THEY ARE NOT FORGOTTEN A SERVICE OF ROYAL REMEMBRANCE

In August the Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall attended a national service of remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, marking the 75th anniversary of VJ Day…

Victory over Japan Day – or VJ Day - marks the date Imperial Japan surrendered during World War II, finally bringing the war to an end. America commemorates on the 2nd September, when the surrender document was signed, whereas VJ Day is commemorated in the UK on August 15th. There has always been a Royal presence at the commemoration events and despite the coronavirus pandemic 2020 was no exception.

Prince Charles and Camilla arrived at the National Memorial Arboretum to lead the nation’s commemorations just after a letter from The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh was released by Buckingham Palace.

The couple, who were on their annual summer holiday in Balmoral, thanked all of those around the Commonwealth and the world who “fought so valiantly” for the freedoms many enjoy today.

VJ Day has military connections to the Royal Family: a young naval officer called Philip Mountbatten was aboard HMS Whelp in Tokyo Bay 75 years ago, when Japan surrendered. He was then present at the signing of the surrender. The Duke of Edinburgh featured in a montage of veterans created to mark the anniversary.

VJ Day came three months after VE Day, which marked the end of war in Europe in 1945. In those three months many thousands of Armed Forces personnel from all over the Commonwealth, and the world, were still involved in bitter fighting in the Asia-Pacific region. The fighting took place from Hawaii to North East India.

2020’s commemorations remembered the contribution of all Commonwealth and Allied Forces without whom victory, the freedoms and way of life enjoyed by many countries and people today, would not have been possible.