VE Day: King Charles to lead 80th anniversary celebrations with military parade and flypast – latest updates

VE Day: King Charles to lead 80th anniversary celebrations with military parade and flypast – latest updates

Thousands of people are expected to line streets across London today for the start of events to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day.

Armed forces from the US, France and Germany will join a military procession in the capital while actor Timothy Spall will recite the words of Sir Winston Churchill’s 1945 victory speech

King Charles will lead the celebrations joining Sir Keir Starmer and Second World War veterans on a platform in front of Buckingham Palace.

It comes as the country marks the start of four days of commemorative events across the nation ahead of the anniversary on Thursday, May 8.

Live updates below

Members of the crowd warm up their voices

Crowds are beginning to build on The Mall in London as the public awaits the anniversary parade at noon today.

One group of women gathered outside the Palace have even brought along song sheets to pass out to the crowd.

A woman wears British flag sunglasses earrings, hat and ribbons as she takes her place on the Mall to wait for the VE Day 80th anniversary parade in London, Monday, May 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Thomas Krych)
People wearing British flags take their place along the Mall as they wait for the VE Day 80th anniversary parade in London, Monday, May 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, Pool)

They practised singing their songs ahead of the parade.

Mandy Ellis, 67, from the Midlands, said: ‘We do all the royal events. I’ve been doing this 60 years now.

‘We all get the gang together – there’s seven of us come down. The oldest is my Auntie Linda, she’s 87. My daughter Cara, she’s the youngest.’

Wearing a Union flag hat, she said: ‘I sing in the local choir, we’ve had some song sheets over the years for different events so I just adapted them at home. We’ve got everything from Land of Hope and Glory, We’ll Meet Again, Pack Up Your Troubles, the National Anthem.

‘It’s the smallest thing we can do to say thank you for 80 years of peace and the sacrifice everyone made.’

A birthday to remember

Army veteran Tom Stonehouse, 99, landed at approximately 8am on Gold Beach on D-Day.

He remembers ‘losing lots of Essex Regiment friends in the Battle of Caen’ from June to August 1944.

MANDATORY CREDIT: Royal British Legion Undated handout photo issued by Royal British Legion of veteran Tom Stonehouse, 99, army, who will be at the heart of the commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day. Tom served in the 2nd Essex regiment as a Private. On D-Day he crossed from the New Forest to Gold Beach, landing at approximately 08:00. He then fought in the vicinity of Bayeux, in the Battle of Cristot and then in the vicinity of Caen. Tom remembers travelling from Caen past the outskirts of Paris (to the north) before entering Belgium, Holland and Germany . Issue date: Monday May 5, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story MEMORIAL VEDay Profiles. Photo credit should read: Royal British Legion/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyr

His wife’s birthday is on VE Day, so the couple always celebrate the birthday and their war memories together.

Peggy Nichols, 90, also has her birthday on VE Day and spoke to The Mail on Sunday about her memories of her tenth birthday.

‘It was May 7 and a late news flash confirmed Germany’s surrender. The war was ending, and the next day was to be declared a national holiday – a national holiday for my birthday,’ Peggy smiled as she recalled the occasion.

Lying about his age to serve the Allied Forces

Gilbert Clarke, 98, who was in Jamaica in 1943 when he lied about his age to respond to a call to join the RAF, is also among the guests.

Within days Mr Clarke was kitted out, receiving basic training and being sent on a troop-carrying ship to Britain via the United States, the RBL said.

MANDATORY CREDIT: Royal British Legion Undated handout photo issued by Royal British Legion of veteran Gilbert Clarke, 98, RAF, who will be at the heart of the commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day. In 1943, when news came that volunteers were wanted for the RAF, Gilbert lied about his age and signed up, he was sent to Kingston Palisades RAF camp, where after being kitted out and receiving some basic training, he was sent on a troop-carrying ship to Britain via the United States. Issue date: Monday May 5, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story MEMORIAL VEDay Profiles. Photo credit should read: Royal British Legion/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

He eventually arrived in Britain in 1944, despite German U-boat-launched torpedo attacks which hit several ships that were travelling alongside his on the route.

Pictures: Crowds build in London ahead of VE Day celebrations

Crowds are starting to gather in the capital ahead of VE Day celebrations this afternoon.

Union Jack flags and hats have decked The Mall where a military procession of 1,300 armed forces that started out in Parliament Square will pass before finishing at Buckingham Palace.

They will also be waiting to glimpse the Royal Family with King Charles, Queen Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales set to make an appearance.

epa12074518 People gather along the Mall ahead of a military procession to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE Day) in London, Britain, 05 May 2025. Around 1,000 UK service personnel from the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the British Army and the Royal Air Force will join the procession, including personnel from the Ukrainian armed forces who have been deployed to the UK on Operation Interflex.  EPA/ANDY RAIN
Crowds line the Mall as they wait for the start of the VE Day 80th anniversary parade in London, Monday, May 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, Pool)
Members of the public draped in Union Jacks ahead of a military procession marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day, and in honour of those who served during the Second World War, in central London. Picture date: Monday May 5, 2025. PA Photo. Around 1300 members of the armed forces, including the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the British Army and the Royal Air Force, along with Commonwealth nations, Ukraine, and Nato allies are taking part in the military procession for Victory in Europe Day, which is celebrated each year on May 8, marking the day the Allies formally accepted Germany's surrender in 1945. See PA story MEMORIAL VEDay. Photo credit should read: Alberto Pezzali/PA Wire

Royal Family set to celebrate the historic day – in the wake of Prince Harry’s bombshell interview

The King and Queen will host a tea party at Buckingham Palace this afternoon for veterans of the Second World War.

His Majesty will be joined by the Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and all other senior members of the family for the flypast on the palace balcony.

It comes after a turbulent week for the Royal Family following Prince Harry’s bombshell interview with the BBC.

TOPSHOT - (L-R) Britain's Prince George of Wales, Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Prince Louis of Wales, Britain's Princess Charlotte of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's King Charles III and Britain's Queen Camilla wave on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after attending the King's Birthday Parade "Trooping the Colour" in London on June 15, 2024. The ceremony of Trooping the Colour is believed to have first been performed during the reign of King Charles II. Since 1748, the Trooping of the Colour has marked the official birthday of the British Sovereign. Over 1500 parading soldiers and almost 300 horses take part in the event. (Photo by BENJAMIN CREMEL / AFP) (Photo by BENJAMIN CREMEL/AFP via Getty Images)

He told the BBC he did not know how long his father had left to live, adding: ‘I can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK.’

The emotional interview came after the Prince was left ‘devastated’ after sensationally losing his battle over taxpayer-funded police bodyguards – putting him on the hook for £1.5million in legal costs.

MAP: How can I see the Red Arrows’ iconic flypast?

A spectacular flypast featuring some of the Royal Air Force’s most iconic aircraft will take place today to mark 80 years since the Second World War ended in Europe.

The display involving the Red Arrows and a score of historic and current military aircraft will be the culmination of a military procession through London at 1.45pm.

But the public will also get the chance to see some of the aircraft elsewhere as they will go over parts of Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Surrey and Hampshire.

To see when and where the planes will be visible, see our map below and read our story here

Red Arrows VE day Flypast

‘It’s about patriotism. It’s what we do’

David Smith, a military royal engineer from 1960 to 1972, travelled from Lincolnshire on Sunday to honour the veterans at the parade.

The 79-year-old said: ‘It’s about patriotism. It’s what we do.’

Mr Smith has marched at the Cenotaph for 26 years and will watch the parade on Monday from The Mall.

His wife Muriel said: ‘Where we live in Lincolnshire, the “bomber county”, there is always a bomber base five miles from you. There’s still air raid shelters where we live.’

About the parade, the 77-year-old said: ‘I just love the songs, the ceremony, everything.

‘I’ve heard some stories about Victory Day. Some naughty stories!’

Tory MP – Street parties are how we mark important events

As hundreds of street parties prepare to get underway across the country, Tory MP Mark Francois, the Shadow Armed Forces Minister, said: ‘My father, Stoker 1st Class Reg Francois was a D-Day Veteran.

European Research Group (ERG) chair Mark Francois (left), speaks to the media outside Portcullis House, Westminster, following the release of the 'Star Chamber' of lawyers for the ERG's assessment of Rwanda legislation. MPs will get their first chance to debate and vote on the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill on Tuesday, in a key test of Rishi Sunak's flagship asylum policy. Picture date: Monday December 11, 2023. The Government has insisted the Rwanda scheme, through which asylum seekers in the UK would be deported to Kigali, is a key part of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's plan to "stop the boats" by acting as a deterrent for people seeking to cross the English Channel. PA Photo. See PA story POLITICS Rwanda. Photo credit should read: Lucy North/PA Wire

‘I still recall his efforts to organise a successful street party in Basildon, where I grew up, during the late Queen’s Silver Jubilee celebrations, back in 1977.

‘Street parties are part of how the British public commemorate important events – and I suspect VE Day 80 will be no different.’

He knew the war was over – but had to keep it a secret

D-Day veteran Bernard Morgan, 101, is looking forward to the tea party at Buckingham Palace.

He was a codebreaker during the war using equipment that was so sensitive he could not risk it being captured by the enemy.

MANDATORY CREDIT: Royal British Legion Undated handout photo issued by Royal British Legion of veteran Bernard Morgan, 101, RAF who will be at the heart of the commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day. Bernard volunteered on his 18th birthday in 1942 and served in the RAF until 1947. Bernard was a codebreaker during the War, and the equipment he used was so sensitive that he couldn't risk it being captured by the enemy. He landed on Gold Beach at 6.30pm on Day becoming the youngest RAF sergeant to land in Normandy during the War. Issue date: Monday May 5, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story MEMORIAL VEDay Profiles. Photo credit should read: Royal British Legion/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

Two days before VE Day, he received a telex to say ‘German war now over, surrender effective sometime tomorrow’ but kept it secret.

Timothy Spall set to utter Churchill’s words

Actor Timothy Spall will begin the celebrations today when he reads from Winston Churchill’s speech on VE Day 80 years ago.

The actor has been seen rehearsing ahead of the moment when Big Ben strikes 12pm today.

Actor Timothy Spall during rehearsals for his reading of Sir Winston Churchill's 1945 victory speech, in front of the statue of the war time leader, ahead of the 80th anniversary of VE Day, and in honour of those who served during the Second World War, in central London. Picture date: Monday May 5, 2025. PA Photo. Around 1300 members of the armed forces, including the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the British Army and the Royal Air Force, along with Commonwealth nations, Ukraine, and Nato allies are taking part in the military procession for Victory in Europe Day, which is celebrated each year on May 8, marking the day the Allies formally accepted Germany's surrender in 1945. See PA story MEMORIAL VEDay. Photo credit should read: James Manning/PA Wire
Actor Timothy Spall during rehearsals for his reading of Sir Winston Churchill's 1945 victory speech, in front of the statue of the war time leader, ahead of the 80th anniversary of VE Day, and in honour of those who served during the Second World War, in central London. Picture date: Monday May 5, 2025. PA Photo. Around 1300 members of the armed forces, including the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the British Army and the Royal Air Force, along with Commonwealth nations, Ukraine, and Nato allies are taking part in the military procession for Victory in Europe Day, which is celebrated each year on May 8, marking the day the Allies formally accepted Germany's surrender in 1945. See PA story MEMORIAL VEDay. Photo credit should read: James Manning/PA Wire

PM: ‘Our victory was not just for Britain’

Sir Keir Starmer said the stories we will hear this week from those who fought are a reminder that ‘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,’ the Prime Minister said in an open letter to veterans.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer during a visit to Leonardo, a defence contractor in Luton, to launch UAS StormShroud into operational service. The RAF's initial investment in these drones, directly supports around 200 jobs. Picture date: Friday May 2, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story DEFENCE Starmer. Photo credit should read: Henry Nicholls/PA Wire

Iconic planes set to take to the skies

A flypast of planes from the past and present will delight fans in the capital today.

The RAF flypast will include the iconic Red Arrows and the Lancaster Bomber from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

Aircraft used to support Ukraine will also be displayed as part of the commemorative ceremony.

FILE PHOTO: The Red Arrows take part in the fly past after the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in central London, Britain, May 6, 2023. Adam Gerrard//File Photo

The show will include planes involved in tensions with Russia, such as P8 Poseidons, which conduct reconnaissance missions surveying Russian vessels near UK waters, and Voyager aircraft, which fly Ukrainian recruits to the UK for training and deliver equipment to Ukrainian forces.

The planes are due to go over parts of Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Buckinghamshire, Cheshire and Oxfordshire before they pass over central London at around 1.45pm.

‘We all jumped out of bed’

Olga Hopkins, 99, is also among the 10 female veterans who served as codebreakers, drivers and mechanics that are looking forward to the tea party.

She remembers hearing about VE Day as she was lying in bed in a Nissen Hut and listening to the American Forces Network radio.

MANDATORY CREDIT: Royal British LegionUndated handout photo issued by Royal British Legion of veteran Olga Hopkins, 99, WAAF, who will be at the heart of the commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day. Issue date: Monday May 5, 2025. PA Photo. Olga was a wireless mechanic in the WAAF, and vividly recalls the ecstatic moment when VE Day was called. She recounts "lying in my bed in our Nissen Hut at around midnight, listening to the American Forces Network radio station, when suddenly the programme was interrupted by a Tannoy announcement saying, 'The war is over. The war is over. It's been signed'. We all jumped out of bed and put our battledress on over our pyjamas. We went to the sergeant's mess where there was a party going on, so we joined in. Photo credit should read: Royal British Legion/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in
MANDATORY CREDIT: Royal British Legion/Private CollectionUndated handout photo issued by Royal British Legion of Olga Hopkins, during their military days, who will be at the heart of the commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day. Issue date: Monday May 5, 2025. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Royal British Legion/Private Collection/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

Ms Hopkins, who was a wireless mechanic in the WAAF, said: ‘Suddenly the programme was interrupted by a tannoy announcement saying, ‘The war is over. The war is over. It’s been signed’.

‘We all jumped out of bed and put our battledress on over our pyjamas.

‘We went to the sergeant’s mess where there was a party going on, so we joined in.

‘I remember me and some other girls singing the Cole Porter song Don’t Fence Me In, and I had a whale of a time.’

Memories of VE Day 80 years ago

It will be a return to Buckingham Palace for Joyce Wilding, 100, who enlisted at the age of 18 in to the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY) and worked in the SOE, transporting forged documents and helping agents behind enemy lines.

MANDATORY CREDIT: Royal British LegionUndated handout photo issued by Royal British Legion of veteran Joyce Wilding, 100, FANY, who will be at the heart of the commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day. Issue date: Monday May 5, 2025. PA Photo. Joyce enlisted in the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY) aged 18, and worked in the Special Operations Executive (SOE), known as Churchill's Secret Army. Joyce transported forged documents and helped agents behind enemy lines.  Photo credit should read: Royal British Legion/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

Ms Wilding, recalls VE Day as being filled with joy and celebration.

She said: ‘We went to Piccadilly where there was a stream of people singing and dancing. We joined a crocodile and did the Palais Glide down Piccadilly.

‘There were soldiers up lampposts, it was extraordinary. We were outside Buckingham Palace and you could hardly move there were so many people cheering and singing.’

More than 30 Second World War veterans in attendance today

A total of 31 veterans are to attend official events on Monday, including 26 who will watch the parade, which will head from Parliament Square to Whitehall, then to Trafalgar Square, Admiralty Arch, The Mall, and finally to Buckingham Palace.

RAF veteran Alan Kennett, who will turn 101 on May 29, will formally start the parade as he receives the Commonwealth War Graves’ Torch For Peace from air cadet warrant officer Emmy Jones.

MANDATORY CREDIT: Royal British LegionUndated handout photo issued by Royal British Legion of veteran Alan Kennett, 100, RAF, who will be at the heart of the commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day. Issue date: Monday May 5, 2025. PA Photo. Alan returned to Normandy with the Royal British Legion for last year's D-Day 80, is 'honoured' to be the procession torch bearer. Alan was in the RAF with the Mustang Squadron and after the D-Day landings, was in Celle near Belsen on VE Day.  Photo credit should read: Royal British Legion/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
MANDATORY CREDIT: Royal British Legion/Private CollectionUndated handout photo issued by Royal British Legion of Alan Kennett, during their military days, who will be at the heart of the commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day. Issue date: Monday May 5, 2025. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Royal British Legion/Private Collection/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

Mr Kennett was in a cinema in Celle, north-central Germany, when the doors burst open as a soldier drove a jeep into the venue and shouted: “The war is over.”

He said the cinema erupted with joy, and celebrations soon spread through the streets.

Mr Kennett, said he was ‘honoured’ to be the procession torch bearer on Monday.

Crowds begin to gather

Crowds are starting to build along The Mall at Buckingham Palace.

Caroline Tomlinson, 59, travelled from Doncaster to witness the parade. She arrived at the Palace at 2pm on Sunday afternoon and camped overnight.

Union flags are flown ahead of  the military procession for the 80th anniversary of VE Day, in honour of those who served during the Second World War, on The Mall near Buckingham Palace in central London.  See PA story MEMORIAL VEDay. Photo credit should read: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire

Dressed in Union flags, she said: ‘I’ve been watching lots of footage from 1945 when everybody was gathering outside the palace, so just great to be a part of it here we are again 80 years later to do the very same.

‘I got here at 2pm yesterday afternoon, sat in the red chair all night, had a little bit of sleep.

‘I’m used to this, I’ve been to the other events. I’ve been to the Platinum Jubilee, the Coronation, the Queen’s funeral, Royal weddings. Sleeping over is now my thing.

‘It was very cold but I dressed accordingly and got through it. Slept about three times in one-hour bursts.

‘I came here alone, the community is always so lovely. I’m absolutely hoping to catch a glimpse of the Royals.’

What is VE Day?

Victory in Europe Day, or VE Day, marks the end of the Second World War and the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany to the Allied forces.

At 3pm on May 8, 1945, Prime Minister Winston Churchill announced on the radio that the war in Europe had come to an end.

Celebrations broke out across the UK, as neighbours met for street parties and pubs stayed open long into the night.

The late Queen Elizabeth II alongside her sister, Princess Margaret famously ventured into the crowds to soak up the atmosphere.

The day is celebrated to remember the sacrifices made by the British troops and all of the Allied Forces who lost their lives during the war.

Dressed for the occasion

Michael Burn, 67, arrived at The Mall outside Buckingham Palace this morning.

Dressed head to toe in a Union flag suit he said: ‘Obviously I’m very patriotic so I make the most of any of these events, the coronation or anything like that I’ll be here.

‘I think we’ve been very lucky that we’ve had 80 years of peace and these are very troubled times at the moment and we’ve got to think about all those that have the ultimate sacrifice and there’s very few of them left now because they’re all over 100.

Michael Burn, 67, from Watford, is seen joins the crowds at The Mall outside Buckingham Palace, ahead of a military procession marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day, and in honour of those who served during the Second World War, in central London. Picture date: Monday May 5, 2025. PA Photo. Around 1300 members of the armed forces, including the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the British Army and the Royal Air Force, along with Commonwealth nations, Ukraine, and Nato allies are taking part in the military procession for Victory in Europe Day, which is celebrated each year on May 8, marking the day the Allies formally accepted Germany's surrender in 1945. See PA story MEMORIAL VEDay. Photo credit should read: Emily Smith/PA Wire
Michael Burn (right), 67, from Watford, joins the crowds at The Mall outside Buckingham Palace, ahead of a military procession marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day, and in honour of those who served during the Second World War, in central London. Picture date: Monday May 5, 2025. PA Photo. Around 1300 members of the armed forces, including the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the British Army and the Royal Air Force, along with Commonwealth nations, Ukraine, and Nato allies are taking part in the military procession for Victory in Europe Day, which is celebrated each year on May 8, marking the day the Allies formally accepted Germany's surrender in 1945. See PA story MEMORIAL VEDay. Photo credit should read: Emily Smith/PA Wire

‘This is the last time we will celebrate the day in this sort of scale.’

Speaking of his suit and holding a seven foot Union flag he said: “I bought this for the London 2012 Olympics and have worn it at every Royal event since.

‘I can still get into it,’ he joked

The Cenotaph adorned in the Union flag

In Whitehall, where the military procession for the 80th anniversary of VE Day will pass later, the Cenotaph is draped in a large Union flag.

The south and north face of the landmark are covered.

The Cenotaph in front of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development office (FCDO) on Whitehall is dressed in the Union flag ahead of a military procession marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day, and in honour of those who served during the Second World War, in central London. Picture date: Monday May 5, 2025. PA Photo. Around 1300 members of the armed forces, including the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the British Army and the Royal Air Force, along with Commonwealth nations, Ukraine, and Nato allies are taking part in the military procession for Victory in Europe Day, which is celebrated each year on May 8, marking the day the Allies formally accepted Germany's surrender in 1945. See PA story MEMORIAL VEDay. Photo credit should read: Lucy North/PA Wire
The Cenotaph in front of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development office (FCDO) on Whitehall is dressed in the Union flag ahead of a military procession marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day, and in honour of those who served during the Second World War, in central London. Picture date: Monday May 5, 2025. PA Photo. Around 1300 members of the armed forces, including the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the British Army and the Royal Air Force, along with Commonwealth nations, Ukraine, and Nato allies are taking part in the military procession for Victory in Europe Day, which is celebrated each year on May 8, marking the day the Allies formally accepted Germany's surrender in 1945. See PA story MEMORIAL VEDay. Photo credit should read: Lucy North/PA Wire

It is the first time the war memorial has been draped in Union flags since it was unveiled by King George V more than a century ago, in 1920.

A hundred metres away, the base of the Monument To The Women Of World War II is covered in poppy wreaths.

What events are planned today?

Today marks exactly 80 years since Winston Churchill announced the end of the Second World War and victory in Europe.

It is the first of four days of celebrations to mark the milestone.

Here are the events scheduled for today:

  • 12pm: Timothy Spall recites Winston Churchill’s famous VE Day Speech as Big Ben strikes at midday.
  • 12.10pm: The military procession begins as bands and units make their way from Parliament Square to Big Ben
  • 1.45pm: A flypast featuring 23 aircraft from the past and present, including the iconic Red Arrows

Later in the afternoon: The King and Queen will host a tea party at Buckingham Palace for veterans.

Thousands expected to celebrate start of VE Day 80th anniversary commemorations

Hello and welcome to MailOnline’s live coverage of the UK’s 80th anniversary VE Day celebrations which start today.

Thousands of people are expected to line the streets of central London on Bank Holiday Monday for events and take in the military procession and a flypast.

The words of Sir Winston Churchill’s 1945 victory speech, spoken by actor Timothy Spall, will begin the commemorations, which will feature displays by the Red Arrows, appearances by senior royals and street parties across the UK.

Stick with us for the latest updates throughout the day plus the most eye-catching pictures and videos of celebrations across the country.

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