Royal Family lead VE Day tributes to wartime heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom at Westminster Abbey service

The Royal Family joined veterans and politicians at Westminster Abbey today for a moving national service of thanksgiving marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla led a host of senior royals in London as they commemorated the sacrifices of Second World War veterans and their generation.

They were joined by Prince William, Kate, Prince Edward, Sophie, Princess Anne, Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was also present as well as former PMs such as Rishi Sunak, Lord David Cameron and Boris Johnson – but there was unsurprisingly no Prince Harry or Meghan Markle, five years after they stepped down as senior royals.

A handwritten note on a wreath from the Prince and Princess of Wales said: ‘For those who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Second World War, we will remember them.’ Another from the King on his wreath stated: ‘We will never forget.’

On May 8, 1945 the nation celebrated Victory in Europe (VE) Day with church bells ringing out across the country and people gathering to revel in the end of hostilities, with crowds gathering outside Buckingham Palace calling for King George VI.

After almost six years of fighting against Hitler’s Nazi regime peace was declared, although the war against Japan would continue until August 15 that year.

During today’s service ten-year-old Alexander Churchill, the great-great-grandson of wartime prime minister Sir Winston Churchill, lit a candle of peace as young members of the congregation handed out white roses to Second World War veterans.

The live televised service on BBC One began with a national two-minute silence at 12pm in honour of those who made sacrifices during the conflict, both on the front line and at home, to protect people’s freedom and shared values.

The Prince and Princess of Wales lay flowers at the Innocent Victims’ Memorial following a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey in London today

The Princess of Wales receives flowers as she leaves after attending the service today

(left to right, front row) King Charles III, Queen Camilla, the Prince and the Princess of Wales and (left to right, back row) the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent

King Charles III speaks to a veteran at the end of the service of thanksgiving in London today

King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Kate at Westminster Abbey this afternoon

The Princess of Wales lays a bouquet of flowers after attending the service of thanksgiving

The Prince and Princess of Wales and King Charles and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh lays a flower on the Innocent Victims’ Memorial this afternoon

The Princess of Wales with a bouquet of flowers as she departs the service of thanksgiving

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Lady Victoria Starmer at the end of today’s service

King Charles and Queen Camilla leave Westminster Abbey after attending the service today

The Princess of Wales at Westminster Abbey to attend the service of thanksgiving today

King Charles III and Queen Camilla leave Westminster Abbey after the service of thanksgiving

The Prince and the Princess of Wales attend a service o thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer arrives at Westminster Abbey to attend the service today

The Princess of Wales attends a service of thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey in London

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives at Wesminster Abbey this morning for the service

Former prime minister Rishi Sunak with his wife Akshata Murty leave following the service

Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty arrive at Westminster Abbey

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner attends the service of thanksgiving in London today

Former Prime Minister Lord David Cameron and his wife Samantha Cameron arrive today

King Charles and Queen Camilla leave Westminster Abbey after attending the service today

Former Tory prime ministers (left to right) Boris Johnson, Lord David Cameron and Rishi Sunak

Former prime minister John Major and wife Norma Major arrive to attend the service today

London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan arrives at Wesminster Abbey this morning for the service

Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle arrives at Westminster Abbey today

Former Prime Minister Liz Truss and her husband Hugh O’Leary arrive this morning

Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, arrives at Westminster Abbey for the service this morning

British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper (left) arrives for the service at Westminster Abbey

Members of the Royal Family began arriving at Westminster Abbey at about 11.50am.

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh made their way into the historic church, followed by the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.

Also present were the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent.

When the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence made their way through the abbey, they stopped to talk and shake hands with members of the congregation.

Sophie – wearing a hat by milliner Jane Taylor – was seen folding a handkerchief and dabbing her nose after taking her seat.

The Prince and Princess of Wales then arrived.

Kate was wearing a white polkadot dress by Alessandra Rich and hat by Juliette Botterill, and earrings which belonged to William’s late mother Diana, Princess of Wales.

The Prince was dressed in a lounge suit with Household Division tie and his Great Master of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath Neck Order.

Scotland’s National Piper Louise Marshall playing a lament to the fallen at dawn on Portobello Beach in Edinburgh today, overlooking the Firth of Forth on the 80th anniversary of VE Day

‘I think what we’ve done with the Coalition of the Willing is to break through that and say, no, if we go at the pace of the sort of most reluctant or most cautious member, then we’re going to be going very slowly and not very far.’

In Scotland, a service of thanksgiving will also take place at Glasgow Cathedral at 1pm, with guests including representatives from the military, veterans’ organisations, emergency services and religious groups.

Members of the Royal British Legion, the Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA), and the Soldiers’, Sailors’ and Airmen’s Families Association (SSAFA) will be taking part in the service, along with their families.

A number of elected officials are also set to be in attendance, including Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes and Scotland Office minister Kirsty McNeill.

The anniversary is also being marked in Scottish Government buildings, where a two-minute silence will be observed at midday.

The Scottish Government’s Victoria Quay and St Andrew’s House buildings in Edinburgh will also continue to be lit up in red as part of a campaign to light significant buildings across the UK.

Edinburgh Castle was among the buildings to be lit up in red on Tuesday in the run-up to the anniversary.

Memorial events are also set to continue in Lerwick aboard vessels that arrived there from Norway on Tuesday, in commemoration of the Shetland Bus that operated between Scotland and Norway during the war.

Huge crowds at Trafalgar Square celebrate VE Day in London on May 8, 1945

VE Day celebrations in London’s East End on May 8, 1945, marking the end of the war in Europe

A crowd assembles in front of Buckingham Palace to cheer the Royal Family on May 8, 1945

Prime minister Winston Churchill with Queen Elizabeth, King George VI, Princess Elizabeth (left) and Princess Margaret waving from the balcony of Buckingham Palace on VE Day

The 80th anniversary of VE Day is also being marked with events across Northern Ireland.

Secretary of State Hilary Benn described an opportunity to remember the ‘huge sacrifice made by that great generation’ at the end of the Second World War in Europe.

Last night, some landmark buildings in Belfast were lit up to mark VE Day, including Belfast City Hall in red, as well as Parliament Buildings in blue.

Later today, beacons will be lit across a number of locations including Bangor, Newtownards, Lisburn, Armagh, Enniskillen, Coleraine, Londonderry and Coleraine.

Mr Benn took part in a number of visits across the region.

He officially opened a special Second World War exhibition at Antrim Castle Gardens, before travelling to the Ulster Aviation Society, where he met veteran Fred Jennings.

He also visited the NI War Memorial Museum, which focuses on Northern Ireland’s role in the Second World War and the impact that the war had on its people, and attended a Service of Remembrance at St Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral in Armagh.