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King and Queen to attend VJ Day remembrance service

Meet the 100-year-old VJ Day hero who witnessed Japan’s Second World War surrender

The King and Queen, alongside Sir Keir Starmer, will attend a service of remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum on Friday to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day.
The event will honour British, Commonwealth, and Allied veterans who served in the Far East, with 33 veterans aged 96 to 105 attending as guests of honour.
The King will deliver a pre-recorded address vowing that the sacrifice of those who fought and died in the campaigns “shall never be forgotten” and reflecting on the suffering of prisoners of war and civilians.
The national commemoration will feature a two-minute silence, flypasts by the Red Arrows and Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, and include first-hand testimonies from veterans.
Hundreds of buildings across the UK, including Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street, will be lit up from 9pm on Friday evening to mark the VJ 80 anniversary.