King Charles makes VJ Day speech today in address to the nation to mark 80th anniversary
The king and queen will attend a service on FridayOn Friday, King Charles gave a speech in an address to the nation to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day (Victory over Japan Day).
The day remembers the surrender of Japan, which effectively ended World War II in 1945.
This year marks a huge 80 years since it took place. And to mark the occasion, the king, 76, and queen, 78, will attend a service at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.
Early on Friday morning (August 15), the king paid tribute to the war heroes in a pre-recorded six-minute speech.
VJ Day 2025 service
King Charles and Queen Camilla will join Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for a service at the National Memorial Arboretum. A national two-minute silence will conclude with a flypast from the RAF Red Arrows.
Meanwhile, the king and queen will then join a reception for VJ veterans and their families. The Royal British Legion will host the event.
Elsewhere, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will attend a service at the Scottish National War Museum at Edinburgh Castle.
Earlier this week, Duchess Sophie met 105-year-old James “Jim” Wren, a war veteran who survived being torpedoed at sea and over three years in a Japanese prisoner camp.
King Charles’ address to the nation
In his personal message to mark VJ Day, the king described how the war heroes “gave us more than freedom; they left us the example of how it can and must be protected”.
Their experience reminds us that war’s true cost extends beyond battlefields.
The monarch also said that this demonstrated that “in times of war and in times of peace, the greatest weapons of all are not the arms you bear but the arms you link”.
King Charles vowed that those who fought and died “shall never be forgotten”.
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The king’s speech today
The full message, recorded from the Morning Room at Clarence House earlier this month, released at 7:30am (BST) on Friday.
In it, the king said: “We recall, too, the prisoners of war who endured years of brutal captivity: the starvation, disease and cruelty that tested the very limits of human endurance.
“Innocent civilian populations of occupied territories faced grievous hardships, too.
“Their experience reminds us that war’s true cost extends beyond battlefields, touching every aspect of life – a tragedy all-too vividly demonstrated by conflicts around the world today.”
Concluding the speech, King Charles said: “Let us, above all, remember the epitaph in the Commonwealth War Graves cemetery on the battlefield of Kohima: ‘When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say, For Your Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today.'”
Reaction to the speech
Analysing the king’s speech, GB News‘ royal correspondent Cameron Walker called the words “poignant given the current conflicts going on around the world”.
Royal fans gushed over the king’s words as one person said: “Such a nice speech.”
Another wrote online: “Well said – Your Majesty.”
A third added: “Superb speech Your Majesty. I was thinking of my Great Grandfather who served throughout WWII.”
Royals to mark VJ Day
Charles and Camilla aren’t the only royals that are expected to make an appearance on Friday. The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester also have duties.
They’ll attend the Far East Prisoners of War VJ Day 80th Anniversary service at Norwich Cathedral. They’ll also attend a second service in tribute to the children and families of the Far East Prisoners of War in Suffolk.
Will Kate and Prince William attend?
In a surprising turn of events, it’s unclear if Prince William and Princess Kate will attend.
While they may still attend, it looks unlikely. The reason for this is unknown. However, they’re currently on their summer break with their three children.
Royal Insider contacted reps for Kensington Palace for comment.
Read more: King Charles’ ‘bizarre rules’ over his toothpaste, bedsheets, baths and eggs
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