Politically divided, angsty Britain took a day off from its troubles to come together for its biggest display of ceremonial pomp since the coronation of King Charles two years ago, as it commemorated the 80th anniversary of its second World War victory in Europe (VE Day).
Prime minister Keir Starmer, in his first big public engagement since Labour‘s stunning local elections defeat last week by anti-immigration outfit Reform UK, watched the parades in London alongside UK royals, days after Prince Harry reopened wounds in their family feud with another candid interview.
Harry may have raised doubts last week over how long his cancer-suffering father, Charles, might have left to live, yet the UK’s monarch appeared relaxed as he saluted the arrival of a military parade at Buckingham Palace, before later appearing on the balcony to watch a flyover of military aircraft.
The festivities had begun earlier, at noon, in Westminster, where crowds had gathered since midmorning to mark VE Day, which tends to have a more celebratory atmosphere than the sombre Remembrance Day events of November.
VE Day falls on Thursday this week, but bank holiday Monday was pencilled in for most of the formalities. The weekend in London had been drenched in glorious sunshine. However, clouds rolled in and, later, opened above the crowd’s heads to literally rain on the parade held to celebrate VE Day.
Formalities kicked off with a recitation in Parliament Square at noon of part of the famous speech given to crowds in Whitehall 80 years ago by Britain’s wartime leader, Winston Churchill. It was read by British actor, Timothy Spall, who played Churchill on-screen in The King’s Speech 15 years ago.
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“When shall the reputation and faith of this generation of men and women fail?” asked Spall, his voice a growl in character as Churchill, as he stood beneath the statue of the former prime minister in the shadow of Big Ben.
Spall was referring to the generations of 80 years ago, but the exhortative sentiment still didn’t seem wholly out of place considering the challenges facing Britain today, mired as it is in economic stasis, political upheaval and with a renewed potential military threat from Russia to the east.
A military procession led by mounted cavalry then set off up Whitehall towards Trafalgar Square, before turning left and under Admiralty Arch and down the Mall towards the palace.
In truth, the atmosphere among the crowds along the Mall was fairly muted as the parade approached. There was little of the exuberant outpouring of genuine joy and patriotism that could be felt on the streets for Charles’s coronation two years ago.
Instead, the VE Day parade was greeted with polite applause from the tourist-dominated crowd as it made its way down the Mall, although the mood was dampened by the wind whipping up dust into everyone’s eyes, as well as a deluge of tree pollen that had people sneezing everywhere.
The biggest cheer came for the troop of Ukrainian soldiers in the parade – public support in Britain for the invaded nation remains undimmed, even as the UK’s straitened finances are further stretched to pay the bill.
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The parade was finished by 1pm at Buckingham Palace, where the crowd had compressed to watch the fly-past, due at 1.45pm. The first aircraft, a second World War-era Lancaster bomber, flew over the Mall right on time, as the cavalry bands below played the theme music for The Dambusters.
It was followed by aircraft including the Poseidon jets based at Lossiemouth in Scotland, which are regularly deployed into Irish airspace to hunt for Russian submarines in the waters below. The fly-past finished with nine aircraft from the Red Arrows streaking blue, white ad red smoke overhead.
Britain’s mounting political and social challenges were not solved, but the nation allowed itself to forget about them for a few hours in favour of a bit of ceremonial splendour. Normal service will be resumed when politicians return to Westminster this week.
