Royalty and world leaders are set to gather in Normandy to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings. The King and Queen, along with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, and French President Emmanuel Macron, will pay tribute to fallen soldiers at the UK’s national commemoration event at the British Normandy Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer.
The memorial, which opened in 2021, honors the 22,442 service personnel under British command who lost their lives on D-Day and during the Battle of Normandy in 1944. This event marks the first major anniversary celebration at the memorial, with Prince Charles and Camilla set to inaugurate the Winston Churchill Centre for Education and Learning.
Meanwhile, Prince William will attend the Canadian commemorative event at the Juno Beach Centre before joining over 25 heads of state and veterans for the official international ceremony on Omaha Beach. The day will begin with a piper marking the moment of the historic seaborne invasion in Arromanches.
In the UK, a flotilla of boats will depart from Falmouth, Cornwall, where troops set off for the invasion. Various members of the royal family will also participate in remembrance services across the country. The commemorations will bring together political figures, veterans, and world leaders, including US President Joe Biden, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Canada’s Justin Trudeau, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
The events will culminate in a candle-lit vigil at Bayeux War Cemetery and a champagne toast at Pegasus Bridge, continuing the tradition that began in 1944. Princess Anne will unveil a statue honoring Canadian forces, while tributes will be paid to the courage and sacrifice of those involved in the historic D-Day landings.