King Charles to make historic VJ Day statement next week

Buckingham Palace has confirmed that King Charles will deliver a special audio message to the nation next Friday, August 15, to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ (Victory in Japan) Day, the day that officially ended the Second World War.

The King and Queen will lead commemorations by attending the Service of Remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, hosted by the Royal British Legion in partnership with the UK government. 

Following the service, the royal couple will meet with Second World War veterans during a reception.

The week will also see other senior royals marking the historic occasion. The Duchess of Edinburgh will visit veteran Jim Wren, who was captured while serving on HMS Repulse and held in Sumatra until the war’s end. 

On VJ Day, she will be joined by the Duke of Edinburgh for a service at the Scottish National War Memorial in Edinburgh Castle.

Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester will attend the Far East Prisoners of War VJ Day 80th Anniversary Service at Norwich Cathedral, before heading to Suffolk for a second commemorative event dedicated to the children and families of the POWs.

The anniversary events will conclude with a veterans’ reception at Windsor Castle later this autumn.

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