Central London is teeming with patriots today, as four day celebrations to mark the 80th anniversary of VE day are now fully underway.
Thursday, May 8, marks 80 years since the Allies formally accepted Germany’s surrender, while on Bank Holiday Monday, armed forces from Nato allies have joined a procession in the capital.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, Prince Louis and Prince William, Prince of Wales
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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his wife wife Lady Victoria
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Members of the royal family will watch the flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace, while other government figures are expected to be seen. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said this week’s events are a reminder that victory was “not just for Britain”.
Members of the Royal Navy march past Parliament Square in central London
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A first glimpse of Catherine, Princess of Wales, showed she has selected an purple Emilia Wickstead coat dress, previously worn to welcome the South African Prime Minister to the UK in November 2022, for the occasion. She finished the look with a matching shade Sean Barrett pillbox hat, as she was joined by her husband, William, Prince of Wales and three children, Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte. The latter celebrated her 10th birthday on Friday, May 2, marked by a new picture taken by her mother during a walking trip to Cumbria earlier in the year.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, Prince Louis and William, Prince of Wales
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Prince Louis, aged seven, showed some signs of unrest in his navy suit, white shirt and tie, as he sat between his father and Prince George, aged 11.
The Duchess of Edinburgh
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Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, meanwhile, opted for spring shades wearing a light pink, double-breasted button gingham dress by Suzannah London and raised headband. It is an old favourite of the royal, who has also worn the outfit to a Buckingham Palace Garden Party in 2023 and the Trooping the Colour in 2022.
Queen Camilla and King Charles III
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Queen Camila opted for a cobalt blue ensemble with matching hat as she took her seat next to King Charles. The family will hope that the display of pomp will distract from recent comments made by Prince Harry, in a surprise interview with the BBC.
Princess Anne
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The Princess Royal is instead wearing the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry, which her late mother Queen Elizabeth II wore on the balcony with Winston Churchill to celebrate the first VE Day in 1945.
Clive Alderton, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince George of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales, Prince Louis of Wales and Prince William, Prince of Wales
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Sir Keir arrived with his wife Lady Victoria Starmer ahead of the military procession. She opted for a white, polka-dot maxi dress with long sleeves, from Sandro — not dissimilar to an Alessandra Rich polka-dot design worn by Kate Middleton to Royal Ascot in 2022. The dress cost £189.50 from the French, mid-level brand; slightly cheaper than the £275 Me+Em numbers she favoured before the “wardrobe row” prevented members of the Labour party accepting thousands of pounds worth of free outfits.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch
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Kemi Badenoch, leader of the opposition, dressed for the chill in plain a trench coat.
Follow live updates from VE Day 2025 here.
The best dressed attendees at VE day 2025:
Veteran Bernard Morgan, the Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte
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King Charles
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Queen Camilla
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Princess Anne
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King Charles III and Queen Camilla
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Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and the Prince of Wales
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Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte
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Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, Bernard Morgan, Ambassador for the Royal British Legion, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Lisa Nandy, Princess Charlotte of Wales and Prince George of Wales
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Mayor of London Sadiq Khan
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