{"id":359,"date":"2025-05-08T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-08T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mississaugaoffice.com\/?p=359"},"modified":"2025-06-20T09:41:49","modified_gmt":"2025-06-20T09:41:49","slug":"how-the-royals-celebrated-ve-day-back-in-1945","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mississaugaoffice.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/08\/how-the-royals-celebrated-ve-day-back-in-1945\/","title":{"rendered":"How the royals celebrated VE Day back in 1945"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"374\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-23040897 lazyload\" alt=\"&#039;The King and Queen with Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret on the Balcony of Buckingham Palace on VE-Day&#039;, 8 May 1945. King George VIand Queen Elizabeth with daughters Princess Elizabeth (future Queen Elizabeth II) and Princess Margaret Rose, celebrating the end of the Second World War. Raphael Tuck &amp; Sons Ltd., London, 1945] (Colorised black and white print). Creator: Daily Herald. (Photo by The Print Collector\/Heritage Images via Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/mississaugaoffice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SEI_250284384-0952.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>The royals made eight Buckingham Palace appearances (Picture: The Print Collector\/Heritage Images via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The <a data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/royal-family\/\">Royal Family<\/a>&#8217;s appearance alongside war hero Winston Churchill on the <a data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/buckingham-palace\/\">Buckingham Palace<\/a> balcony is one of the iconic moments of <a data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/ve-day\/\">VE Day<\/a> in 1945.<\/p>\n<p>But what is less well known is that the monarch greeted the packed crowd on the Mall eight times on the historic day.<\/p>\n<p>Their schedule did not stop there, they were busy marking the <a data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/germany\/\">German<\/a> surrender 80 years ago today with royal events.<\/p>\n<p>There was even a secret trip to join the wild celebrations as Londoners celebrated Victory in Europe.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/05\/08\/ve-day-1945-live-world-wakes-victory-germany-surrenders-allies-23042311\/\">Experience VE Day 1945 as it happened with Metro&#8217;s live blog <\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The King and Queen were cheered on as heroes in their own right.<\/p>\n<p>Their refusal to evacuate <a data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/london\/\">London<\/a> during the Blitz earned them adoring respect across the country as they made a point of visiting bomb sites in the capital.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"520\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-23040920 lazyload\" alt=\"Crowds gather at the gates of Buckingham Palace in London, to await the appearance of the royal family and Prime Minister Winston Churchill, during the VE Day celebrations, 8th May 1945. (Photo by Central Press\/Hulton Archive\/Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/mississaugaoffice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SEI_250284254-8c86.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>Crowds gather waiting for the appearance of the royal family and Prime Minister Winston Churchill (Picture: by Central Press\/Hulton Archive\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Eighty years since the King and Queen led the UK&#8217;s VE Day party, <strong>Metro <\/strong>traces how they spent the momentous day.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A royal investiture for military heroes<\/h2>\n<p>The King kicked off off Victory in Europe Day with a celebration of Britain&#8217;s war heroes.<\/p>\n<p>The Royal Family held an investiture, awarding military medals to more than 270 recipients.<\/p>\n<p>These medals, including the Distinguished Service Medal and the Military Medal, were handed out in Buckingham Palace&#8217;s Ballroom.<\/p>\n<div class=\"factbox\" data-ico=\"factbox_article\" data-track-module=\"factbox_article\">\n<h2 class=\"factbox-title\">\n\t\t\t\tLatest London news\t\t\t<\/h2>\n<div class=\"factbox-content\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/06\/04\/iconic-houses-just-off-portobello-road-painted-black-deter-influencers-23328238\/\"><a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/06\/04\/iconic-houses-just-off-portobello-road-painted-black-deter-influencers-23328238\/\">Iconic houses just off Portobello Road painted black to deter influencers<\/a><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/06\/04\/former-bbc-studios-eastenders-filmed-riddled-asbestos-23329484\/\"><a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/06\/04\/former-bbc-studios-eastenders-filmed-riddled-asbestos-23329484\/\">Former BBC studios where EastEnders was filmed riddled with asbestos<\/a><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/06\/04\/boy-14-hacked-death-instant-man-samurai-sword-way-school-23329008\/\">Boy, 14, &#8216;hacked to death in an instant by man with Samurai sword&#8217; on way to school<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em><strong>To get the latest news from the capital visit Metro&#8217;s<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/london\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> London news hub<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"628\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-23037583 lazyload\" alt=\"Military medals\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/mississaugaoffice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SWNS_GEORGE_CROSS_001_066479.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>The King handed out military medals (Credits: Noonans \/ SWNS)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The first to be presented was Dr John Beeston, who was awarded a George Medal by the King.<\/p>\n<p>The doctor with the Civil Defence was being honoured for his courage helping a woman trapped in debris after a devastating bombing raid.<\/p>\n<p>The George Medal was for civilian acts of bravery not on the battlefield and the Distinguished Service Medal is given to those who have shown bravery and resourcefulness in active service.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lunch with Churchill before their big speeches<\/h2>\n<p>The country&#8217;s two much-loved leaders held a lunch at Buckingham Palace before they both gave addresses to the nation.<\/p>\n<p>It was their final lunch of the war, as the pair had regularly met over meals on Tuesdays to discuss the progress of the war.<\/p>\n<p>Churchill rolled up in a civilian car at Buckingham Palace to meet the monarch.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"632\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-23040904 lazyload\" alt=\"8th May 1945: British statesman and prime minister Sir Winston Churchill (left) and King George VI on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, London, on VE Day. (Photo by Keystone\/Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/mississaugaoffice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SEI_250284252-544f-e1746618319528.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>The King and Winston Churchill became confidantes during the war (Photo by Keystone\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>But well wishers in the Mall soon realised who was arriving and the police had to hold back cheering crowds.<\/p>\n<p>The wartime PM then left to the palace and returned to Downing Street to deliver his famous speech confirming Germany&#8217;s surrender at 3pm on VE Day.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The first appearance in front of jubilant Londoners<\/h2>\n<p>Moments after Churchill declared a &#8216;brief period of rejoicing&#8217; in his 3pm speech, the Royal Family came out onto Buckingham Palace&#8217;s balcony to greet Londoners along the Mall.<\/p>\n<p>King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret all walked out in front of a crowd numbering up to 100,000 people.<\/p>\n<p>The King was wearing the uniform of an Admiral of the Fleet and Princess Elizabeth was wearing her khaki uniform of the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), which she joined earlier in 1945.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"477\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-23040910 lazyload\" alt=\"The crowd gathered to celebrate VE Day at the end of the Second World War, waiting to see the Royal Family on the balcony at Buckingham Palace, on The Mall, Westminster, London, England, 8th May 1945. The Victoria Memorial, Sir Thomas Brock&#039;s monument to Queen Victoria, is visible in the background. (Photo by Harry Todd\/Fox Photos\/Hulton Archive\/Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/mississaugaoffice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SEI_250284279-4b5a.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>The Mall was packed waiting for the arrival of the Royals (Photo by Harry Todd\/Fox Photos\/Hulton Archive\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Television cameras, which were mounted on vans in the Palace&#8217;s forecourt and were filming the Royal Family as they waved down the Mall.<\/p>\n<p>This appearance was the first of eight visits to the balcony by the Royals<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Churchill joins the royals on the Palace balcony<\/h2>\n<div class=\"video-player\">\n<div class=\"video-player\">\n<div class=\"metro-video-player \" data-track-module=\"video-player\">\n<div class=\"vjs-video-container vjs-fixed vjs-responsive\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{&#8220;@context&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/schema.org&#8221;,&#8221;@type&#8221;:&#8221;VideoObject&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;Metro.co.uk&#8221;,&#8221;duration&#8221;:&#8221;T13S&#8221;,&#8221;thumbnailUrl&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/04\/24\/11\/97638237-0-image-a-65_1745490369623.jpg&#8221;,&#8221;uploadDate&#8221;:&#8221;2025-04-24T11:23:58+0100&#8243;,&#8221;description&#8221;:&#8221;The King, Queen and Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret all waved to the thousands gathered on the Mall.nnJust moments before, the monarch said over the airways that he and his wife &#8216;know the ordeals which you have endured throughout the Commonwealth and Empire.'&#8221;,&#8221;contentUrl&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/04\/24\/7907730965375728008\/480x270_MP4_7907730965375728008.mp4&#8243;,&#8221;height&#8221;:270,&#8221;width&#8221;:480}<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<video id=\"3421053\" class=\"video-js\" poster=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/04\/24\/11\/97638237-0-image-m-69_1745490376286.jpg\" data-opts=\"{&quot;controls&quot;:true,&quot;preload&quot;:&quot;metadata&quot;,&quot;autoplay&quot;:false,&quot;videoId&quot;:3421053,&quot;duration&quot;:13,&quot;pageURL&quot;:&quot;VE-Day-1945-Royal-Family-Churchill-wave-crowds&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;VE Day 1945: The Royal Family and Churchill wave to crowds&quot;,&quot;previewText&quot;:&quot;The King, Queen and Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret all waved to the thousands gathered on the Mall.nnJust moments before, the monarch said over the airways that he and his wife &#039;know the ordeals which you have endured throughout the Commonwealth and Empire.&#039;&quot;,&quot;poster&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/04\/24\/11\/97638237-0-image-m-69_1745490376286.jpg&quot;,&quot;linkBaseURL&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;metroTags&quot;:&quot;ve-day,world-war-two&quot;,&quot;metroVideoCategory&quot;:&quot;News&quot;,&quot;isAMP&quot;:false,&quot;plugins&quot;:{&quot;related-video-carousel&quot;:{&quot;endpoint&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-json\/videos\/related-carousel-trending\/all\/&quot;},&quot;ads-setup&quot;:{&quot;masterVideoTag&quot;:&quot;http:\/\/pubads.g.doubleclick.net\/gampad\/ads?iu=%2F5765%2Fmetro.video&amp;impl=s&amp;gdfp_req=1&amp;env=vp&amp;output=xml_vast3&amp;unviewed_position_start=1&quot;,&quot;adCancelTimeout&quot;:5000,&quot;adsEnabled&quot;:false,&quot;nonAdServable&quot;:false,&quot;prebidToken&quot;:&quot;nobid&quot;,&quot;pos&quot;:&quot;metro.video.ctp&quot;,&quot;bidders&quot;:[&quot;grapeshotPlugin&quot;]},&quot;social-share&quot;:{&quot;embedUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/video\/embed\/3421053&quot;,&quot;linkUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/video\/ve-day-1945-royal-family-churchill-wave-crowds-3421053\/&quot;,&quot;nonEmbeddable&quot;:false},&quot;sources&quot;:{&quot;renditions&quot;:[{&quot;frameHeight&quot;:270,&quot;controllerType&quot;:null,&quot;videoContainer&quot;:&quot;MP4&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/04\/24\/7907730965375728008\/480x270_MP4_7907730965375728008.mp4&quot;,&quot;uploadTimestampMillis&quot;:null,&quot;encodingRate&quot;:372736,&quot;displayName&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/04\/24\/7907730965375728008\/480x270_MP4_7907730965375728008.mp4&quot;,&quot;frames&quot;:349,&quot;audioOnly&quot;:false,&quot;id&quot;:null,&quot;videoDuration&quot;:13000,&quot;videoCodec&quot;:&quot;H264&quot;,&quot;remoteStreamName&quot;:null,&quot;framesPerSecond&quot;:0,&quot;frameWidth&quot;:480,&quot;size&quot;:476935,&quot;referenceId&quot;:null,&quot;remoteUrl&quot;:null},{&quot;frameHeight&quot;:360,&quot;controllerType&quot;:null,&quot;videoContainer&quot;:&quot;MP4&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/04\/24\/7907730965375728008\/640x360_MP4_7907730965375728008.mp4&quot;,&quot;uploadTimestampMillis&quot;:null,&quot;encodingRate&quot;:712704,&quot;displayName&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/04\/24\/7907730965375728008\/640x360_MP4_7907730965375728008.mp4&quot;,&quot;frames&quot;:349,&quot;audioOnly&quot;:false,&quot;id&quot;:null,&quot;videoDuration&quot;:13000,&quot;videoCodec&quot;:&quot;H264&quot;,&quot;remoteStreamName&quot;:null,&quot;framesPerSecond&quot;:0,&quot;frameWidth&quot;:640,&quot;size&quot;:946132,&quot;referenceId&quot;:null,&quot;remoteUrl&quot;:null},{&quot;frameHeight&quot;:540,&quot;controllerType&quot;:null,&quot;videoContainer&quot;:&quot;MP4&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/04\/24\/7907730965375728008\/960x540_MP4_7907730965375728008.mp4&quot;,&quot;uploadTimestampMillis&quot;:null,&quot;encodingRate&quot;:1019904,&quot;displayName&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/04\/24\/7907730965375728008\/960x540_MP4_7907730965375728008.mp4&quot;,&quot;frames&quot;:349,&quot;audioOnly&quot;:false,&quot;id&quot;:null,&quot;videoDuration&quot;:13000,&quot;videoCodec&quot;:&quot;H264&quot;,&quot;remoteStreamName&quot;:null,&quot;framesPerSecond&quot;:0,&quot;frameWidth&quot;:960,&quot;size&quot;:1432025,&quot;referenceId&quot;:null,&quot;remoteUrl&quot;:null},{&quot;frameHeight&quot;:576,&quot;controllerType&quot;:null,&quot;videoContainer&quot;:&quot;MP4&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/04\/24\/7907730965375728008\/1024x576_MP4_7907730965375728008.mp4&quot;,&quot;uploadTimestampMillis&quot;:null,&quot;encodingRate&quot;:1327104,&quot;displayName&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/04\/24\/7907730965375728008\/1024x576_MP4_7907730965375728008.mp4&quot;,&quot;frames&quot;:349,&quot;audioOnly&quot;:false,&quot;id&quot;:null,&quot;videoDuration&quot;:13000,&quot;videoCodec&quot;:&quot;H264&quot;,&quot;remoteStreamName&quot;:null,&quot;framesPerSecond&quot;:0,&quot;frameWidth&quot;:1024,&quot;size&quot;:1934349,&quot;referenceId&quot;:null,&quot;remoteUrl&quot;:null}],&quot;iOSRenditions&quot;:[{&quot;frameHeight&quot;:270,&quot;controllerType&quot;:null,&quot;videoContainer&quot;:&quot;M2TS&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/04\/24\/7907730965375728008\/480x270_M2TS_7907730965375728008.m3u8&quot;,&quot;uploadTimestampMillis&quot;:null,&quot;encodingRate&quot;:372736,&quot;displayName&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/04\/24\/7907730965375728008\/480x270_M2TS_7907730965375728008.m3u8&quot;,&quot;frames&quot;:null,&quot;audioOnly&quot;:false,&quot;id&quot;:null,&quot;videoDuration&quot;:13000,&quot;videoCodec&quot;:&quot;H264&quot;,&quot;remoteStreamName&quot;:null,&quot;framesPerSecond&quot;:0,&quot;frameWidth&quot;:480,&quot;size&quot;:208,&quot;referenceId&quot;:null,&quot;remoteUrl&quot;:null},{&quot;frameHeight&quot;:360,&quot;controllerType&quot;:null,&quot;videoContainer&quot;:&quot;M2TS&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/04\/24\/7907730965375728008\/640x360_M2TS_7907730965375728008.m3u8&quot;,&quot;uploadTimestampMillis&quot;:null,&quot;encodingRate&quot;:679936,&quot;displayName&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/04\/24\/7907730965375728008\/640x360_M2TS_7907730965375728008.m3u8&quot;,&quot;frames&quot;:null,&quot;audioOnly&quot;:false,&quot;id&quot;:null,&quot;videoDuration&quot;:13000,&quot;videoCodec&quot;:&quot;H264&quot;,&quot;remoteStreamName&quot;:null,&quot;framesPerSecond&quot;:0,&quot;frameWidth&quot;:640,&quot;size&quot;:208,&quot;referenceId&quot;:null,&quot;remoteUrl&quot;:null}]}}}\" preload=\"metadata\" playsinline><\/p>\n<p class=\"vjs-no-js\">To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tbrowser that<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/videojs.com\/html5-video-support\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">supports HTML5<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tvideo<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/video>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder-header\">\n<div class=\"metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder-header-label\">\n<p>Up Next<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"spinner\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__navigation\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__arrow metro-related-video-carousel__arrow--left disabled\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<title>Previous Page<\/title>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__page\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__page\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__page\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__page\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__arrow metro-related-video-carousel__arrow--right disabled\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<title>Next Page<\/title>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-videos-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\twindow.addEventListener(&#8216;metroVideo:relatedVideosCarouselLoaded&#8217;, function(data) {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tif (typeof(data.detail) === &#8216;undefined&#8217; || typeof(data.detail.carousel) === &#8216;undefined&#8217; || typeof(data.detail.carousel.el_) === &#8216;undefined&#8217;) {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\treturn;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t}<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tvar player = data.detail.carousel.el_;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tvar container = player.closest(&#8216;.metro-video-player&#8217;);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tvar placeholder = container.querySelector(&#8216;.metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder&#8217;);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tcontainer.removeChild(placeholder);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tcontainer.classList.add(&#8216;metro-video-player&#8211;related-videos-loaded&#8217;);<br \/>\n\t\t\t});<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Mall crowd were surprised with a special twist as the Royal Family stepped out next to the wartime PM onto Buckingham Palace&#8217;s balcony at 5pm on VE Day.<\/p>\n<p>They made the historic appearance minutes after the King met Churchill and members of his war cabinet in the Palace&#8217;s Bow Room.<\/p>\n<p>Churchill could be seen chatting with the King and Queen, smiling as onlookers let out repeated cheers.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">King thanks &#8216;Almighty God&#8217; for victory in nighttime address<\/h2>\n<div class=\"video-player\">\n<div class=\"video-player\">\n<div class=\"metro-video-player \" data-track-module=\"video-player\">\n<div class=\"vjs-video-container vjs-fixed vjs-responsive\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{&#8220;@context&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/schema.org&#8221;,&#8221;@type&#8221;:&#8221;VideoObject&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;Metro.co.uk&#8221;,&#8221;duration&#8221;:&#8221;T2M5S&#8221;,&#8221;thumbnailUrl&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/04\/24\/11\/97637531-0-image-a-14_1745488954480.jpg&#8221;,&#8221;uploadDate&#8221;:&#8221;2025-04-24T11:01:25+0100&#8243;,&#8221;description&#8221;:&#8221;King George VI, who won praise and admiration for refusing to leave London during the Blitz, paid tribute to those who lost their lives serving the war effort.&#8221;,&#8221;contentUrl&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/04\/24\/9002421860041180210\/480x270_MP4_9002421860041180210.mp4&#8243;,&#8221;height&#8221;:270,&#8221;width&#8221;:480}<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<video id=\"3421041\" class=\"video-js\" poster=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/04\/24\/11\/97637531-0-image-a-15_1745488955444.jpg\" data-opts=\"{&quot;controls&quot;:true,&quot;preload&quot;:&quot;metadata&quot;,&quot;autoplay&quot;:false,&quot;videoId&quot;:3421041,&quot;duration&quot;:125,&quot;pageURL&quot;:&quot;VE-Day-1945-King-George-VI-celebrates-end-war-live-radio-address-naton&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;VE Day 1945: King George VI celebrates end of war in live radio address to naton&quot;,&quot;previewText&quot;:&quot;King George VI, who won praise and admiration for refusing to leave London during the Blitz, paid tribute to those who lost their lives serving the war effort.&quot;,&quot;poster&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/04\/24\/11\/97637531-0-image-a-15_1745488955444.jpg&quot;,&quot;linkBaseURL&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;metroTags&quot;:&quot;ve-day,world-war-two&quot;,&quot;metroVideoCategory&quot;:&quot;News&quot;,&quot;isAMP&quot;:false,&quot;plugins&quot;:{&quot;related-video-carousel&quot;:{&quot;endpoint&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-json\/videos\/related-carousel-trending\/all\/&quot;},&quot;ads-setup&quot;:{&quot;masterVideoTag&quot;:&quot;http:\/\/pubads.g.doubleclick.net\/gampad\/ads?iu=%2F5765%2Fmetro.video&amp;impl=s&amp;gdfp_req=1&amp;env=vp&amp;output=xml_vast3&amp;unviewed_position_start=1&quot;,&quot;adCancelTimeout&quot;:5000,&quot;adsEnabled&quot;:true,&quot;nonAdServable&quot;:false,&quot;prebidToken&quot;:&quot;nobid&quot;,&quot;pos&quot;:&quot;metro.video.ctp&quot;,&quot;bidders&quot;:[&quot;grapeshotPlugin&quot;]},&quot;social-share&quot;:{&quot;embedUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/video\/embed\/3421041&quot;,&quot;linkUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/video\/ve-day-1945-king-george-vi-celebrates-end-war-live-radio-address-naton-3421041\/&quot;,&quot;nonEmbeddable&quot;:false},&quot;sources&quot;:{&quot;renditions&quot;:[{&quot;frameHeight&quot;:270,&quot;controllerType&quot;:null,&quot;videoContainer&quot;:&quot;MP4&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/04\/24\/9002421860041180210\/480x270_MP4_9002421860041180210.mp4&quot;,&quot;uploadTimestampMillis&quot;:null,&quot;encodingRate&quot;:372736,&quot;displayName&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/04\/24\/9002421860041180210\/480x270_MP4_9002421860041180210.mp4&quot;,&quot;frames&quot;:3000,&quot;audioOnly&quot;:false,&quot;id&quot;:null,&quot;videoDuration&quot;:125000,&quot;videoCodec&quot;:&quot;H264&quot;,&quot;remoteStreamName&quot;:null,&quot;framesPerSecond&quot;:0,&quot;frameWidth&quot;:480,&quot;size&quot;:6117039,&quot;referenceId&quot;:null,&quot;remoteUrl&quot;:null},{&quot;frameHeight&quot;:360,&quot;controllerType&quot;:null,&quot;videoContainer&quot;:&quot;MP4&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/04\/24\/9002421860041180210\/640x360_MP4_9002421860041180210.mp4&quot;,&quot;uploadTimestampMillis&quot;:null,&quot;encodingRate&quot;:712704,&quot;displayName&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/04\/24\/9002421860041180210\/640x360_MP4_9002421860041180210.mp4&quot;,&quot;frames&quot;:3000,&quot;audioOnly&quot;:false,&quot;id&quot;:null,&quot;videoDuration&quot;:125000,&quot;videoCodec&quot;:&quot;H264&quot;,&quot;remoteStreamName&quot;:null,&quot;framesPerSecond&quot;:0,&quot;frameWidth&quot;:640,&quot;size&quot;:11445605,&quot;referenceId&quot;:null,&quot;remoteUrl&quot;:null},{&quot;frameHeight&quot;:576,&quot;controllerType&quot;:null,&quot;videoContainer&quot;:&quot;MP4&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/04\/24\/9002421860041180210\/1024x576_MP4_9002421860041180210.mp4&quot;,&quot;uploadTimestampMillis&quot;:null,&quot;encodingRate&quot;:1327104,&quot;displayName&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/04\/24\/9002421860041180210\/1024x576_MP4_9002421860041180210.mp4&quot;,&quot;frames&quot;:3000,&quot;audioOnly&quot;:false,&quot;id&quot;:null,&quot;videoDuration&quot;:125000,&quot;videoCodec&quot;:&quot;H264&quot;,&quot;remoteStreamName&quot;:null,&quot;framesPerSecond&quot;:0,&quot;frameWidth&quot;:1024,&quot;size&quot;:20993346,&quot;referenceId&quot;:null,&quot;remoteUrl&quot;:null},{&quot;frameHeight&quot;:540,&quot;controllerType&quot;:null,&quot;videoContainer&quot;:&quot;MP4&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/04\/24\/9002421860041180210\/960x540_MP4_9002421860041180210.mp4&quot;,&quot;uploadTimestampMillis&quot;:null,&quot;encodingRate&quot;:1019904,&quot;displayName&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/04\/24\/9002421860041180210\/960x540_MP4_9002421860041180210.mp4&quot;,&quot;frames&quot;:3000,&quot;audioOnly&quot;:false,&quot;id&quot;:null,&quot;videoDuration&quot;:125000,&quot;videoCodec&quot;:&quot;H264&quot;,&quot;remoteStreamName&quot;:null,&quot;framesPerSecond&quot;:0,&quot;frameWidth&quot;:960,&quot;size&quot;:16214167,&quot;referenceId&quot;:null,&quot;remoteUrl&quot;:null}],&quot;iOSRenditions&quot;:[{&quot;frameHeight&quot;:270,&quot;controllerType&quot;:null,&quot;videoContainer&quot;:&quot;M2TS&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/04\/24\/9002421860041180210\/480x270_M2TS_9002421860041180210.m3u8&quot;,&quot;uploadTimestampMillis&quot;:null,&quot;encodingRate&quot;:372736,&quot;displayName&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/04\/24\/9002421860041180210\/480x270_M2TS_9002421860041180210.m3u8&quot;,&quot;frames&quot;:null,&quot;audioOnly&quot;:false,&quot;id&quot;:null,&quot;videoDuration&quot;:125000,&quot;videoCodec&quot;:&quot;H264&quot;,&quot;remoteStreamName&quot;:null,&quot;framesPerSecond&quot;:0,&quot;frameWidth&quot;:480,&quot;size&quot;:868,&quot;referenceId&quot;:null,&quot;remoteUrl&quot;:null},{&quot;frameHeight&quot;:360,&quot;controllerType&quot;:null,&quot;videoContainer&quot;:&quot;M2TS&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/04\/24\/9002421860041180210\/640x360_M2TS_9002421860041180210.m3u8&quot;,&quot;uploadTimestampMillis&quot;:null,&quot;encodingRate&quot;:679936,&quot;displayName&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/04\/24\/9002421860041180210\/640x360_M2TS_9002421860041180210.m3u8&quot;,&quot;frames&quot;:null,&quot;audioOnly&quot;:false,&quot;id&quot;:null,&quot;videoDuration&quot;:125000,&quot;videoCodec&quot;:&quot;H264&quot;,&quot;remoteStreamName&quot;:null,&quot;framesPerSecond&quot;:0,&quot;frameWidth&quot;:640,&quot;size&quot;:868,&quot;referenceId&quot;:null,&quot;remoteUrl&quot;:null}]}}}\" preload=\"metadata\" playsinline><\/p>\n<p class=\"vjs-no-js\">To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tbrowser that<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/videojs.com\/html5-video-support\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">supports HTML5<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tvideo<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/video>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder-header\">\n<div class=\"metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder-header-label\">\n<p>Up Next<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"spinner\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__navigation\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__arrow metro-related-video-carousel__arrow--left disabled\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<title>Previous Page<\/title>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__page\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__page\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__page\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__page\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__arrow metro-related-video-carousel__arrow--right disabled\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<title>Next Page<\/title>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-videos-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\twindow.addEventListener(&#8216;metroVideo:relatedVideosCarouselLoaded&#8217;, function(data) {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tif (typeof(data.detail) === &#8216;undefined&#8217; || typeof(data.detail.carousel) === &#8216;undefined&#8217; || typeof(data.detail.carousel.el_) === &#8216;undefined&#8217;) {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\treturn;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t}<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tvar player = data.detail.carousel.el_;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tvar container = player.closest(&#8216;.metro-video-player&#8217;);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tvar placeholder = container.querySelector(&#8216;.metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder&#8217;);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tcontainer.removeChild(placeholder);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tcontainer.classList.add(&#8216;metro-video-player&#8211;related-videos-loaded&#8217;);<br \/>\n\t\t\t});<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>At 9pm it was the King&#8217;s turn to the nation, as well as Commonwealth citizens across the globe.<\/p>\n<p>The King told millions of people worldwide that Germany has &#8216;finally [been] overcome&#8217;, but warned that more fighting was still in store in Asia.<\/p>\n<p>In the 15 minute broadcast, the King said the UK was &#8216;the last remaining barrier against a world-wide tyranny&#8217; and paid tribute too all of those who lost their lives fighting for Allies.<\/p>\n<p>He said: &#8216;Today we give thanks to Almighty God for a great deliverance.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Speaking from our Empire\u2019s oldest capital city, war-battered but never for one moment daunted or dismayed \u2013 speaking from London, I ask you to join with me in that act of thanksgiving.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Germany, the enemy who drove all Europe into war, has been finally overcome&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>&#8221;In the darkest hours we knew that the enslaved and isolated peoples of Europe looked to us; their hopes were our hopes; their confidence confirmed our faith.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"474\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-23037592 lazyload\" alt=\"KING GEORGE VI (Died 6\/2\/52) Broadcasting to his people on Christmas Day 1944.\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/mississaugaoffice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IP_1783102-0719.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>The King broadcast many addresses over his reign (Picture: BBC PICTURE ARCHIVES)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&#8216;We knew that, if we failed, the last remaining barrier against a world-wide tyranny would have fallen in ruins.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>The Royals returned for another trip to the balcony just after the King had wrapped up his speech.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Princesses join the Mall&#8217;s celebrations<\/h2>\n<p>Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret left Buckingham Palace and joined the throngs of people partying in London.<\/p>\n<p>The heir to the throne and her sister, aged just 19 and 14, were given permission by their father to leave as part of a small group from the Royal Household.<\/p>\n<p>The pair cheered for their parents and mingled in with Londoners.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"594\" height=\"471\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-23033916 lazyload\" alt=\"CANADA - JUNE 01: Princesses attend tree planting ceremonies; Princess Elizabeth (left) and Princess Margaret Rose arrive at Windsor great park; england; to attend the tree planting oeremonies commemorating the work done by British Agriculture for the Red Cross. (Photo by Toronto Star Archives\/Toronto Star via Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/mississaugaoffice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SEI_250165402-de2f.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>Elizabeth and Margaret blended in to the London masses (Photo by Toronto Star Archives\/Toronto Star via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The future Queen said of the evening in a BBC interview: \u2018We were terrified of being recognised \u2013 so I pulled my uniform cap well down over my eyes.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;A Grenadier officer among our party of about 16 people said he refused to be seen in the company of another officer improperly dressed. <\/p>\n<p>&#8216;So I had to put my cap on normally.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>The excursion took them to Whitehall, the famous Ritz and the Royal Parks.<\/p>\n<p>Queen Elizabeth later recalled: &#8216;[There were] lines of unknown people linking arms and walking down Whitehall, all of us just swept along on a tide of happiness and relief.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong><strong><strong>Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"mailto:webnews@metro.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\">webnews@metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong>For more stories like this, <\/strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>check our news page<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The royals made eight Buckingham Palace appearances (Picture: The Print Collector\/Heritage Images via Getty Images) The Royal Family&#8217;s appearance alongside war hero Winston Churchill on the Buckingham Palace balcony is one of the iconic moments of VE Day in 1945. But what is less well known is that the monarch greeted the packed crowd on&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":361,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-359","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mississaugaoffice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mississaugaoffice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mississaugaoffice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mississaugaoffice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mississaugaoffice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=359"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/mississaugaoffice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":369,"href":"https:\/\/mississaugaoffice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359\/revisions\/369"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mississaugaoffice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/361"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mississaugaoffice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=359"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mississaugaoffice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=359"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mississaugaoffice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=359"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}