Royals, politicians and veterans have gathered at Westminster Abbey to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the war’s end in Europe – on what could be the last major VE Day attended by World War Two veterans.
When the clock struck noon, they joined the crowd of around 1,800 in standing for a two-minute silence that was observed across the UK.
King Charles and the Prince of Wales laid wreaths with handwritten notes saying “we will never forget” and “we will remember them” at the grave of the Unknown Warrior.
Days of events are planned to honour the last generation of war veterans and urge peace in the present, with Winston Churchill’s great-great-grandson issuing a call to “pray for peace in Europe”.
Before the service, MPs and peers re-enacted a historic walk from Parliament to the abbey that had taken place when victory in Europe was declared in 1945.
After the laying of wreaths and a welcome, an excerpt of Winston Churchill’s speech announcing the unconditional surrender of Germany rang throughout the abbey.
The former prime minister’s great-great-grandson, Alexander Churchill, 10, lit a candle for peace and invited people to “pray for peace in Europe and around the world”.
Children handed veterans white roses, while service members carried conflict artefacts, including a child’s gas mask.
A singer performed the White Cliffs of Dover, written during the war, among other songs.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivered a reading from the Bible, while others read memoirs and re-dedications to peace.
In a message to the crowd, the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell thanked those “whose sacrifice made our victory possible”.
“All this good is under threat again in our world today,” he said. “Let us then, on this 80th anniversary, with some of the veterans who fought for those freedoms with us here, make a new commitment to be those who, in the words of Jesus, make peace.”
After the service, royals greeted and chatted with World War Two veterans, some of whom were in wheelchairs and decorated with medals.
Among the guests was Harry Winter, a 103-year-old RAF veteran.
He told the he was shot down over Germany in January 1945 and held as a prisoner of war until VE Day five months later. While in captivity, he had to walk 150 miles in 17 days without any food, pushing cattle trucks in -30C temperatures, he said.
On 8 May, 1945, he was met by American trucks and crossed out of Germany.
“I just felt, ‘I’m free! I can do as I like again! I can go around without anybody trying to hold me back’,” he said.
After the service, members of the royal family walked to lay bouquets at the Innocent Victims’ Memorial – which commemorates all those who have suffered death, torture and oppression throughout the world – outside the abbey.
The flowers were picked on Wednesday on the grounds of Windsor Castle and the surrounding estate – and included rosemary representing remembrance, oak for longevity and endurance, and bluebells for gratitude.
Westminster Abbey’s bells then pealed 80 times to remember the years since the first VE Day.
At 18:30, churches and cathedrals across the country will ring their bells, which the Church of England says will echo the sounds that swept across the country in 1945.
A massive concert is planned for 20:00 from Horse Guards Parade in London, with 10,000 people expected to attend.
Celebrations are likely to continue until late into the night, with pubs and bars given permission to stay open for two extra hours.
Earlier, in Scotland, the national piper played a lament at dawn for the fallen on Portobello Beach in Edinburgh, and a convoy of Norwegian fishing boats is travelling to Shetland to commemorate the “Shetland Bus” operation that rescued many refugees during the war.
Northern Ireland is marking VE Day with a series of events, including a tea dance at Belfast City Hall.
In Wales, attendees at church services observed silence and laid wreaths, and a knitted poppy cascade of 1,000 individual flowers was displayed outside the veterans’ hub in Connah’s Quay.
In the afternoon, the Royal British Legion hosted a tea party with veterans at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, England.
Westminster Abbey’s service brought together veterans from different generations.
Jason Webb, a Royal Navy veteran who served in Afghanistan, was wearing his medals and those of both his grandfathers who served in World War Two.
“I felt very emotional during the service,” he said.
Outside the abbey, crowds of citizens gathered to show their respect, including Angela from Glasgow, who took the day off work to attend.
“It is important to recognise the sacrifices, it’s important to stand up for the troops,” she said.
Standing among the crowd, she added: “I’m proud to be British.”
The 80th anniversary celebrations of VE day began on Monday with a military procession and Red Arrows flypast, with thousands lining the Mall near Buckingham Palace to watch.
An exhibit of nearly 30,000 ceramic poppies was also unveiled at the Tower of London.
Additional reporting by Sean Coughlin, Ashitha Nagesh and Gabriela Pomeroy
