Is for victory
the Midlands and bonfires in Bristol, Liverpool, Newcastle and Manchester. Many buildings and boats also flew the flags of all the Allies and the lights were switched on at the Palace of Westminster once more. Celebrations were also held in America, Western Europe and Australia with the Soviet Union and New Zealand celebrating the next day. An estimated 50,000 people crowded around Piccadilly Circus to celebrate and many ended up sleeping in Trafalgar Square after the party.
But there was also a sombre note as many remembered those they had lost. St Paul’s Cathedral, which had survived the bombing Blitz, held 10 services throughout the day attended by thousands of people.
Many also headed to the bombedout ruins of Coventry Cathedral. Four services had been planned there for VE Day, but such were the huge crowds that the cathedral ended up staying open until after midnight. Many people who had relatives in the war brought bunches of flowers and placed them in vases and names were also put into a bowl by the altar.
A large-scale Victory Day Service of Thanksgiving was also held at Cathays Park in Cardiff.
In his radio broadcast to the country, Churchill told listeners: “My dear friends, this is your hour. This is not victory of a party or of any class. It’s victory of the great British nation as a whole. We were the first, in this ancient island, to draw the sword against tyranny.”
People also surged down The Mall to Buckingham Palace shouting for King George VI and the royal family who had to appear a total of eight times on the balcony of the Palace – with Churchill memorably joining them at one point – to wave to the cheering crowds.
Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret were even secretly allowed to leave Buckingham Palace escorted by palace guards and join in the celebrations and cheering outside. The future Queen later recalled the occasion as “one of the most memorable nights of my life” and said “we stood outside and shouted ‘We want the King’”. The young princess was also greeted by crowds when she toured the East End of London the following day.
George VI’s speech was relayed by loudspeaker to the crowds gathered in Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square. He told them: “There is great comfort in the thought that the years of darkness and danger in which the children of our country have grown up are over and, please God, forever. We shall have failed and the blood of our dearest will have flowed in vain if the victory which they died to win does not lead to a lasting peace, founded on justice and good will.”