VE Day celebrations dominate many newspapers today, with the front pages featuring images from yesterday’s fly-over and celebrations. The royals were in attendance for yesterday’s London events and pictures of the family on the Buckingham Palace balcony are featured.
The tabloids fawn over the royals and pay tribute to the veterans whilst also looking ahead to what the rest of the week’s commemorations will look like.
A day to remember: Nation unites for its heroes 80 years on
Explainer: The headline uses emotional language (“A day to remember” and “Nation unites for its heroes”) to evoke patriotism and unity, which can be seen as a form of sensationalism.
- Daily Mirror reports the country is commemorating VE Day’s momentous anniversary with a display of characteristic pageantry as a procession and flypast took place in London.
Royals lead VE Day 80th celebrations: Send us Victorious
Explainer: This headline uses celebrity focus by highlighting the Royals, which can attract attention and frame the event as prestigious. The phrase “Send us Victorious” is emotive and patriotic, tapping into nationalistic sentiment and enhancing dramatic appeal.
- Metro says after thousands flocked to Buckingham Palace to watch the red arrows fly over, Brits can look forward to more celebrations this week to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day.
On 80th anniversary of VE Day, Sir Winston Churchill’s words still ring true
‘In the long years to come not only will the people of this island, but of the world, wherever the bird of freedom chirps in human hearts, look back to what we have done and they will say: Do not despair!”
Explainer: This headline uses historical reverence and emotional nostalgia by invoking Churchill and presenting his words as timeless truth. The quote itself is idealistic and symbolic, amplifying patriotic sentiment and potentially simplifying complex history into a unifying narrative.
Daily Express says at a time when the security of Europe is threatened by another dictator, there is no more appropriate moment to reflect on the events of the late 1930s and early 1940s and salute the memory of those who fought and fell for our peace and freedom.
VE Day 80 tributes begin: Royals watch epic flypast
‘We were the first, in this ancient island, to draw the sword against tyranny’
Explainer: This headline uses drama-enhancing language (“epic flypast” and a bold Churchill quote) to create a sense of grandeur and heroism. The focus on the Royals adds a celebrity angle, and the quote reinforces a nationalistic, triumph-focused narrative.
- The Sun says the King led commemorations for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, as huge crowds turned out to enjoy the large procession and flypast in the capital – with street parties taking place across the UK.
VE Day 80: The nation honours its heroes: THANK YOU!
Explainer: This headline uses emotive and celebratory language (“honours its heroes” and “THANK YOU!”) to evoke national pride and gratitude, a clear case of sentimental and unifying framing. It presents a one-sided, heroic narrative, leaving little room for nuance or alternative perspectives.
- Daily Mail says from the Palace balcony to the far end of The Mall, from toddlers to centenarians, the message was as one: Eternal gratitude to those who, in Winston Churchill’s words, ‘drew the sword against tyranny’.
A salute to royal history for VE Day anniversary
Explainer: This headline uses a royal-centric framing, shifting focus from broader public remembrance to the monarchy’s role, which can elevate prestige and tradition. The phrase “a salute” adds a ceremonial and respectful tone, reinforcing reverence and national pride.
- The Times says wearing the same uniform as his grandfather King George VI did eight decades before, the King led the nation from the Buckingham Palace balcony in commemorating the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
Royal delight as Britain honours war heroes with VE Day flypast
Explainer: This headline combines celebrity emphasis (“Royal delight”) with patriotic spectacle (“honours war heroes with VE Day flypast”), creating a feel-good, emotionally charged narrative. It blends monarchist sentiment and military pride, which can subtly steer the reader toward admiration and unity, downplaying any critical or complex aspects of the commemoration.
- The Independent says hundreds of thousands watched from The Mall in London on Monday as an RAF flypast marked the 80th anniversary of Europe’s liberation from the Nazis. Buckingham Palace’s balcony hosted the royal family’s VE Day commemorations eight decades after King George VI first marked the Second World War’s end from the same spot.
