UK marks 75th Victory in Europe day

LONDON The UK marked the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day on Friday, commemorating the end of World War II in Europe. Charles, prince of Wales, led a national two minutes of silence at 11 am (1000GMT). Queen Elizabeth II is set to address the nation at 9 pm tonight (2000GMT), at the exact same time her father, King George VI, gave his speech from Buckingham Palace. The speech will be followed by a national rendition of the wartime song We’ll Meet Again by Dame Vera Lynn on the doorstops of Britain. The UK is still under lockdown, which caused the original plans for commemorating the day to be cancelled. In the morning, House of Commons speakers Sir Lindsay Hoyle laid a wreath in Westminster on behalf of the House of Commons, with Lord West laying a wreath on behalf of the House of Lords. In the afternoon, the BBC broadcast the original announcement of victory, and Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s speech announcing the end of the war in Europe, which he gave on May 8, 1945. Royal Navy ships around the world sounded their sirens for a minute to mark Churchill’s speech. Dame Joan Collins, an actress and author, 86, led the Nation’s Toast to the Heroes of World War Two from the balcony of her London flat at 3 p.m. (1500 The Red arrows, the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, performed a fly past in London, and RAF jets performed flypasts over Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, Cardiff, the capital of Wales, and Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Seventy-five years ago today, the people of this country celebrated victory against Hitler’s aggression. “On the frontline, they fought with courage, ingenuity and endurance, and on the home front, women defended our cities against air raids, worked the factories, and ran the hospitals. “This country triumphed thanks to the heroism of countless ordinary people, and because of this, hundreds of millions of people now live in peace and freedom today. “Today we must celebrate their achievement, and we remember their sacrifice. “We are a free people because of everything our veterans did – we offer our gratitude, our heartfelt thanks and our solemn pledge: you will always be remembered.” *Writing by Busra Nur Bilgic Cakma