The Prince of Wales joined King Charles III and Queen Camilla for the UK’s national commemorative event in Portsmouth to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings on June 5th, ahead of the Commemorative events in Normandy tomorrow.
The D-Day commemorations began in earnest in Portsmouth and Normandy, with members of the Royal Family attending events to commemorate the sacrifices made by troops 80 years ago as the Battle of Normandy began. The event told some of the countless stories of heroism and bravery through song and performance.
Addressing veterans, Heads of State and members of the public at the event, The King said:
The stories of courage, resilience and solidarity which we have heard today, and throughout our lives, cannot fail to move us, to inspire us, and to remind us of what we owe to that great wartime generation.
The Prince of Wales also made a speech reflecting on the thousands of troops, staff and operatives who were making final preparations and facing an uncertain fate this time 80 years ago.
Aircrew flying overhead, sailors manning warships; or troops in assault craft battering their way through the stormy swell to the shore; whether dropping by parachute, landing in a wooden glider, or taking that terrible leap of faith onto the beaches… all must have questioned whether they would survive and how they would respond when faced with such mortal danger.’
Following the event, The King, The Queen and The Prince of Wales met D-Day veterans, who were guests of honour at the event.
Last month, King Charles III and Queen Camilla hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace to hear the stories of these few surviving veterans and to thank them for their service.
Meanwhile, in Normandy, the Princess Royal had a full day of engagements beginning with an event to remember the contribution of Commonwealth troops on D-day. She unveiled a newly commissioned statue of a Second World War Canadian Royal Regina Rifleman before meeting members of the Regiment at a reception following the event. At the Bayeux War Cemetery, The Princess joined Normandy veterans and French representatives at a Royal British Legion Service of Commemoration before attending the annual Service of Remembrance at Bayeux Cathedral.
Tomorrow, Royalty and Heads of State from around Europe will gather on the Beaches of Normandy to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings, which launched the campaign to liberate Europe during the Second World War.
The first major Commemoration of D-Day was held to mark the 40th Anniversary in 1984, when Queen Elizabeth II, King Olav V of Norway, Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands, King Baudouin of Belgium, and Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg were joined by American President Ronald Reagan, French President Francois Mitterrand, and Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau for a Ceremony on Omaha Beach.
The real turning point for the D-Day commemoration and its significance in global politics came in 1984. For the first time, the French president invited six heads of state, including US President Ronald Reagan and the Queen of England, to an international ceremony at Utah Beach, attended by thousands of veterans.
After a period of détente, the early 1980s saw a resurgence of East-West tensions, notably with the Euromissile crisis over the deployment – by the USSR and by NATO – of medium-range missiles in Europe. For Lecoq, the French president’s aim during this period was to demonstrate his stature and underline the importance of transatlantic ties: “During the ceremony, he was the only one to speak. He positioned himself, to a certain extent, as the guarantor of the Western alliance.”
The 50th Anniversary of D-Day began in Portsmouth, when the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh hosted the Heads of State on the Royal Yacht Britannia, before the Queen (wearing her Belgian Sapphire Tiara) was joined by King Harald V of Norway, King Albert II of Belgium, Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, American President Bill Clinton and French President Francois Mitterrand for a Banquet at the Portsmouth Guildhall.
Two days later, Queen Elizabeth II led Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands, King Harald V of Norway, King Albert II and Queen Paola of Belgium, Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Joséphine Charlotte of Luxembourg, for the Ceremony on Omaha Beach.
In 1994, near the end of his second term, Mitterrand again presided over an international ceremony for the 50th anniversary of D-Day, attended by a dozen heads of state. The geopolitical context had changed completely, five years after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the ensuing reunification of Germany. The Cold War was over. Poland was invited for the first time, represented by its president Lech Walesa.
A decade later, Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands, King Harald V of Norway, King Albert II and Queen Paola of Belgium, marked the 60th Anniversary of D-Day in Arromanche in 2004.
In 2004, it was the turn of Russia and Germany to take part in the commemorations. Russian President Vladimir Putin was present at Gold Beach, as was German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder. The mutual pledges of friendship between Schroder and French President Jacques Chirac at the Caen Memorial museum were another historic episode. “Europe has learned its lesson, and we Germans will not shirk it,” declared Schroder, while the French president replied: “The French receive you more than ever as a friend. They receive you as a brother.”
To mark the 70th Anniversary of D-Day in 2014, there was a International Ceremony at Sword Beach in Ouistreham, where Queen Elizabeth II led Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, King Harald V of Norway, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, Prince Albert II of Monaco, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.
As part of the 70th anniversary, the impact of D-Day on local communities was evoked, with President François Hollande finally paying national tribute to the 20,000 civilian victims of the Battle of Normandy. But 2014’s observance also had a very international character, with the presence of 24 heads of state, heads of government and monarchs at Sword Beach.
Most recently, Queen Elizabeth II and the Prince of Wales attended the National Commemorative Event for the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings at Southsea Common in Portsmouth in 2019.
Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara
Burmese Ruby Tiara
The Belgian Sapphire Tiara
Greville Tiara
Delhi Durbar Tiara
Cubitt-Shand Tiara
George IV State Diadem
Queen Mary’s Crown
Greville Festoon Necklace
Coronation Necklace
King George VI Sapphire Suite
Modern Diamond Suite
Diamond Serpent Necklace
Turquoise Suite
Queen Camilla’s Chokers
City of London Fringe Necklace
Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation Rivière
South African Diamond Necklace
Prince Albert’s Sapphire Brooch
Queen Mother’s Diamond Thistle Brooch
Queen Mary’s Russian Sapphire Cluster Brooch
Princess Marie Louise’s Diamond Sunburst Brooch
Queen Mother’s Rock Crystal Brooch
Queen Mary’s Celtic Knot Brooch
Queen Mother’s Cartier Bracelets
Prince of Wales Feathers Brooch
Queen Victoria’s Hessian Diamond Jubilee Brooch
Queen Alexandra’s Ladies of North Wales Leek Brooch
Greville Ivy Leaf Clips
Queen Alexandra’s Aquamarine Brooch
Queen Mary’s Emerald and Sapphire Flower Brooch
Queen’s Cartier Gold and Sapphire Flower Brooches
Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara
Vladimir Tiara
Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik Tiara
Belgian Sapphire Tiara
Burmese Ruby Tiara
Brazilian Aquamarine Tiara
Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara
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