In pictures: D-Day assault remembered

Seventy years to the day since thousands of Allied soldiers stormed the beaches of northern France, ceremonies are being held to remember D-Day.

World leaders gathered at Ouistreham - near the beach codenamed Sword - to remember the largest amphibious assault in history.

About 650 UK veterans attended alongside the Queen, US President Barack Obama, Russia's Vladimir Putin and Francois Hollande of France.

During her speech at the Elysee Palace, the Queen said of the UK and France: "We are two of the trustees of international peace and security."

Paris's presidential palace played host to a banquet for 19 visiting heads of state

In Arromanches-les-Bains, in Normandy, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined veterans and members of the Normandy Veterans Association for a service to mark the 70th anniversary of D-Day

In a speech, Prince William said it was vital the sacrifices of D-Day and the campaigns in Europe are "never forgotten by our generation and generations to come". He then laid a wreath as part of a service in Arromanches

The Duke said he had the "privilege of meeting some of the veterans who were present on that great and terrible day". Earlier the Duchess of Cambridge talked to veterans at a tea party.

The commemoration was held near Gold Beach, where British troops scrambled ashore on D-Day, and included a fly-past by a Dutch B-25 Mitchell and a Spitfire

Earlier, heads of state including the Queen, US President Barack Obama and Russia's Vladimir Putin were present for the major event of the commemorations held on the beach in Ouistreham

The 7,000 guests at the International Ceremony at Sword Beach watched dancers and performers against a backdrop of giant screens showing archive footage

Fireworks burst into the sky during a performance for the crowds and dignitaries on the Normandy beach

The commemoration event was concluded with a flypast by the Alpha jets, which are part of the Patrouille Acrobatique de France

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh greeted World War Two veterans as they arrived at the ceremony

Prince Charles shared a joke with President Obama as they waited for the ceremony to begin

Veterans from many countries were there, some greeted by French President Francois Hollande who later addressed the crowd

The weather on D-Day was a major worry to Allied commanders, but on its 70th anniversary French republican guards had to seek shade from the sun and heat in the mid-twenties as they waited for the start of proceedings

Canadian troops were responsible for storming one of the five D-Day beaches - codenamed Juno - and on Friday Jessica Graves scattered the ashes of her grandfather William "Boots" Bettridge, who was part of the attack in 1944

On Gold Beach in Normandy, where British soldiers landed 70 years ago, hundreds of Union Flags have been planted in the sand

Earlier, Francois Hollande and Barack Obama spoke at a service in Colleville-sur-Mer. Mr Hollande said Nazi leaders were over-confident because they "could not foresee that in democracies a great ideal gives birth to great bravery". Mr Obama said the US commitment to liberty was "written in blood" on Normandy's beaches

President Obama also met veterans and during his speech he asked them to stand or raise an arm to be recognised by the crowd

At a war memorial in Bayeux the Queen laid a wreath. Politicians, military personnel and veterans followed, laying tributes of their own

Prince Philip and Prince Charles also attended the same Bayeux ceremony

A fly-past was held before the ceremony at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery

Victor Walker, 88, formerly of HMS Versatile, was among those who also attended a service at Bayeux Cathedral

Prince Charles was among the dignitaries at the same Royal British Legion cathedral service

British veterans, including Bill Price (who will be 100 in July), returned to the beaches they stormed 70 years ago

At Arromanches, landing craft from the Royal Marines arrived at first light

As the sun rose over Omaha Beach, one of those where US troops landed on D-Day, an American flag was planted in the sand

The Pegasus Bridge Cafe, now Cafe Gondree, is said to have been the first building to be liberated by Allied forces. Arlette Gondree, who was four at the time and lived there with her parents, raised a glass to British veterans

Fireworks lit up the skies over Pegasus Bridge in northern France on Thursday night to mark the time when British glider-borne troops arrived to capture it ahead of the landings. The bridge was secured within 10 minutes - the first engagement of D-Day