King and Queen to host VE Day tea party for World War Two veterans

King Charles and Queen Camilla will host a tea party at Buckingham Palace for war veterans as part of commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day.

The King and Queen will also be on the Palace balcony to watch a flypast and attend a celebratory concert for the occasion, which marks the end of World War Two in Europe.

National commemorations and events will begin on 5 May with a military procession of 1,300 members of the armed forces.

According to plans, the procession will start in Parliament Square and a recitation of Winston Churchill’s famous VE Day speech will be read when Big Ben strikes 12:00 BST.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has announced that the military procession will march along the Mall and be watched by the King, the Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

The flypast will include Red Arrows and some historic World War Two aircraft.

There will be a tea party afterwards in the gardens of Buckingham Palace for about 50 veterans, their families and other members of the wartime generation. Recycled fabrics will be used to make the bunting.

Later that week, on 8 May, the actual date of the anniversary, there will be a service of thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey, with a concert in Horse Guards Parade later that evening.

The concert will feature readings, reminiscences and music from performers such as Samantha Barks and Toploader, plus a nostalgic revival of the BBC wartime comedy Dad’s Army.

VE Day 80 will also be a poignant commemoration, as this is likely to be the last major anniversary which will still include a sizeable group of veterans who served in World War Two.

During the military procession, a Torch for Peace, organised by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, will be passed between a young person and Alan Kennett, aged 100, who served during World War Two.

Sharing his own memories of how the war ended in 1945, Mr Kennett said: “I remember Battle of Britain pilot Johnnie Johnson bursting in and shouting ‘the war is over’.

“A big party soon followed, filled with lots of drinking and celebrating the news.

“The 80th anniversary of VE Day brings back so many memories, and it will be such a privilege to be there with everyone.”

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “This is one of the last chances we have to say thank you to this generation of heroes and it is right that we do just that.”

For VE Day 80, there will be four days of events:

5 May: A military procession from Whitehall to Buckingham Palace followed by a flypast. Tea party for veterans at Buckingham Palace. Street parties to be held around the country.

6 May: An installation of ceramic poppies at the Tower of London and historic landmarks across the UK will be lit up.

7 May: Concert in Westminster Hall, at the Palace of Westminster, in central London.

8 May: Service of thanksgiving in Westminster Abbey and a concert with music and readings at Horse Guards Parade.