Celebrations to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day have begun with thousands flocking to London to view the military procession and flypast.
Today, a parade of 1,300 people will make its way from Parliament Square to Buckingham Palace with personnel from the US, France, Ukraine and Germany joining the military procession in London as part of four days of events.
A Red Arrows flypast, in the skies over London, will follow with the display also featuring 23 current and historic military aircraft.
Actor Timothy Spall will deliver a rendition of Sir Winston Churchill’s 1945 victory speech with the Royal Family set to mark the occasion by watching from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
Enthusiasts have already started gathering on The Mall ready to see the procession in the build-up to Thursday, May 8, which marks exactly 80 years since the Allies formally accepted Nazi Germany’s surrender.
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Sir Keir Starmer – ‘our victory was not just for Britain’
Sir Keir Starmer has said that “we owe a debt of gratitude to those prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for our country”, ahead of VE Day commemorations.
The Prime Minister said: “Our victory was not just for Britain. It was also a victory for good against the assembled forces of hatred, tyranny and evil.
“VE Day is a chance to acknowledge, again, that our debt to those who achieved it can never fully be repaid.
“Yet as the nation falls silent on Thursday, I know that my mind will also turn to those who carry the torch of their legacy in our armed forces today, people like you.”
MAPPED: Where can you watch the VE Day celebrations
VE Day flypast detailsMoD
Britain is preparing for a grand celebration marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day, with a large-scale military procession and a dramatic flypast scheduled to take place in London on Bank Holiday Monday, May 5.
More than 1,300 members of the Armed Forces, youth organisations and uniformed services will march from Parliament Square to Buckingham Palace.
