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The Prince of Wales said his wife, Kate, the Princess of Wales would have loved to have joined the commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day, as she continues to recover following her cancer diagnosis.
Footage showed William speaking to a veteran following the major event in Portsmouth, when he appeared to say “she is” when asked whether Kate was “getting any better”.
The prince added: “She’d love to be here today.”
The King and Queen both appeared to have tears in their eyes as they paid tribute to veterans at the memorial event.
Charles told the crowd “we are eternally in debt” to veterans.
“It is a near-impossible task to imagine the emotion of that day,” he said, adding: “It is our duty to ensure that we and future generations do not forget their service and their sacrifice in replacing tyranny with freedom.”
The King’s appearance was his first public speech and his most high-profile appearance since his cancer diagnosis.
Prince William also emphasised the importance of remembering “those who served and those who waved them off”.
Key Points
- Prince William says ‘Kate would have loved to have been here'
- King and Queen appear tearful during memorial event
- Charles expresses his ‘profound admiration and respect’ for D-Day veterans
- King will join other heads of state on anniversary
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Jane Dalton6 June 2024 06:00 1717646460Watch: King reads diary entry from grandfather George VI
Watch: King Charles reads diary entry from grandfather George VI on D-Day anniversary
King Charles III shared a D-Day diary entry from King George VI as he met with veterans ahead of the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings. As he sat down at Buckingham Palace, the King also shared a photograph of his grandfather, who reigned from 1936 to 1952 and was on the throne during the Second World War. “The news was given out at 8am that the invasion of the continent of Europe had started last night, the airborne troops had made successful landings in the night and had captured their objectives,” George VI’s diary entry, written in 1944, read.
Jane Dalton6 June 2024 05:01 1717642740Queen and Sunak’s wife in the pink
Parachutists land at Normandy
More than 300 British, Belgian and US parachutists landed in fields near Sannerville, which was designated drop zone K on 6 June 1944.
Among the 250 British soldiers was Lance Corporal Addy Carter, the first female to pass the Parachute Regiment’s P Company course.
Also jumping was Lieutenant Max Phillips, whose great-great-uncle Major William Tighe-Woods landed on Sword Beach on D-Day.
Poet says performing was emotional
A poet said it was “very emotional” to perform his piece in front of D-Day veterans at the commemorations.
Tomos Roberts, a 30-year-old spoken word poet, recited his specially written piece The People Who Gave Us Today on stage at the event in Portsmouth, in front of hundreds of spectators including the King, Queen, Prince of Wales and Rishi Sunak.
But Mr Roberts - who has amassed more than 130,000 followers on Instagram and 50,000 YouTube subscribers - said it was the dozens of D-Day veterans who were present that he was most eager to please.
He said: “The main people that I was feeling very emotional about performing in front of are actually the veterans that were in attendance today.
“I feel, you know, this could be the last anniversary of D-Day where we have people who were there in attendance and that really hit home when I was writing the poem.”
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Jane Dalton6 June 2024 01:00 1717628460King to open D-Day education centre
The King and Queen will open a new educational centre at the site of the British Normandy memorial in France on Thursday.
The Winston Churchill Centre for Education and Learning will house two exhibition galleries, curated by the Royal British Legion, telling the stories of those who fought on D-Day and in the Battle of Normandy.
The centre will also feature a purpose-built classroom to host school groups, teaching them how the landings were possible.
Jane Dalton6 June 2024 00:01 1717624750Prince William gives update on Kate at D-Day event - full report
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William joined the King and Queen at D-Day commemorations
Jane Dalton5 June 2024 22:59 1717621268Anne credits veterans for her work
The Princess Royal has paid tribute to British D-Day veterans, telling one he was the reason she performed her public role.
Anne met the former servicemen as they gathered in Normandy to remember fallen colleagues and their own efforts at the Royal British Legion’s poignant service of commemoration at Bayeux War Cemetery.
Anne chatted to Don Jones, 99, who served in the Royal Navy ferrying men and equipment to Sword Beach.
She told the veteran that a reason she carries out her role “is because I meet people like you”.
Mr Jones, from Mold, north Wales, who was a 19-year-old Able Seaman with the Royal Navy, said he focused on his job on June 6 1944 as the cacophony of battle was so great.
He said after speaking to the princess: “I was in the Royal Navy on a tank landing craft. We took tanks and materials across and were dropping them off on Sword Beach. Then the following two months we were backwards and forwards with materials.
“I think on our third journey we brought prisoners back, and for the next two journeys after that, about 500 prisoners in all.
“It was so busy, I couldn’t absorb everything that was going on, the noise was so great. The bigger ships with the huge guns were firing over us all the time, firing inland to try and clear the enemy positions.”
A minute’s silence was observed in remembrance of the fallen.
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