‘Never give up’: Queen delivers her VE-DAY message
Queen praises lockdown spirit on VE-DAY
LONDON • The Queen urged Britain to “never give up, never despair” in a moving message to mark the 75th anniversary of VE-DAY, as she spoke with pride to a nation she said Second World War heroes would still “recognize and admire”.
The Queen, who delivered a special address at 9 p.m. on May 8 just as her late father did after the Nazis’ surrender, said she “vividly” remembered the “jubilant scenes” which marked triumph over the bleak uncertainty of war.
“Today it may seem hard that we cannot mark this special anniversary as we would wish,” the Queen said, broadcasting from Windsor Castle where she has been living and working in isolation during the coronavirus outbreak.
“Instead we remember from our homes and our doorsteps. But our streets are not empty; they are filled with the love and the care that we have for each other.
“And when I look at our country today, and see what we are willing to do to protect and support one another, I say with pride that we are still a nation those brave soldiers, sailors and airmen would recognize and admire.”
Her words drew to a close a day in which Britain celebrated 75 years since victory in Europe, with a moment of silent reflection, socially distant street parties and an array of makeshift Forties teas in homes.
The anniversary was poignant as it marks the last major milestone when those who served in the Second World War can still be thanked in person.
The Queen, who has called VE-DAY one of the most memorable days of her life, witnessed first-hand the scenes outside Buckingham Palace in 1945 as Sir Winston Churchill appeared alongside the Royal Family in front of cheering crowds.
In a television message, she spoke alongside her own Auxiliary Territorial Services cap, a photograph of King George VI, and an image of the Royal Family on the palace balcony on May 8, 1945.
She echoed her father’s words and drew on her own experience, which saw her join the ATS at the age of 18 and train as a driver and a mechanic.
On VE-DAY, George VI said in a radio broadcast: “We kept our faith with ourselves and with one another; we kept faith and unity with our great allies. That faith and unity have carried us to victory through dangers which at times seemed overwhelming.”
The Queen said: “At the start, the outlook seemed bleak, the end distant, the outcome uncertain. But we kept faith that the cause was right — and this belief, as my father noted in his broadcast, carried us through. Never give up, never despair — that was the message of VE-DAY.”