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. You’ll see a lot of references to Winston Churchill – with many papers quoting the former prime minister’s iconic message following the end of WW2.
The country is commemorating VE Day’s 80th anniversary with a display of “characteristic pageantry” says the Mirror. It’s been eight decades since former PM Winston Churchill “drew the curtain on war in Europe,” before telling a huge crowd: “This is your victory,” the paper adds.
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.
After thousands flocked to Buckingham Palace to watch the red arrows flyover, Brits can look forward to more celebrations this week to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day, the Metro says.
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.
The Express says the country “salutes” its WW2 heroes amid a time when the “security of Europe is threatened by another dictator.” The paper says the “horrors of the First World War left a determination” that the conflict should end all wars.
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.
The Sun says the King led commemorations for the anniversary of the end of WW2 in Europe as “huge crowds” turned out to enjoy the “large procession and flypast in the capital.” It says the country was treated to street parties which took place across the UK.
The royals led the way with yesterday’s events with Prince George meeting veterans alongside his parents and Charlotte and Louis joined in for the “stunning VE Day flypast.”
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.
From the Palace balcony to the far end of The Mall, the message was of “eternal gratitude” to those Winston Churchill said ‘drew the sword against tyranny.’
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.
The paper 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.
The paper says following the “aerial spectacle” was followed by tea parties across the country – and even the prime minister got in on the action, the paper adds. He served up tea and cakes to veterans and other guests.
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 paper looks at the royal appearance at VE Day commemorations noting the King wore the same uniform his grandfather King George VI did eight decades before, as he “led the nation from the Buckingham Palace balcony” in commemorating the end of the war.
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.
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