King Charles III led commemorations Friday for World War II veterans and those who lived through the devastating conflict, lauding their “courage” as Britain marked the 80th anniversary of VJ Day.
Charles and Queen Camilla were joined by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, other dignitaries and dozens of veterans at a remembrance service for Victory over Japan day at the National Memorial Arboretum in central England.
The trio laid wreaths and floral tributes at the memorial, before attendees and others across the country observed two minutes’ silence at noon to mark the eight decades since Japan surrendered.
The 33 veterans at the service, which also featured flypasts by the Red Arrows acrobatic display team and WWII-era aircraft, all served in East Asia and the Pacific, and are now aged from 96 to 105.
In an audio message released ahead of the poignant event, Charles vowed the “service and sacrifice” of those who “saw the forces of liberty prevail” will “never be forgotten”.
“The courage and camaraderie displayed in humanity’s darkest hour is a flame that shall blaze for eternity — a beacon that honours our past and guides our future,” he said in the six-minute address.
“Let us therefore pledge to be vigilant guardians of the values they bequeathed to us.”
Charles met some of the veterans at the Arboretum before joining them and their families at a reception hosted by the Royal British Legion armed forces charity.
Some WWII survivors also played a role in Friday’s televised ceremony, with army veteran Owen Filer reading the dedication written on the Kohima Epitaph laid in memory of the 1944 Battle of Kohima in southeast Asia.
“When you go home, tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow, we gave our today,” the 103-year-old said.
Other remembrance events took place around the UK, including at the Tower of London, at Belfast City Hall and in Edinburgh — where a lone piper played on the battlements of the city’s castle.
In his message to the nation, the king linked WWII with “conflicts around the world today”, arguing it remained a reminder that “war’s true cost extends beyond battlefields, touching every aspect of life”.
WWII veterans “proved that, in times of war and in times of peace, the greatest weapons of all are not the arms you bear, but the arms you link”.
Ahead of Friday’s commemorations, Starmer held Thursday a special reception for veterans at Downing Street.
At the event, he recalled hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky there Thursday morning, adding Ukraine’s leader is “fighting for the same values as we were fighting for”.
“Our country owes a great debt to those who fought for a better future, so we could have the freedoms and the life we enjoy today,” Starmer told those gathered.
“We must honour that sacrifice with every new generation.”
In his audio message, Charles also urged recognition of the devastation caused by the atomic bombings of Japan, which led the country’s Emperor Hirohito to announce its unconditional surrender to the Allies.
That came nine days after the first bomb was dropped.
“We should also pause to acknowledge that in the war’s final act, an immense price was paid by the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki — a price we pray no nation need ever pay again,” the UK king said.
August 15, 1945, signalled the end of the six-year-long war, though VJ Day is celebrated on September 2 in the United States, marking the date the official surrender documents were signed.
In mainland China, it is celebrated on September 3.
In Japan on Friday, Emperor Naruhito spoke of his “deep remorse”, as tens of thousands of people braved blazing heat to pay their respects at Tokyo’s controversial Yasukuni Shrine.
It honours 2.5 million mostly Japanese soldiers who perished since the late 19th century, but also enshrines convicted war criminals.
AFP
AFP
AFP
