As people got together to honour and pay tribute to the Second World War generation from across the UK and Commonwealth, through a series of national and local events and activities, King Charles delivered a speech to honour veterans at the VE Day concert at London's Horse Guards Parade at a concert, which featured performances from the likes of Fleur East, The Darkness, and Freya Ridings.

Coming at the end of a day of remembrance and commemoration as the nation marked the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe, anniversary events took place across the country - from London to Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh and Cardiff - including a special tea party at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. It was on this day in 1945, when Prime Minister Winston Churchill announced that the war in Europe had come to an end, following Germany's surrender

Further on during the day in the nation’s capital, as a two-minute silence fell across the UK, the King and the Prince of Wales laid wreaths at the grave of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey, in the UK’s capital. “We should never forget how war changed virtually everyone's lives”, he (King Charles) said.

The King’s VE Day speech emphasised the legacy of war having to be a lasting peace built on foundations of fairness, as he quoted his grandfather, King George VI, as he went on: "We shall have failed, and the blood of our dearest will have flowed in vain, if the victory which they died to win doesn’t lead to lasting peace, founded on justice and established in good will."

He described victory as “a result of unity between nations, races, religions and ideologies, whilst fighting back against an existential threat to humanity,” before going on to say; “their collective endeavour remains a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when countries stand together in the face of tyranny.” As celebrations took place to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day, events included street parties, flypasts and memorials.

Meanwhile, at the National Memorial Arboretum, in Staffordshire, there was reflections on, and remembering the significant events that brought about the end of World War II and marking the anniversaries of both VE and VJ (Victory in Japan) Day – where Britain's oldest surviving veteran and one of the country's oldest living couples were among dozens who marked the 80th anniversary (of VE Day).

The 80th anniversary of VJ Day is still to come - on 15 August!