It had only been three months since the last flight of V-bombs fell on the United Kingdom, which had killed nearly three thousand Britons.
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The full enormity of the moment only seemed to be slowly entering the consciousness of a people who had experienced such extremes of suffering and sacrifice.
Harold Nicolson MP, who was in Parliament Square listening to the speech, noted in his diary how “the crowd gasped” at that sentence.
He summed up the course of the war over the past six years and how, after Russia and America had entered the conflict in 1941, “finally, almost the whole world was combined against the evil-doers, who are now prostrate before us”. The cheering in Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square could be heard in the Cabinet Room. The themes Prime Minister Winston Churchill pursued that day in 1945 were central to his whole political philosophy, writes Andrew Roberts: But the doors will open again, as they did following the last world war, and the music will play on."Īs the nation celebrates the 75th anniversary of VE Day, a historian reflects on how Prime Minister Winston Churchill broke the news on that fateful day in 1945. "Today, the Royal Albert Hall stands empty, just as it did during the Blitz, without its true life force - the audiences who fill it with energy night after night. More than 13,000 people have watched Jenkins's performance on the Royal Albert Hall's YouTube channel.ĭuring her performance, Jenkins said: "On this anniversary, we are here to appreciate those who gave so much so that we could live our lives in peace and freedom.
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In the pre-recorded concert, which was later streamed live, Jenkins sang Dame Vera's We'll Meet Again alongside archive footage and audio from one of her wartime performances. Her performance also featured a virtual duet with Forces' Sweetheart Dame Vera Lynn, who entertained troops during the Second World War. The mezzo-soprano singer, 39, performed wartime favourites in the concert, which was streamed on YouTube. Thousands have watched an online performance of Katherine Jenkins singing in front of an empty Royal Albert Hall as she marked the 75th anniversary of VE Day.
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Then the RAF's Red Arrows also roared over parts of the UK, in a special flypast to mark the anniversary.įollowing the Queen's speech, people were invited to open their doors and windows and take part in singalong of Dame Vera Lynn's "We'll Meet Again", which has once again become a symbol of hope for Britons during the coronavirus pandemic. The day began with a national two minute silence at 11am, which gave Britons the opportunity to pause and reflect, remembering the lives lost and sacrifices made in wartime. She said their lasting legacy "is that countries who were once sworn enemies are now friends, working side by side for the peace, health and prosperity of us all".ĭespite swathes of events and swarming parades being cancelled because of the coronavirus lockdown, the UK found ways to come together to pay tribute to those who served in the era-defining global conflict. The Queen said the message of VE Day is "never give up, never despair", remembering the sacrifices of the Second World War generation in a poignant speech.
The nation came together, even when forced apart by lockdown, to remember the end of war in Europe and mark 75 years since VE Day.
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