The bravery and sacrifice of D-Day veterans has been celebrated by the King and the Prince of Wales on the 80th anniversary of the beach invasion.
Before speaking to veterans at a special lunch, Charles addressed an emotional audience at the national commemorative event in Ver-sur-Mer in Normandy, while William spoke at the Canadian commemorative ceremony on Juno Beach.
Veteran Ken Hay is supported as he speaks during the UK national commemorative event for the 80th anniversary of D-Day, held at the British Normandy Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer (Jane Barlow/PA)
Veterans are escorted at the end of the UK national commemorative event (Jane Barlow/PA)A veteran lays a wreath during the commemorative event in Ver-sur-Mer (Jane Barlow/PA)The King speaks to D-Day veteran Arnie Salter, 98, from Warwickshire, during a lunch following the commemorative event in Normandy (Gareth Fuller/PA)The Prince of Wales speaks to veterans at the Government of Canada ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, at Juno Beach in Courseulles-sur-Mer, Normandy (Jordan Pettitt/PA)The Queen and Brigitte Macron receive bouquets to lay at the French Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer (Chris Jackson/PA)Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s wife Akshata Murty speaks to D-Day veteran Christian Lamb, who was presented earlier with the Legion d’Honneur, during a lunch following the UK national commemorative event for the 80th anniversary of D-Day (Gareth Fuller/PA)
In the UK, people gathered for services in Falmouth, Cornwall, and Alrewas in Staffordshire.
A veteran during a wreath-laying ceremony in Kimberley Park, Falmouth, ahead of an 80-strong boat flotilla, one for each year since the D-Day landings, sailing off the coast of Falmouth (Ben Birchall/PA)Veteran Thomas Hill at the Royal British Legion’s service of remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire (Jacob King/PA)Veteran Phil Sweet at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire on Thursday (Jacob King/PA)The Red Arrows perform a flypast during the UK national commemorative event at the British Normandy Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer (Jane Barlow/PA)French President Emmanuel Macron, his wife Brigitte Macron and US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden attend a ceremony at a US cemetery near Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy (Laurent Cipriani/AP)
A military piper began the commemorations early in the morning by playing a lament at sea at the exact moment of the beach invasion in 1944.
Military piper Major Trevor Macey-Lillie comes onto shore on a DUKW amphibious vehicle at Gold Beach in Arromanches in Normandy (Aaron Chown/PA)A beach landing by the Royal Marines of 47 Commando at Asnelles before their annual ‘yomp’ to Port-en-Bessin, in Normandy, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings (Aaron Chown/PA)Re-enactors on Gold Beach in Arromanches at sunrise in Normandy to commemorate the D-Day landings (Aaron Chown/PA)
Share
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here