King Charles, Queen Camilla, and Prince William participated in a series of commemorative events in France on Thursday to honor the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings.
In his role as Patron of the Royal British Legion, the monarch and his wife visited the Ministry of Defence and attended the Royal British Legion’s commemorative event at the British Normandy Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer.
His Majesty led the ceremony at Gold Beach alongside President Emmanuel Macron of France. The memorial, inaugurated in 2021, pays tribute to 22,442 service personnel under British command who lost their lives on D-Day and during the Battle of Normandy in the summer of 1944.
For this significant occasion, King Charles looked distinguished in a Field Marshall No.4 Tropical Service Dress adorned with medals and decorations, while Queen Camilla exuded elegance in a flowing white coat dress paired with a matching hat. She accessorized with a sparkling diamond scallop shell brooch and pearl earrings.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke at the service and paid tribute to the veterans who “freed a continent and built a better world”.
He added: “Each of you who contributed that day – sailor, soldier, aviator, civilian – whether you fought on the beaches, or parachuted from the skies, or flew fighters or gliders, whether you were an engineer or a radio operator or an intelligence officer, your actions freed a continent and built a better world. You risked everything and we owe you everything. We cannot possibly hope to repay that debt but we can and we must pledge never to forget.”
Musician and actor Johnny Flynn delivered a poignant song with an acoustic guitar. Additionally, Tom Jones performed a rendition of ‘I Won’t Crumble With You If You Fall’, while singer Naomi Kimpenu moved the audience with a spine-tingling performance.
At the event, King Charles delivered a heartfelt speech paying tribute to those who fought in the D-Day invasion.
“It is with the most profound sense of gratitude that we remember them and all who served at that critical time”, he said. “We recall the lesson that comes to us, again and again, across the decades: free Nations must stand together to oppose tyranny.”
Veterans were visibly moved by Charles’ speech, with many seen wiping away tears. King Charles, Queen Camilla, Emmanuel Macron, and his wife Brigitte gathered to lay poppy wreaths. After the service, Charles and Camilla took the opportunity to greet and shake hands with some of the veterans present.
