VJ Day is August 15th. This year is the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, just as the 80th anniversary of VE Day was celebrated in May. The history of the victory days has always fascinated me – that even after Hitler killed himself and Germany surrendered, there were still months of warfare in the Pacific. Not to mention, plans for a ground invasion of Japan if need be. Just as the VE Day celebrations this year, the Windsors plan to mark VJ Day with some public events. And by “Windsors,” I mean King Charles, Queen Camilla, Sophie and Edward. It looks like William and Kate are refusing to take a break from their vacation for this.
The Royal Family has confirmed that senior members of the monarchy will attend engagements to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of VJ Day on August 15th. The milestone anniversary next Friday remembers the end of the Second World War around the world.
King Charles will deliver an audio message on the morning of VJ Day to mark the historic occasion. The monarch and Queen Camilla will attend the Service of Remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum.
The national service, hosted by the Royal British Legion in partnership with the government, will be followed by a reception. King Charles and Queen Camilla will have the opportunity to meet Second World War veterans at the reception. Other senior royals including the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will also undertake engagement next week. It has not been confirmed whether the Prince and Princess of Wales will make a public appearance next week.
It’s totally possible that William and Kate will come out but they’re just doing their new thing of “not confirming any events until the very last minute.” Of course, the palace also confirmed Kate’s scheduled appearance at Ascot in June, only for her to drop out just minutes before she was supposed to arrive. They also waited until the last minute to confirm that Will and Kate would attend the Macrons’ state banquet at Windsor Castle. Now, do we honestly think that the Waleses will interrupt their summer vacation though? I don’t. It won’t bode well for the monarchy’s future if William is just flatly unwilling to do these kinds of events.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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- (left to right) King Charles III, Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales attend a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey in London on the 80th anniversary of VE Day. Picture date: Thursday May 8, 2025. NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS,Image: 996578922, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red/Avalon
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- The Princess of Wales and Queen Camilla attend a service of thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey in London on the 80th anniversary of VE Day. Picture date: Thursday May 8, 2025. NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS,Image: 996579216, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red/Avalon
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- Prince William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, attend a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey on the 80th anniversary of VE Day, London, UK, 08 May2025.,Image: 996583221, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: JULIAN SIMMONDS/Avalon
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- The Prince and Princess of Wales attend a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey in London on the 80th anniversary of VE Day. Picture date: Thursday May 8, 2025. NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS,Image: 996583915, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red/Avalon
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- The Prince and Princess of Wales leave after attending a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey in London on the 80th anniversary of VE Day.,Image: 996608021, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Aaron Chown/Avalon
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- British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Prince William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales attend a concert to mark the 80th Anniversary of VE Day at Horse Guards Parade, London, UK, 08 May 2025.,Image: 996697000, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Eddie Mulholland for The Telegraph/Avalon
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- Prince William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales attend a concert to mark the 80th Anniversary of VE Day at Horse Guards Parade, London, UK, 08 May 2025.,Image: 996698015, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Ian Vogler/Avalon
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- Image Licensed to i-Images Picture Agency. 08/05/2025. London, United Kingdom. Prince William and Kate Middleton at a concert on Horse Guards Parade in London to conclude the UK’s 80th anniversary of VE Day commemorations.,Image: 996719273, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Licenced to i-Images Picture Agency. All Rights Reserved. UK copyright law applies to all print & online publications. i-Images space rates apply to all images. Magazines contact agency for fees before use. Images Single use only then repro fees apply. Info@i-images.co Tel: 07860204379, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Stephen Lock / i-Images/Avalon
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- Concert celebrating the 80th Anniversary of VE Day, held at the historic Horse Guards Parade Featuring: Prince William, Catherine Princess of Wales Where: London, United Kingdom When: 08 May 2025 Credit: Toby Melville/PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
even if William ends up attending – this is still a bad look. there should not be any question of the heir’s attendance at events like this.
the laziness of these two is really on another level.
The military events are not the bread and butter events where they should be playing games like this. It is in a week. They can easily confirm something.
This is childish behaviour.
(Also I believe Anne and the Gloucesters have events confirmed too).
I wonder if they are out of the country again? It’s not like this would have been some sort of surprise, they’ve known this anniversary was coming up.
The Queen and now the King never call/ed them on it, so here we are. Lazy central, with two dolts unable to fulfill their half of a bargain that is pretty sweet, if you ask me. There’s no reason those two couldn’t reinvent some things, like Meghan and Harry did, if they cared, but we all know they don’t care. Unreal. I can think of all sorts of crap I’d get up to if I had that platform and that money.
It would be thee best part of having that platform and money!!
Absolutely unfeeling to question the entitlement of this devoted couple and their young family to a well deserved two months holiday. How have they not given enough already, staggering around fully costumed and made up after hours in wig and makeup , in boiling heat sometimes ( have you forgot that Wimbledon ovation so soon?) Anybody would think they were obliged to attend: when they can attend the VJ commemoration anytime after all their babies have fully grown up, say the 100th anniversary?
They will be there because this has become their normal ploy to get more attention. Kate going missing for all of that time and the uproar around it has become their new normal. Blame any absence on cancer or remission and on the rare occasion when you do show up don’t announce it in advance.
People want certainty that’s why they put up with them. They don’t want elections for the head of state and so they continue having them instead of an alternative. They don’t want a Trump and the American electoral cycle but there are alternatives such as the Irish Presidency.
People voted for Brexit, the most chaotic thing a European country can do. The minute the tabloids turn on them and write a few articles per day about how much the BRF costs the country and what they could achieve with the money they pay for royals, it would take a year for the public to support the end of monarchy. The whole british media is operating as PR arm of royal family and still the anti-monarchy movement has increased its numbers. Imagine what would happen if they all started writing the truth. That is why Prince Harry wrote that his whole family is terrified that the tabloids will turn on them.
@Sevenblue I can only hope.
There’s a difference between a 1,000 year old monarchy (save for the Cromwell blip) and a 30-year flirtation with the EU/Common Market.
Doing away with the monarchy means getting rid of the titles and people are very attached to that. They need to come up with alternatives. OTOH, they can treat Willy’s reign as George IV and wait for a successor to be properly kingly/queenly.
It might just take a couple of decades and there’s not enough money to support this greedy lot.
@Blogger, they left EU without finalizing any agreement 😭😭 They won’t be crying for lost titles or new kings / queens if they get enough propaganda for anti-monarchy movement. To be honest, the most radical thing they would do realistically is probably giving BRF a fixed income and nationalizing all those estates owned by BRF. Give them a few castles and a fixed income just for the monarch and the heir. That is how other European countries still keep their royal families as a tradition.
@SevenBlue yes with the fixed income – minimum wage then add a “bonus” for every event they appear. Who has the bread and butter now?
Spouse doesn’t get paid so she’d better bring money in or have her own career.
Time to put these lazy hamsters on the wheel.
Brexit happened because the Tories lied about the real consequences of leaving the EU and they played up the racism.
So I guess the racism will keep this lazy duo in their position.
@Blogger: bonus per event only if they strictly define ‘event’. Remember who you’re talking bout here–walk down the plane steps, greet people, event; arrive at embassy, greet people, event; afternoon cocktails, event; peruse stolen goodies in museum setting, event; dinner, event. That’ll be in the first 4-5 hours of arrival of a 3-day visit. And that’s without getting into Kate’s phone-calls with staff events.
Ever heard of Ernst August Prince of Hanover? And when did Germany abolish the monarchy? In 1918. You have to abolish the privileges, you can allow the titels to be their names.
Wonder what this tantrum is about?
Maybe if there was a memorial football game or some kind of drinking Peg would appear.
Which is better, sake or Kentucky bourbon? Willie’d be on board with that. 🙄
NOTHING surprises me with these two. Honestly, it’s like they keep poking the bear: refusing to do more and more, seeing just how much they can (and do!) get away with before it implodes on them, and then they’ll “throw the public a morsel” before retreating back into their lazy, shameful games again.
Honestly, other than governmental abolishment of the monarchy, or a real “French Revolution” type revolt by the public, I don’t see an end in sight. Most people are adverse to change, especially if they feel it’s futile, and/or have to get up and actually DO something to enact that change.
Even if George gets fed up with being a performing monkey by the time he gets up there, there is a l-o-n-g line of others behind him who’d have to do the same thing. And I doubt any of them will give up the money and luxury lifestyles they enjoy now. Especially those closest to the “top job”. And sadly, I don’t think we’ll see any of William’s kids channeling Diana, and being forces of good for their country/people/world. Not with the examples they have to go off of now.
There needs to be a transition but it can be a peaceful one like voting against the institution eg abolition of the Italian and Greek monarchies.
The Lazies would be lucky if it’s peaceful. But day by day they want people to fire them instead of abdicating. They expect a golden handshake I suspect.
I’d be shocked if they did attend. They are pretty firm on never doing events during vacay bc they don’t want to set up a precedent or expectations. The football game was an anomaly and likely bc William got so much heat for previously flaking on the one in Australia. And I still think they’re prob annoyed that Trump’s state visit will shorten their summer vacay by a week or two. And honestly it’s a bad look to just last minute confirm attendance and then show up. Shows a lack of commitment and planning.
So lazy and so unprofessional. Their furtiveness makes them look so suspicious.
Why not tell people you’ll appear on the day? What’s so secretive about not informing organisers about your (non) appearance? What’s so secretive about your fully funded holidays paid by foreign governments?
Is Lazy going to do an Ascot? As for Willy, you refused to escape yet you’re living on the largesse of the public. Guess what, public money has STRINGS and the low expectations of publishing your attendance is the least of it.
Just end it when Chuck croaks. Willy isn’t fit to be head of state and they’ll spend years trying to justify his role. You don’t want pretence, here you go, cut the public money strings and be free you lazy violent man.
Lazy Violent Man, or LVM! I love it!
My Grandmother hated VE Day as she got a telegram that morning to say her husband was being sent to the far East.
So she spent most of day in Central London with her Aunt’s in floods of tears during the VE day celebrations.
It was over a year before he was home.
The least Willnot and Cannot could do is take a day out of their extensive holidays to commemorate when WWII was actually over and the men and women who made huge sacrifices.
All I can say is, people died for this lazy arse family – or soon will be. Grenada got it right. The monarchy is no longer a unifying force – it’s a corrupt, money pit attracting the worst and its purpose is no longer evident.
THIS is why we commemorate, THIS is why these two lazy good-for-nothings should show up.
Won’t anyone think of their very small children who need 24/7/365 of their parents’ attention!
Willy already had to work once during this vacation. He can’t possibly be expected to do it again. And KKKatherine is recovering from cancer. Surely this is not an event that will bring her joy.
If the future king chooses not to attend at least one memorial service then he should stop wearing all those chocolate medals.
And the de-rangers still ramble on about this time-waster taking over the IGS. Give me strength!
So many veterans die each year and they can’t be bothered to show their faces
I certainly won’t call him Sir if he ever crosses my path
He has done absolutely nothing to warrant the nations respect
I am beginning to think he may see the end of the monarchy as the less he cares the less we do
The poor dears are on a much needed holiday that they couldn’t possibly interrupt. It’s actually very inconsiderate to have any commemorations during the Wales family holiday 🤣🤣
I’d be surprised if William and Kate attend this event.
This is a very important commemoration and it is their duty to attend as we remember as a Nation all those who died during the war , those who served and all those who suffered. It would be like missing a Remembrance Day. Really if they are snapped on holiday again instead of attending VJ service then they can rightly expect a backlash. This is important and should be respected as an opportunity for the nation lead by the King to give thanks and remember all the sacrifices made during WW2.
They’re probably on Tresco or somewhere like that now, giving the kids an Enid Blyton-esque holiday in the sand dunes.
Which will be filmed for footage for pr videos no doubt.
Darn these pesky important end-of-war major anniversaries happening in the summer! Can’t they move it to the fall or the spring?? Will no one think of the children (our children)? Cancer!
Signed, W&C
Attending these kinds of events is the absolute bare minimum of what they should do. But they either won’t do it, or will do it at the last minute, begrudgingly.
In that picture with Kate in the dotted dress both with her head bowed and eyes closed and the one with her staring off into space, she looks like she was crying. She seriously looks on the verge of losing it. Wonder if Willy went off on her in the car on the way there. I don’t know about others but the way she looks is not a life I would ever want for me or anyone I know or care about.
Wonder if William has picked up on Kate’s strategy of keeping people guessing, as a way of generating fawning articles worrying that she’s still too fragile to show up, followed by ecstatic articles about how she did show up and here’s the coat dress she wore. Of course, William doesn’t prompt either of those sorts of articles, but (a) if it works for Kate, why not give it a try, and (b) putting William down as going but not Kate would generate twice as many concerned articles about her, and Willy wouldn’t want that.
AS an American I scoff at the idea that monarchy is better than democracy. That Trump managed to take the WH this time around with plans to turn the US into his own kingdom — a blimp in American presidential history — does not compare with a thousand-year-old monarchy still bleeding the taxpaying British public dry. I think the French and Americans did it best, in the end, because the people flexed their power.