2. Mallory Moench
3. Reporting from the Mall
4. As the Royal Family exited from Buckingham Palace, a bugle played.
5. They were accompanied by military members as they walked in front of the palace, behind the fountain.
6. Applause broke out in the crowds as the royals arrived on stage.
7. I could see the Princess of Wales shaking hands with a veteran and leaning over to talk to him before she took a seat beside him and her children.
10. Prince William and Princess Catherine can be seen in the stands too – along with their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
11. The Royal Family are now sitting and talking with members of the public sat near them.
14. Mallory Moench
15. Reporting from the Mall
16. Image source, PA Media
17. Keir Starmer has also just arrived at the stage, shaking hands along the row as he took his seat.
18. His arrival caused some excitement among cadets on the other side of the road, where I was standing, where young people were trying to spot famous faces across the way.
21. 
22. King Charles and Queen Camilla have just taken their seats in the box next to Buckingham Palace, alongside other Royal Family members and guests.
23. Watch along with them as they take in the military procession by tapping watch live at the top of the page.
26. The military procession around central London has just begun.
27. As a reminder, he’s an overview of the route and the landmarks that it will be passing by:
28. 
31. Next, the Torch for Peace, organised by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, was presented to veteran Alan Kennett – who will turn 101 at the end of this month.
32. He then gave permission for the procession to start at Parliament Square – and with that the mounted soldiers lead the way up Whitehall towards Trafalgar Square.
35. Image source, Reuters
36. Actor Timothy Spall, who portrayed the wartime prime minister in the 2010 film The King’s Speech, finishes reciting the victory speech, which detailed the signatories on each side of the peace agreement.
37. “Do not despair, do not yield to violence and tyranny, march straightforward and die if need be-unconquered,” he says.
40. 
41. With military members gathered in Parliament Square, actor Timothy Spall now proceeds with a reading of the famous victory speech made by Winston Churchill on 8 May 1945.
42. He begins:
43. “My dear friends, this is your hour. This is not victory of a party or of any class. It’s a victory of the great British nation as a whole. We were the first, in this ancient island, to draw the sword against tyranny. After a while we were left all alone against the most tremendous military power that has been seen. We were all alone for a whole year.”
46. Big Ben is sounding across London.
47. The iconic chimes will soon fade into silence, and actor Timothy Spall will begin reading a portion of Winston Churchill’s VE Day broadcast. You can watch the original in full below.
50. 
51. Big Ben strikes midday and so today’s commemorative events begin.
52. Actor Timothy Spall will read part of Winston Churchill’s VE Day broadcast from 8 May 1945.
53. A military procession, watched by the King and Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales, will shortly begin to make its way from Parliament Square to Buckingham Palace.
56. The King has left Clarence House and has made the short journey to Buckingham Palace ahead of the VE Day commemorations – which are just moments away from starting.
57. You can follow updates on this page, or by pressing watch live above.
60. Image source, Reuters
61. Image source, Reuters
62. Image source, Reuters
63. Image caption,
64. Alan Kenett, a 100-year-old veteran, will lead today’s military procession – getting started at 12:10 BST
67. Mallory Moench
68. Reporting from the Mall
69. 
70. We’re just minutes away from the VE Day military procession starting, and I’ve just finished chatting with Richard Singleton.
71. He tells me he was just six months old when his father was killed in March 1943 while serving in the Royal Navy.
72. Richard, who’s from Bolton, moved to Canada decades ago, but today he happens to be back in UK while on a month-long visit.
73. Jenny Sirell, beside him, says she was determined they would come to the Mall today.
74. Sirell’s father also served in the war, and she says she commemorates it “for all the people that are so brave to give up their lives like that. It’s emotional”.
75. Singleton says he always remembers Armistice Day in Canada, “lest we forget”.
78. Image source, PA Media
79. We’ll be seeing many members of the Royal Family throughout the day as they take part in and watch the VE Day commemorations. Absent, however, will be the the Duke of Sussex.
80. Today’s events follow Prince Harry’s recent interview with the BBC in which he expressed his wish for a “reconciliation” with his family following another court dismissing his appeal over his security arrangements in the UK.
81. “I would love reconciliation with my family. There’s no point continuing to fight any more, life is precious,” Prince Harry told the BBC, who said the dispute over his security had “always been the sticking point”.
82. Harry spoke candidly about his relationship with the Royal Family – including about the fact the King “won’t speak to me because of this security stuff”.
83. The Royal Family has since said it is hoping “nothing will detract or distract” from VE Day commemorations this week.

• For context: The Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex stepped down from being senior working royals in January 2020, and moved to California in June of the same year. Prince Harry remains a prince and is fifth in line to the throne.

3. Gem O’Reilly
4. Reporting from the Mall
5. 
6. Image caption,
7. Lorraine Kinnear is dressed for the occasion
8. I’ve been among the BBC reporters this morning speaking to those lining the Mall waiting for the procession.
9. Lorraine Kinnear, 52, from Hampstead says it’s “important” to remember those that have gone before us.
10. Today is her way of paying her respects to the armed forces “who still go into war today”.
11. Catherine Denham from Essex says: “We should never forget these moments, for the military and the civilians that lost their lives we need to keep that memory alive. This is a massive occasion to commemorate.”
14. Image source, Getty Images
15. Image caption,
16. The Red Arrows also flew over Buckingham Palace to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022
17. As we just mentioned, a little later today, the armed forces procession to Buckingham Palace will be followed by a flypast of current and historic military aircraft.
18. This will include the Royal Airforce’s Red Arrows, famous for the red, white and blue smoke trails they leave in the sky.
19. An institution as synonymous with national celebrations as union jack bunting, the Red Arrows have been performing since 1965.
20. The group is the Royal Air Force’s aerobatic team, and takes its name from the distinctive bright red hawk fast-jets flown by its pilots.
21. The troupe typically flies in a trademark diamond nine shape, and is based at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, with all pilots having also flown operationally in frontline aircraft.
24. Simon King
25. BBC weather presenter and meteorologist
26. It’s going to be a mostly cloudy day in London with a small possibility of a shower passing through, especially around lunchtime.
27. It’s been quite chilly this morning with temperatures climbing from around 7-11C up to 15C during the afternoon.
28. If there is a passing shower, it shouldn’t affect the military flypast going down the Mall and over Buckingham Palace at around 13:45 BST.
29. The height of cloud is a more important consideration for the Royal Air Force and while a shower would lower the cloud base, it will still be safe and above the limit for the aircraft taking part.
32. Ashitha Nagesh
33. Reporting from the Mall
34. 
35. Though some set their alarm clocks for dawn in order to secure a prime position, there are plenty of people gathered here at the Mall who didn’t arrive in time for a front-row spot.
36. But they’ve found another bit of prime real estate – the bollards that line the Mall.
39. We’ve just seen images of the Princess Royal arriving at Buckingham Palace ahead of the military procession.
40. Princess Anne took a moment to wave towards the crowds that have been gathered outside the Palace for several hours now.
41. Image source, PA Media
42. Image source, PA Media
45. Image source, Reuters
46. We’re now getting some movement in central London as soldiers mounted on horses start to make their way towards Parliament Square for the start of the procession.
47. The Household Cavalry and the King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, are leading the way slowly down the Mall flanked by people who have gathered either side of the road.
48. We are building up to the start of the procession which will begin after Big Ben chimes at midday.
49. Image source, Reuters

Page 2

2. Mallory Moench
3. Reporting from the Mall
4. Image source, Reuters
5. As the Royal Family exited from Buckingham Palace, a bugle played.
6. They were accompanied by military members as they walked in front of the palace, behind the fountain.
7. Applause broke out in the crowds as the royals arrived on stage.
8. I could see the Princess of Wales shaking hands with a veteran and leaning over to talk to him before she took a seat beside him and her children.
9. Image source, Reuters
12. Prince William and Princess Catherine can be seen in the stands too – along with their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
13. The Royal Family are now sitting and talking with members of the public sat near them.
14. Image source, PA Media
17. Mallory Moench
18. Reporting from the Mall
19. Image source, PA Media
20. Keir Starmer has also just arrived at the stage, shaking hands along the row as he took his seat.
21. His arrival caused some excitement among cadets on the other side of the road, where I was standing, where young people were trying to spot famous faces across the way.
24. 
25. King Charles and Queen Camilla have just taken their seats in the box next to Buckingham Palace, alongside other Royal Family members and guests.
26. Watch along with them as they take in the military procession by tapping watch live at the top of the page.
29. The military procession around central London has just begun.
30. As a reminder, he’s an overview of the route and the landmarks that it will be passing by:
31. 
34. Image source, PA Media
35. Next, the Torch for Peace, organised by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, was presented to veteran Alan Kennett – who will turn 101 at the end of this month.
36. He then gave permission for the procession to start at Parliament Square – and with that the mounted soldiers lead the way up Whitehall towards Trafalgar Square.
39. Image source, Reuters
40. Actor Timothy Spall, who portrayed the wartime prime minister in the 2010 film The King’s Speech, finishes reciting the victory speech, which detailed the signatories on each side of the peace agreement.
41. “Do not despair, do not yield to violence and tyranny, march straightforward and die if need be-unconquered,” he says.
44. Media caption,
45. Timothy Spall reads Churchill’s famous victory speech
46. With military members gathered in Parliament Square, actor Timothy Spall now proceeds with a reading of the famous victory speech made by Winston Churchill on 8 May 1945.
47. He begins:
48. “My dear friends, this is your hour. This is not victory of a party or of any class. It’s a victory of the great British nation as a whole. We were the first, in this ancient island, to draw the sword against tyranny. After a while we were left all alone against the most tremendous military power that has been seen. We were all alone for a whole year.”
51. Big Ben is sounding across London.
52. The iconic chimes will soon fade into silence, and actor Timothy Spall will begin reading a portion of Winston Churchill’s VE Day broadcast. You can watch the original in full below.
55. 
56. Big Ben strikes midday and so today’s commemorative events begin.
57. Actor Timothy Spall will read part of Winston Churchill’s VE Day broadcast from 8 May 1945.
58. A military procession, watched by the King and Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales, will shortly begin to make its way from Parliament Square to Buckingham Palace.
61. Image source, PA Media
62. The King has left Clarence House and has made the short journey to Buckingham Palace ahead of the VE Day commemorations – which are just moments away from starting.
63. You can follow updates on this page, or by pressing watch live above.
66. Image source, Reuters
67. Image source, Reuters
68. Image source, Reuters
69. Image caption,
70. Alan Kenett, a 100-year-old veteran, will lead today’s military procession – getting started at 12:10 BST
73. Mallory Moench
74. Reporting from the Mall
75. 
76. We’re just minutes away from the VE Day military procession starting, and I’ve just finished chatting with Richard Singleton.
77. He tells me he was just six months old when his father was killed in March 1943 while serving in the Royal Navy.
78. Richard, who’s from Bolton, moved to Canada decades ago, but today he happens to be back in UK while on a month-long visit.
79. Jenny Sirell, beside him, says she was determined they would come to the Mall today.
80. Sirell’s father also served in the war, and she says she commemorates it “for all the people that are so brave to give up their lives like that. It’s emotional”.
81. Singleton says he always remembers Armistice Day in Canada, “lest we forget”.
84. Image source, PA Media
85. We’ll be seeing many members of the Royal Family throughout the day as they take part in and watch the VE Day commemorations. Absent, however, will be the the Duke of Sussex.
86. Today’s events follow Prince Harry’s recent interview with the BBC in which he expressed his wish for a “reconciliation” with his family following another court dismissing his appeal over his security arrangements in the UK.
87. “I would love reconciliation with my family. There’s no point continuing to fight any more, life is precious,” Prince Harry told the BBC, who said the dispute over his security had “always been the sticking point”.
88. Harry spoke candidly about his relationship with the Royal Family – including about the fact the King “won’t speak to me because of this security stuff”.
89. The Royal Family has since said it is hoping “nothing will detract or distract” from VE Day commemorations this week.

• For context: The Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex stepped down from being senior working royals in January 2020, and moved to California in June of the same year. Prince Harry remains a prince and is fifth in line to the throne.

3. Gem O’Reilly
4. Reporting from the Mall
5. 
6. Image caption,
7. Lorraine Kinnear is dressed for the occasion
8. I’ve been among the BBC reporters this morning speaking to those lining the Mall waiting for the procession.
9. Lorraine Kinnear, 52, from Hampstead says it’s “important” to remember those that have gone before us.
10. Today is her way of paying her respects to the armed forces “who still go into war today”.
11. Catherine Denham from Essex says: “We should never forget these moments, for the military and the civilians that lost their lives we need to keep that memory alive. This is a massive occasion to commemorate.”
14. Image source, Getty Images
15. Image caption,
16. The Red Arrows also flew over Buckingham Palace to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022
17. As we just mentioned, a little later today, the armed forces procession to Buckingham Palace will be followed by a flypast of current and historic military aircraft.
18. This will include the Royal Airforce’s Red Arrows, famous for the red, white and blue smoke trails they leave in the sky.
19. An institution as synonymous with national celebrations as union jack bunting, the Red Arrows have been performing since 1965.
20. The group is the Royal Air Force’s aerobatic team, and takes its name from the distinctive bright red hawk fast-jets flown by its pilots.
21. The troupe typically flies in a trademark diamond nine shape, and is based at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, with all pilots having also flown operationally in frontline aircraft.
24. Simon King
25. BBC weather presenter and meteorologist
26. It’s going to be a mostly cloudy day in London with a small possibility of a shower passing through, especially around lunchtime.
27. It’s been quite chilly this morning with temperatures climbing from around 7-11C up to 15C during the afternoon.
28. If there is a passing shower, it shouldn’t affect the military flypast going down the Mall and over Buckingham Palace at around 13:45 BST.
29. The height of cloud is a more important consideration for the Royal Air Force and while a shower would lower the cloud base, it will still be safe and above the limit for the aircraft taking part.
32. Ashitha Nagesh
33. Reporting from the Mall
34. 
35. Though some set their alarm clocks for dawn in order to secure a prime position, there are plenty of people gathered here at the Mall who didn’t arrive in time for a front-row spot.
36. But they’ve found another bit of prime real estate – the bollards that line the Mall.
39. We’ve just seen images of the Princess Royal arriving at Buckingham Palace ahead of the military procession.
40. Princess Anne took a moment to wave towards the crowds that have been gathered outside the Palace for several hours now.
41. Image source, PA Media
42. Image source, PA Media
45. Image source, Reuters
46. We’re now getting some movement in central London as soldiers mounted on horses start to make their way towards Parliament Square for the start of the procession.
47. The Household Cavalry and the King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, are leading the way slowly down the Mall flanked by people who have gathered either side of the road.
48. We are building up to the start of the procession which will begin after Big Ben chimes at midday.
49. Image source, Reuters

Page 3

2. Sean Coughlan
3. Royal correspondent, reporting from the Mall
4. Image source, Reuters
5. Outside Buckingham Palace, there’s a feel of a great stage being prepared, getting ready for the event to begin.
6. The Royal Standard has gone up over the Palace and the balcony is draped with its red and gold covering. The Royal Family will be there later, having walked through what have been called the world’s most famous net curtains.
7. There’s a viewing platform built around the Queen Victoria Memorial, which will later be filled with dignitaries, but is already filling up with guests, who are wrapped up against the chilly weather.
8. They’re watching horse artillery trotting past as they head to take part in the parade that’s going to begin in Westminster.
11. We’re less than an hour away from the chimes of Big Ben ringing out at midday, marking the start of today’s VE Day commemoration.
12. A military procession will make its way from Parliament Square towards Buckingham Palace, and the people who have been gathering along the route since dawn are probably feeling quite smug, as the crowds are now quite large, as you can see below:
13. Image source, Reuters
14. Image source, PA Media
15. Image source, Reuters
16. Image source, PA Media
19. Image source, PA Media
20. Image caption,
21. RAF veteran Alan Kennett, who will turn 101 on 29 May, will formally start today’s military procession
22. Thirty one World War Two veterans are expected to attend the VE Day commemorations taking place today and 26 of them will be taking in the sights of the military procession getting under way in under an hour.
23. Among the group will be Henry Ducker, who at 104 years old, will be the oldest veteran in attendance.
24. Ducker will also attend a tea party that the King and Queen are hosting at Buckingham Palace later this afternoon, which will be attended by other veterans, their families and members of the wartime generation.
25. In the lead up to VE Day at 80, the BBC has been collecting first-hand accounts of World War Two, which you can read more about in our We Were There project.
28. Mallory Moench
29. Reporting from the Mall
30. 
31. Meanwhile, back at the Mall, I’ve just finished catching up with Grace Gothard, from Mitcham, and Satvinder Cubb, from Chingford.
32. They’re both donning hand-stitched outfits today. Gothard wears a union jack dress draped in a flag from Ghana, while Cubb is wearing a frock made from two “Lest we forget” scarves.
33. They both wanted to be here today to remember all the people “who fought for us”, as the last generation of World War Two veterans are growing older, Cubb says.
34. For her, the message of VE Day is to bring together people from different countries and different age groups to say: “Why don’t we unite together? Why can’t there be peace?”
35. “We are humans. We should all be one.”
38. We’ll be bringing you all the updates from today’s national procession here in London, but events are also taking place across the UK.
39. That, of course, means bunting and Victoria sponge cakes aplenty.
40. Here’s a quick glance at some of the unique ways the country’s regions are marking 80 years since fighting ended in Europe.
41. Image source, Dunchurch Festival Group
42. Image caption,
43. The statue of Lord John Scott, in Dunchurch, Warwickshire, has been transformed into a World War Two soldier – complete with British tin helmet and a gun
44. Image source, Peterborough City Council
45. Image caption,
46. The bunting is out in Peterborough, where a vintage tea party is being hosted
47. Image source, Mark Carter
48. Image caption,
49. In Godstone, Surrey, 113 crosses mark the lives lost from the village during the two world wars
52. Mallory Moench
53. Reporting from London
54. 
55. To celebrate the start of VE Day at 80, Transport for London employee Claire Snelling at Green Park station isn’t holding back.
56. She is wearing a giant red, white and blue hair bow that she purchased for the Queen’s Jubilee, a bedazzled union jack bow tie, a poppy and TfL pins which line her lanyard.
57. A bit earlier, Snelling was stopped by a female passenger who wanted to take a selfie with her.
58. “I thought I’d come in early before the madness starts,” the woman says.
59. “But it’ll be a nice mad,” Snelling smiles.
60. Snelling says she’s known around the station for dressing up for St Patrick’s Day, Christmas, and other holidays.
61. “She’s a bit of a celebrity,” her colleague beside her jokes.
62. Snelling says she has no idea how many people will pass through the station nearest the procession today, but even though it’ll be busy, “it’s just fun, it’ll be a nice atmosphere”.
65. Image source, Getty Images
66. Image caption,
67. Actor Timothy Spall – spotted during rehearsals earlier – is due to read a section of Winston Churchill’s 1945 victory speech as part of the commemorations
68. We’re only a couple hours out from a military procession starting in central London to commemorate VE Day at 80.
69. Here are the key details for how to follow along:
70. Timings
71. We have a full set of key timings for you to set your watch by, but here’s a quick summary of the day’s events:

• 12:00 BST: events will begin with actor Timothy Spall reading part of Winston Churchill’s VE Day broadcast, and then a military procession will make its way from Parliament Square over to Buckingham Palace
• 13:45 BST: The King and Queen will watch a flypast of current and historic military aircraft over Buckingham Palace

1. The procession route
2. After starting out in Parliament Square, the procession will head towards Whitehall, where it will pass by the Cenotaph.
3. It will then turn up towards the Mall at Trafalgar Square, before finishing at Buckingham Palace.
4. Weather
5. According to our BBC Weather team, it will be a mostly cloudy day in London, with temperatures ranging from around 7C to 15C in the afternoon.
6. Brollies might be required for those on the Mall, but a possible small shower isn’t expected to affect the military flypast.
7. How to follow along
8. We’ll of course have all the cheers and key moments right here, but you can also follow along by pushing watch live at the top of the page, or you can tune in to our special VE Day at 80 coverage on BBC One.
11. Mallory Moench
12. Reporting from The Mall
13. 
14. Maria and Chris Naynor tell me they left their home in Reading at 05:30 BST to secure a front-row spot along the Mall to watch today’s procession.
15. By 08:00 BST, the pair, plus their son, three grandsons, and daughter-in-law and members of her family – a total of nine, plus Border Terrier Aela – had set up shop on blankets and folding chairs by the fence lining the street.
16. The family came prepared with Tupperwares of food, cream tea, and gin and tonics.
17. For the family, VE Day is personal. Chris’s dad served in the Armed Forces and was wounded in Dunkirk, and his mother was out celebrating on the streets of London on the original VE Day on 8 May 1945.
18. Their daughter-in-law’s grandfather also served in the military.
19. It’s critical to remember “all the people who gave their lives for freedom” and teach the kids about it, Maria says.
20. Sadly, she adds, with another war on the European continent now, “not a lot has changed”.
21. “People are still being killed.”
22. Theo, 11, Harry, 9, and Charlie, 6, tell me they know exactly why they’re gathered here today.
23. “So that we can remember all the people who died in the war,” Harry says.
26. Gem O’Reilly
27. Reporting from The Mall
28. Like many of the people who are gathered at the Mall right now, I’ve also been here since about 06:00 BST.
29. The atmosphere is one of anticipation at the moment. People have travelled far and wide to experience the start of four days of commemorating VE Day at 80.
30. One woman tells me she’s been here since 02:00 BST and had breakfast delivered to her on the Mall; a young man, who’s come here straight from a night out, says he stayed up all night to be here.
31. The excitement is building and the flags – many of them – are at the ready.
32. Image source, PA Media
33. Image caption,
34. Police and staff for today’s events have been positioned at the Mall since early this morning
37. 
38. Image caption,
39. Susan (left) arrived at the Mall at 06:00 BST to celebrate VE Day, while Mandy (right) is excited to celebrate the 80th anniversary
40. As we just mentioned, it’s not long until events officially kick off in central London and the Mall is continuing to fill with spectators.
41. One woman, Susan, tells BBC Radio 5 Live that she arrived at 06:00 BST to secure her spot.
42. “It makes me really emotional, especially seeing the Ukrainian troops here,” she says. “I even cried seeing that on TV earlier.”
43. “We don’t understand how lucky we are in this country when so many countries don’t have peace.”
44. Mandy, meanwhile, says she decided to head down to the Mall bright and early in order to take in the sights and sounds.
45. “I know you can watch it on the TV but there’s nothing like the atmosphere being here,” she explains.
46. No stranger to celebrating national events, Mandy has even brought her homemade Union Jack hat along, which she says has been worn to every celebration since Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee in 2002.
49. Ashitha Nagesh
50. Reporting from the Mall
51. 
52. Today’s VE Day ceremony isn’t getting under way for a few more hours, but the Mall is already packed with people.
53. Their commitment is going to pay off.
54. Since these spectators fought the urge to hit snooze on their alarms, they have now secured some of the best positions along the procession route for when it passes through here just after midday.
55. A lot of people have also brought portable chairs, which seems like an excellent idea.
56. 
59. Ukrainian troops will be among those taking part in today’s military procession and some of those soldiers caught up with the Today programme before they had to make their way over to the Mall.
60. Capt Hannah describes it as an “honour” to take part in VE Day at 80, while Maj Paul says the anniversary “reminds us how precious peace is and how important it is to protect it”.
61. Both have asked to be identified with just their first names.
62. Paul explains that today we’ll see the Ukrainian representatives take part in a separate formation during the procession. You’ll be able to pick them out of the crowd, he says, as they’ll be the ones carrying a Ukrainian flag.
63. Ukrainian troops – as seen below – have been participating in the overnight rehearsals that have been taking place in the lead up to today’s procession.
64. Image source, Getty Images
65. Image caption,
66. Ukrainian troops rehearse in the early hours of Saturday ahead of today’s military procession
69. 
70. We’re now just a few hours away from the military procession starting to make its way from Parliament Square towards Buckingham Palace as part of today’s VE Day commemorations.
71. That will be getting under way at 12:10 BST (more of today’s key timings can be found in our earlier post), and you can expect to see more than 1,300 armed forces taking part.
72. Here’s a map showing the route of the procession and where it’s taking place in central London:
75. Simon King
76. BBC weather presenter and meteorologist
77. Image source, Getty Images / Imperial War Museum
78. Image caption,
79. A meteorological clerk takes a weather reading at RAF Pitreavie Castle in Dunfermline in 1943
80. Until 2011, weather forecasts and the Met Office were under the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence.
81. They didn’t want the Germans to know what the weather was going to be and how that might influence British aircraft operations.
82. Farmers were still dependent on weather forecasts. But the Ministry of Defence didn’t want the Luftwaffe to know where our good crops were, which would make it easier for them to target.
83. So instead, farmers would dial-in and receive coded weather forecasts from the BBC.
86. Simon King
87. BBC weather presenter and meteorologist
88. The weather for most of the UK today is going to be fine and dry with the best of the sunshine expected across Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and western England.
89. While cloudier in Lincolnshire and East Anglia, it will turn sunnier here this afternoon too.
90. Otherwise, there’s a fair amount of cloud today with risk of some showers, especially in south-east England, particularly Kent and East Sussex where a heavier downpour could pass through.
91. Feeling a little chilly in the east with a north-easterly wind and temperatures of 11-13C.
92. Warmer further west with temperatures around 13-16C.
93. 
96. Ashitha Nagesh
97. Reporting from the Mall
98. Let’s take you back to a little bit earlier, when rehearsals for today’s procession were getting under way – in near complete darkness.
99. Lt Col Charles Foinette is the Brigade Major of the Household Division – which means he oversees public duties and state ceremonial activity. He and his horse, Percy, will be leading regiments in today’s parade.
100. He tells me that there has been “quite a lot of preparation” put into this year’s parade, including “properly tailored” uniforms and lots of practising of foot and rifle drills.
101. There’s been several rehearsals throughout the weekend, and if you’d visited Green Park in the early hours on Saturday, you might have seen regiments rehearsing along the real route.
102. “I got on my horse at about 02:00 and got off him again at somewhere around 05:00,” Lt Col Foinette recalls.
103. Rehearsals are important for such big ceremonies, he points out, “but until you actually get on the ground itself it’s quite hard to visualise where you need to be marching”.
104. Image source, Getty Images
105. Image caption,
106. Before the sun rose on Saturday, members of the Household Cavalry were already part way through an overnight rehearsal of today’s procession
109. Let’s bring you the latest images from central London, where we are now seeing the Cenotaph on Whitehall being dressed in two Union Flags.
110. The final touches are being made ahead of today’s VE Day procession – which will be getting under way later this afternoon.
111. Image source, PA Media
112. Image source, PA Media
115. Image source, Getty Images
116. Image caption,
117. PM Attlee announced two days of national holiday when Japan surrendered in August 1945
118. We’ve been hearing from some of the people who were there when fighting in Europe ended in May 1945, but the war continued for a few months longer in parts of Asia-Pacific as allied forces kept confronting the Japanese military.
119. Japan was given a deadline of 26 July to surrender, but did not meet it. The United States dropped two atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August.
120. Around 214,000 people were killed in the blasts, and thousands more died from radiation sickness in the months and years that followed.
121. Japan’s Emperor Hirohito conceded defeat in a radio announcement on 15 August.
122. Then British Prime Minister Clement Attlee, who had taken over from Winston Churchill a few weeks earlier, announced two days of national holiday to mark Victory over Japan Day (VJ Day).
123. A service will take place at the National Memorial Arboretum on 15 August this year to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day.
124. Image source, Getty Images
125. Image caption,
126. It is estimated that about 140,000 of Hiroshima’s 350,000 population were killed by the atomic bomb
129. Image source, PA Media
130. Image caption,
131. Bletchley Park operator Ruth Bourne was outside Buckingham Palace to mark the end of the war in Europe
132. Ruth Bourne, 98, worked at Eastcote, an outstation of Bletchley Park, where she was an operator of a wartime code-breaking machine, known as a “Bombe”. She’ll be participating in commemorations this week.
133. Bourne remembers the VE Day celebrations on 8 May 1945, when the Nazi regime in Germany had been defeated.
134. “There was an electric buzz among everyone and eventually the royals came out and waved, and we cheered like crazy waving whatever we had on us,” Ruth says.
135. “People climbed on every available lamppost, lit bonfires in Hyde Park and we sat around singing songs,” she adds.
136. “Not many went to bed that night.”
139. 
140. Bernard Morgan, 101, was stationed in Germany when he received news that war in Europe would soon be over.
141. As a member of an intelligence unit, Morgan had signed the Secrecy Act – meaning he couldn’t share the information for a couple of days.
142. “On the 6th May [1945] we were told not to advise anybody that the war would be over,” he tells the BBC.
143. “On VE Day I was with my unit at a small place in Germany called Schneverdingen. I received a telegram saying the war in Germany would finish in two days’ time.”
144. He was “so pleased” to receive the news as everyone was eager to return home “but it didn’t happen overnight”.
145. Read more stories in the We Were There project.
146. 
147. Image caption,
148. On D-Day, Bernard landed in Normandy on Gold Beach, on a Bedford truck carrying a large cypher machine used to decode orders

Page 4

Keir Starmer is praising veterans for their “selfless dedication” ahead of VE Day – adding that the stories 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 says in an open letter to veterans.

“It is not just that you keep us all safe. It is also that you represent the best of who we are. A living link of service that unites the values we must stand for in the present, with the stories we must pass down from our past.”

The PM also recalls a conversation he had with a submariner in Faslane, noting how he spent 200 days a year underwater, a “sacrifice” that led to missing birthdays, weddings, and anniversaries.

“From the Carrier Strike Group at sea, to our postings in Estonia, Cyprus and here in the UK, every service man and woman I have met has had a version of this story.”