King says VJ Day heroes will ‘never be forgotten’

King Charles will honour those whose “service and sacrifice” helped to bring an end to World War Two in a personal message marking the 80th anniversary of VJ Day.

In an audio message recorded earlier this month, the King will vow that those who fought and died in the Pacific and Far East “shall never be forgotten”.

On Friday, the King and Queen, alongside Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, will attend a service of remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire to commemorate the anniversary.

VJ Day, or Victory over Japan Day, is commemorated on 15 August each year, and marks the date in 1945 when Japan surrendered to the Allied forces, ending the war.

An estimated 71,000 soldiers from Britain and the Commonwealth died fighting in the war against Japan, including upwards of 12,000 prisoners of war held in Japanese captivity.

Sir Keir, who held an event with veterans at Downing Street on Thursday said: “Our country owes a great debt to those who fought for a better future, so we could have the freedoms and the life we enjoy today.

“We must honour that sacrifice with every new generation.”

The King’s message is expected to echo, and reflect on, the audio broadcast made by his grandfather, King George VI, 80 years ago, when he announced to the nation and Commonwealth that the war was over.

He will make reference to the experience endured by Prisoners of War, and to the civilians of occupied lands in the region, whose suffering “reminds us that war’s true cost extends beyond battlefields, touching every aspect of life”.

The King will describe how those who fought in the war “gave us more than freedom; they left us the example of how it can and must be protected”, since victory was made possible by close collaboration between nations, “across vast distances, faiths and cultural divides”.

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”, he will say.

VJ Day 80 commemorations started on Thursday evening with a sunset ceremony at the Memorial Gates in central London to pay tribute to Commonwealth personnel who served and died in the Far East.

A lightshow, images and stories from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s digital story-sharing platform For Evermore were projected on to the Memorial Gates.

Lord Boateng, chairman of the Memorial Gates Council, laid a wreath on behalf of the King during Thursday’s ceremony.

The government said on Friday military bagpipers will perform at dawn the lament Battle’s O’er at the Cenotaph, in the Far East section of the National Memorial Arboretum and at Edinburgh Castle.

A piper will also perform at a Japanese peace garden in west London to reflect the reconciliation which has taken place between the UK and Japan in the decades since the war ended.

Friday morning’s service at the National Arboretum will involve a military flypast featuring the Red Arrows as well as the historic Dakota, Hurricane and Spitfire aircraft, the government said.

A special tribute, hosted by 400 members of the Armed Forces, will be held including music provided by military bands.

Friday’s event will be broadcast live on BBC One and a national two-minute silence will be observed across the nation at midday.

It will be followed by a reception in which the King and Queen will meet veterans who served in the Far East during the Second World War, along with their families.

Then, from 21:00 hundreds of buildings across the UK will be lit up to mark VJ Day – including Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Blackpool Tower, Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Durham Cathedral, Cardiff Castle and the White Cliffs of Dover.

VJ Day falls more than three months after VE Day, when fighting stopped in Europe following Germany’s surrender.

Events to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VJ Day will conclude with a reception for veterans at Windsor Castle later in the Autumn.