The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall today marked the 75th anniversary of VE Day.

75 years ago, people across the Commonwealth marked the end of war in Europe with a mixture of jubilation and quiet reflection on the many sacrifices which had been made for peace.

King George VI made a radio broadcast to the people of the Commonwealth to mark the end of the war.

At 11AM, The Prince led the nation in a two-minute silence from Scotland. The Prince laid a wreath and The Duchess placed flowers at the memorial in remembrance of those who died in the Second World War.

The Duchess of Cornwall has recorded excerpts from her father’s own accounts of his time serving with the 12th Royal Lancers during WWII - listen to the extracts below and read more about Major Shand. 

In an excerpt from his book Previous Engagements, selected by Her Royal Highness to share on VE Day, Major Shand recalls his time serving in North Africa in 1942 which saw him lose two of his closest comrades during the Battle of El Alamein and taken to Germany as a prisoner of war.

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In a second reading, The Duchess recounts her father’s words as he recalls escaping capture in 1945, meeting with American soldiers and returning to Britain.

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To mark VE Day, The Duchess of Cornwall spoke to two veterans of the 7th Armoured Division, also known as the Desert Rats, who served in North Africa during the Second World War: Sergeant Major Len Burritt and Jimmy Sinclair.

On 8th May 1945, King George VI recorded his thoughts in his wartime diary.

The King expressed relief that "the day we have been longing for has arrived at last."

The Prince of Wales today read an extract from his grandfather King George VI’s diary which describes The King’s experience of VE Day 75 years ago.