Cliff Notes
- Thousands gathered at the Mall to honour VE Day, highlighting a collective desire to remember personal wartime stories, often linked to family.
- The Royal Family participated actively, with the King, Queen, and younger royals engaging with veterans, emphasising the importance of preserving memories for future generations.
- The occasion was marked by a tea party at Buckingham Palace, where the King expressed sincere gratitude towards veterans, showing a deep personal connection to their experiences.
‘The least we could do’: Why King’s VE Day message to veterans is very personal
Thousands poured on to the Mall and made their way towards Buckingham Palace – there was no greater sign of the desire to remember.
I was struck by the size of the crowds, but the stories that came from those who’d made the trip to London explained why they wanted to come.
More often than not, it was about family.
Bringing an elderly relative who was around during the war, or simply remembering someone who had served but was no longer with them. A sea of stories being told so they don’t get forgotten.
At the centre of it, a family who have their own wartime story to tell. The King and Queen, taking their seats on a stage in front of Buckingham Palace, with the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the King’s siblings and their spouses.
Uniforms and jewellery were worn, symbolic reminders of those they wanted to remember.
But this wasn’t a seating plan dominated by royals and dignitaries; veterans from the Second World War shared those front row seats.
The King would have grown up with stories about the war, and he seemed in his element talking to others who were there.
Those conversations continued inside the palace, with a special tea party laid on.