On Friday evening, the Queen delivered an historic speech from Windsor Castle to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of the second World War on the European continent—at the very same time on the very same day her father, King George VI, delivered his V-E Day speech on May 8, 1945.
In an uplifting address, she told the nation to “never give up, never despair,” and referenced how today’s celebrations have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
“It may seem hard that we cannot mark this special anniversary as we would wish,” she said. “Instead we remember from our homes and our doorsteps. But our streets are not empty; they are filled with the love and the care that we have for each other. And when I look at our country today, and see what we are willing to do to protect and support one another, I say with pride that we are still a nation those brave soldiers, sailors and airmen would recognize and admire.”
The message was broadcast at on the BBC at 9 p.m., the exact moment her father King George VI gave a radio address on May 8, 1945, in which he asked the nation to join him in giving thanks “for a great deliverance” as the war in Europe had ended.
The king was speaking from bombed Buckingham Palace. The queen recorded her 2020 message from Windsor Castle, where she has been isolating with the Duke of Edinburgh since March.
The message was filmed in the White Drawing Room under the same conditions as the queen’s national broadcast earlier this year, with a lone cameraman in protective gear standing more than six feet away. A picture of King George VI wearing his Admiral of the Fleet uniform with RAF wings was on the table. There was also a photograph of the queen as a young princess serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Services.
It is the third message to the nation recorded by the Queen, who has been in isolation at Windsor Castle for more than 50 days. She addressed the nation last month in a rallying speech designed to boost the spirits of the nation and used also her Easter address to address the coronavirus pandemic.
The queen first addressed the nation as a 14-year-old princess in 1940, when she and Princess Margaret broadcast a radio message for the evacuated children of the United Kingdom. The princesses had remained at Buckingham Palace with their parents during the war and when the war ended, she and her sister Margaret sneaked out to join the crowds in Trafalgar Square to celebrate, an historic moment noted by the Cambridges in one of their social media posts today.
While the parades to mark the 75th anniversary were cancelled because of the lockdown, the royal family have been busy paying tributes to Britain’s war heroes on their social media platforms in what has been a remarkable and unique day of digital commemorations.
Earlier today Buckingham Palace shared an Instagram post which paid tribute to the King George’s historic speech. In a clip from the speech, he said, “There is great comfort in the thought that the years of darkness and danger in which the children of our country have grown up are over and, please God, for ever.”
Friday marks the official surrender of Germany to Allied forces in 1945, bringing the war in Europe to an end. At 11 a.m. the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall led the nation in a two minute silence and laid wreaths at Balmoral, where they have been staying since the end of March. Charles was also filmed reading an extract from his grandfather King George VI’s diary which describes his experience of V-E day on May 8, 1945.