King Charles reflected on his grandfather, King George VI, historic speech to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
On Thursday, May 8, the British monarch delivered an emotional speech at Horse Guards Parade in central London and called on the country to "rededicate ourselves.”
While recalling George’s monologue from 1945, Charles said, "We should remind ourselves of the words of our great wartime leader, Sir Winston Churchill, who said 'meeting jaw to jaw is better than war.”
His Majesty added, “For as my grandfather put it, '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 established in good will'.”
King Charles honoured the late veteran, who fulfilled their duty to each other and to humankind. The monarch also paid tribute to their unshakeable commitment to nation.
King Charles calls out for ‘unity, peace’
In the same speech, King Charles called out nations to unite for “peace” and prosperity.
He said, "The Allied victory being celebrated then, as now, was a result of unity between nations, races, religions and ideologies, fighting back against an existential threat to humanity.”
The monarch continued, “Their collective endeavour remains a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when countries stand together in the face of tyranny."
Notably, Prince William and Kate Middleton also joined King Charles at the special VE Day 80 celebration concert.
Their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis skipped the concert as they had to attend school next day.
