served in the Royal Navy for almost ten years.

    She was sacked after bosses found letters to her then girlfriend, who was also being investigated for her sexuality.

    She tells BBC News it was “an honour” to be an official part of commemorations for the first time.

    She says: “I’ve had my veterans status reinstated and that gives me such a sense of pride.

    “I’ve been welcomed back into the military family, and to take part in something like VE Day makes it really extra special.”

    Vito, as well as others who were impacted by the ban, were invited to take part in today’s commemorations and were also invited to attend the special memorial concert later this evening on Horse Guards Parade.

    Until the year 2000 it was illegal to be gay in the British military, with those who were gay or perceived to be gay interrogated, thrown out and in some cases imprisoned.

    In 2023, those impacted received an official apology from then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and are now being awarded financial redress for the harm caused by the ban.

  2. 'We've been working 24/7 on today'

    Gabriela Pomeroy
    Reporting from Westminster Abbey

    Valerie Humphrey

    Outside Westminster Abbey, I had a quick chat with Valerie Humphrey who has worked at the Abbey for 17 years, running the Westminster Abbey Foundation.

    She has spent much of the day meeting and greeting the dignitaries and veterans who came through the doors.

    “I hate to sound soppy but it is a privilege to be meeting all these young soldiers and veterans who came here for the memorial,” she says.

    The staff at the Abbey “have been working on this 24/7 to make sure we give it the dignity it deserves.”

  3. 'I pretended to be 17 so I could become a Land Girl'

    Annie outside, seated, watering some colourful flowers. She's wearing a brown hat, and khaki dungarees over a green jumper.

    Annie in the same Women's Land Army uniform she wore 80 years ago

    Annie Duplock is 101 now, but back in 1940, she was so keen to become a Land Girl, that she pretended to be 17 so that she could enrol one year earlier.

    It was hard work on the farm - the work day started at 05:00 and didn't finish until 23:00. She remembers hearing Victory in Europe announced on the radio.

    "We all went a bit mad," she says. "We had a bit of a party ourselves on the farm and then, when milking was done, we went up to the town to see what was going on.

    "There were tables in the middle of the road, everywhere, and everybody was having a party. Singing, dancing, music. And there were flags all over the place."

    At its peak in 1944, there were more than 80,000 women, like Annie, working in the Land Army, feeding the nation. Thinking of her time on the farm she says: "I'd go back if I could."

  4. Bells peal as bustle returns to Westminster

    Ashitha Nagesh
    Reporting from Westminster Abbey

    Crowds file out if Westminster Abbey with buildings in backgroundAshitha Nagesh/ BBC

    The roads around Westminster have reopened, and members of the public are filtering back in.

    What was an eerily quiet atmosphere before is now joyful and lively again.

    The Westminster Abbey bells are ringing out a piece composed specially for today, called 1945 Stedman Caters.

    They will ring for about an hour and 25 minutes.

  5. Afghanistan veteran proudly wears his grandfathers' World War Two medals

    Gabriela Pomeroy
    Reporting from Westminster Abbey

    Jason Webb (bald middle-aged man) in a dark grey suit wears two sets of medals on his chest as cadets walk behind himGabriela Pomeroy/BBC

    In London, guests are pouring out of Westminster Abbey and into the streets now the thanksgiving service has concluded.

    One young man has prosthetic legs and some of the elderly veterans are in wheelchairs.

    With men and women in army uniforms, veterans wearing their medals, and teenagers from youth groups looking thrilled to be part of it all, it really is an amazing collection of people dedicated to public service.

    Jason Webb, a Royal Navy veteran who served in Afghanistan, is wearing his medals - and also the medals of both his grandfathers who served in WW2. “I felt very emotional during the service” he says.

  6. Wales joins VE Day 80 commemorations

    group of people, some suited and some in military uniforms, standing from their seats to observe silence.

    Members of the Senedd observing a two-minute silence

    Across Wales, events have been taking place to commemorate 80 years since the end of war in Europe.

    In Cardiff, Members of the Senedd observed the two-minute silence at 12:00 BST along with the rest of the UK.

    At a service at Christ Church in Swansea, four school groups from across the city performed songs including White Cliffs of Dover and Calon Lan.

    Veteran Richard Pelzer laid a wreath on behalf of Blind Veterans UK and veterans from more recent conflicts were also invited, with more than 40 in attendance.

    In Wrexham, events took place across the city with a service held in St Giles Church.

    A special assembly with afternoon tea to follow will be held in Ysgol Glan Gele, Abergele, Conwy.

  7. Poignant service, with prayers, hymns and poetry to mark VE Day

    Chris Lockyer
    Reporting from Bridgwater in Somerset

    Veterans and civilians stand in front of the war memorial in Bridgewater holding military flags and union flagsChris Lockyer/BBC

    A couple hundred people gathered in Bridgwater's King Square, in Somerset - from school children, to veterans.

    It was a poignant service, with prayers, hymns and poetry read out by local school children.

    Sir Ashley Fox, the local Conservative MP, says the event underlined the importance of democracy and freedom to the youngsters in attendance.

    John Hardy, a veteran and now volunteer who served in the Royal Medical Army Corps, stresses the importance of marking these events locally.

    He says it is their “duty” to remember those who served, adding he never wants to see anyone left behind and is “heartened” to see such a big turnout for the town.

    “We shouldn’t forget that people fought and died so that we enjoy the freedoms we enjoy," he says. “Both my parents served in the RAF… it’s so important for all of us and many of the people here will have their own story.”

    It’s busy few days for John, as tomorrow he’ll receive his British Empire medal in Wells.

  8. Hull shopping centre comes to a stand still for two-minute silence

    Jo Makel
    BBC Look North

    Woman in red dress stands in front of microphone on bottom floor of shopping centre, silent, whilst crowd stands, also observing silence.

    Hull’s Princes Quay Shopping centre came to a stand still for the national silence.

    The bottom floor has been transformed into a street party, with live music, attended by veterans and dozens of others in the community.

    A giant union flag has been hung from one of the balconies and the lifts and bannisters have been decorated with bunting.

  9. VE Day service concludes, but more events to come

    The thanksgiving service is now over, there's more events to come across the UK to mark VE Day:

    • 18:30 BST: Churches and cathedrals across the country will ring bells, which the Church of England says will echo the sounds that swept across the country in 1945
    • 20:00 BST: A live concert from Horse Guards Parade will kick off - VE Day 80: A Celebration to Remember - with 10,000 attending
    • 23:00 BST: Pubs and bars will stay open for two extra hours to mark the anniversary

    Meanwhile in Scotland, a convoy of Norwegian fishing boats is travelling to Shetland to commemorate the "Shetland Bus" operation that rescued many refugees during the war.

    A number of activities, including historical talks, parades and services, are being held across Northern Ireland.

    And in Wales, a poppy cascade made from 1,000 individual flowers has been knitted by the Steel Magnolias Women's Institute. The cascade is being displayed outside the veterans' hub in Connah's Quay.

  10. Bells ring all at once as guests leave

    Ashitha Nagesh
    Reporting from Westminster Abbey

    Crowd files out of Westminster Abbey as bells ringAshitha Nagesh/BBC

    Now the service is over and the King and Queen have left, other guests are slowly filtering out too.

    The Abbey’s bells are being fired - that is, they will all be struck simultaneously - as they were on VE Day.

    This is being done 80 times to mark the 80th anniversary.

  11. Princess of Wales places flowers in memory of innocent victims of war

    Sean Coughlan
    Royal correspondent, reporting from Westminster Abbey

    Prince William and Princess Catherine in front of the Innocent Victims' Memorial outside Westminster Abbey

    Prince William and Catherine have left the Abbey and have laid flowers at the Innocent Victims' Memorial by the Great West Door.

    This memorial remembers all those who have suffered death, torture and oppression throughout the world.

    The flowers were picked yesterday on the grounds of Windsor Castle and the surrounding estate - and include rosemary for remembrance, oak for longevity and endurance and bluebells for gratitude.

    The Princess of Wales lays flowers at the Innocent Victims' Memorial in a white polka dot dress with black hat with veil. to her right is Prince William, visible from the mid-rift downReuters

  12. King and Queen leave Abbey after service

    Sean Coughlan
    Royal correspondent, reporting from Westminster Abbey

    The King and Queen have left the Abbey and stepped into the State Bentley which is slowly driving away, following police outriders.

  13. Royals greet veterans attending the service

    King Charles shakes hands with a female veteran in a wheelchair inside Westminster Abbey. Behind him, the Queen is also speaking to veterans

    Now that the service is over, the Royal Family are walking through the Abbey shaking hands and chatting with some of the veterans in attendance.

    Warm handshakes and smiles are being exchanged between the King and the war heroes, whilst Prince William and Kate appear to be engaged in avid conversations with attendees.

  14. Procession of clergy files down Westminster Abbey aisle

    Clergy members walking down the aisle of Westminster Abbey wearing white and red robes as guests remain at their seats

    The final blessing has now been given and a procession of clergy is now walking down the aisle of Westminster Abbey as the service concludes.

    Members of the Royal Family, including the King and Queen, are chatting with the Dean before they, too, start making their way out of the Abbey.

  15. VE Day service will conclude shortly, after Dean's final blessing

    Abigail McFarlane in King's Scout white shirt with blue and red scarf tied around her neck

    The VE Day service in Westminster Abbey is coming to a close.

    In the last section we heard from Cadet Warrant Officer Bethan Holmes, who read from the memoir of 15-year-old Joan Broome, on her experience of VE Day in London.

    Abigail McFarlane is speaking now, a King’s Scout reading the Rededication to Peace, as the Dean prepares his final blessing.

  16. Sun shines over a quiet Westminster

    Ashitha Nagesh
    Reporting from Westminster Abbey

    Westminster Abbey against clear blue skies

    Outside the Abbey the sun has finally come out, and the skies are clear.

    But Westminster is still eerily quiet.

    The roads around the Abbey have been closed. While events like this usually attract large crowds, if there are any today, they’ve been kept well away.

    As a result the streets here are completely empty, save for a few police officers and ceremonial guards - and of course, journalists.

  17. In pictures: Attendees arrive and service gets under way

    Here are some of the first high-quality photos from inside Westminster Abbey as the service progresses:

    Catherine, Princess of Wales and Queen Camilla both wear white as they bow their heads in silence with other attendees behind them inside the abbeyReuters

    Catherine, the Princess of Wales and Queen Camilla observe the two minutes silence at noon after arriving for the service

    A veteran in a wheelchair holds the hand of a woman wearing a colourful dress and white cardigan as they enter into the abbey, with the entrance behind them.PA Media

    Veterans and guests passed the display of red poppies as they enter

    A handwritten note reads 'for those who made the ultimate sacrifice during the second world war, we will remember them', signed by Will and Kate, stands on a bed of colourful flowers.Getty Images

    Wreaths with handwritten notes sit inside the abbey to be laid during the service - this one, signed by William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales, has been laid by the pair

    The King and Prince of Wales both stand solemnly with badges on their suits as they nod their heads in silence, with lots of attendees standing behind them and a veteran in a wheelchair to their rightReuters

    The Prince of Wales and the King stood alongside a veteran as they observed the silence

    Two women wearing red jackets, one with veterans badges, and both wearing fancy hats, smile at the camera while sitting inside the abbeyPA Media

    Many attendees are wearing their best - 100-year-old veteran Dorothea Barron added a pop of vivid red to the benches of the abbey

  18. Readings to come from St John Ambulance and Royal Gurkha Rifles captain

    Next up on the VE Day service we are expected to hear from:

    • Joyce Wilding, former member of Special Operations Executive and Female Auxiliary Nursing Yeomanry
    • Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Commonwealth Secretary General
    • A St John Ambulance representative
    • Captain Hannah Karas of the Royal Corps of Signals, currently with the Queen's Gurkha Signals

    After that, we're back to Alexander Churchill, who will be calling everyone to prayer once again.

  19. Churchill descendant lights Candle of Peace

    Alexander Churchill in a black suit lights up the candle of peace in Westminster Abbey (cream candle surrounded by white flowers)

    Alexander Churchill,10, is lighting a Candle of Peace, whilst young members of the congregation hand out flowers to veterans.

    Alexander is the the great-great-grandson of wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

  20. PM reads from the Lesson at VE Day service

    Sir Keir Starmer reads from Matthew's Lesson during VE Day 80 service

    British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has just read from the Gospel of Matthew.

    Music is starting once again across the Abbey as the choir and attendees begin singing I vow to thee, my country.