Red Arrows, royals, veterans and tea: VE Day at 80 in pictures

George Burke

BBC News

Four days of events to commemorate 80 years since Victory in Europe Day began with a military procession through London in front of huge crowds, followed by a dramatic RAF flypast over Buckingham Palace.

Proud veterans joined politicians and three generations of royals for the day's poignant and ceremonius events. Meanwhile, people around the country came together to celebrate the bank holiday with commemorative street parties.

Below is a selection of some of the best photos from throughout the day.

The Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duke of Edinburgh, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Princess Royal, King Charles III, the Duke of Kent, Queen Camilla, the Prince of Wales, Prince George, the Princess of Wales, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte all stand on the balcony in formal dress while the King and Queen stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with a union flag in the foreground.

The Red Arrows' trademark red, blue and white smoke added a much needed pop of colour to London's moody grey skies as part of the spectacular aerial tribute organised by the Ministry of Defence.

The flypast also included military aircraft from RAF bases all around the UK, delighting spectators and gripping young royals on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

An aerial view shows the Red Arrows deploying their colouful smoke as they fly over Buckingham Palace and the crowds down below.

A huge crowd gather in the Mall after the procession, and look up to the sky while filming and taking photos with mobile phones, with union flags and green foliage lining the street and Buckingham Palace in the background.

William, Prince of Wales looks up to the sky while Catherine, Princess of Wales laughs and their three children look up to the sky as they stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

A grey C17 Globemaster bomber plane is pictured flying through the air, having been captured by a photographer positioned on another aircraft above it which is out-of-frame. Below the aircraft a huge crowd is seen gathered around the statue and fountain in front of Buckingham Palace with green foliage around them.

Veterans and members of the armed forces gather outside Buckingham Palace and gaze up to watch RAF aircraft fly over the palace against a cloudy grey sky.

Earlier, a military procession including regiments of the Household Division and Kings Troop Royal Horse Artillery paraded down the Mall from Parliament Square to Buckingham Palace.

Military members in bright red uniform, carrying gold sceptres and playing brass instruments, walk down the street.

A narrow aerial view shows various groups of military parading down the Mall with the statue in front of Buckingham Palace in the foreground.

Members of the military parade down the street in central London during the procession. They wear brown military uniforms with brown cadet caps with motion blur as they march.

Members of the military wear uniform and hats as they carry Commonwealth flags and march down the Mall.

King Charles saluted as the procession arrived at the Palace having made its way up the Union Jack-lined Mall.

The King can be seen from the rear as he salutes wearing formal attire and a white military hat, while military personnel on horseback march down the Mall in the background with union flags and trees lining the street.

He was joined by other royals as well as veterans, politicians and members of the public, who welcomed the military groups as they drew nearer the Palace.

Three generations of royals were on show, including the King, Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales and their family.

Political figures in attendance included London's Mayor Sadiq Khan and Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his wife, Lady Starmer.

The Princess of Wales looks at some paper while wearing a plum-coloured dress and hat. She's sitting next to a veteran with her children looking on in the background.

(L-R) Veteran Bernard Morgan, the Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, Prince Louis and the Prince of Wales sit on the front row of benches of a crowd outside Buckingham Palace with bunting saying '80' at the front.

Second World War veteran Alan Kennett closes his eyes while sitting down wearing a suit with military badges on his lapel and a cadet hat, next to a person wearing a skirt holding a white rose, as they gather to watch the procession.

Princess Anne smiles as she greets veterans while wearing brown military uniform and a hat, as the crowds gather around the Mall.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is pictured speaking with veterans, with other veterans and onlookers surrounding them, in front of Buckingham Palace during the procession.

The procession began its journey outside Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament as the clock tower's famous bells rang out.

A low-down camera angle shows the military procession marching in Parliament Square outside Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament against a cloudy sky.

Meanwhile, actor Timothy Spall stood in front of Winston Churchill's statue in Parliament Square to recite part of the former wartime prime minister's original VE Day broadcast.

Actor Timothy Spall wears a suit and tie as he reads from an A4 booklet in front of the statue of Churchill in Parliament Square.

Prince George walks out of a room in Buckingham Palace followed by his mother and father, the Prince and Princess of Wales

Outside of the high profile benches in front of Buckingham Palace, members of the public lined the Mall to watch the procession and take in the atmosphere.

A small girl wearing a pink jumper waves a Union Jack in her hand while on the shoulders of a member of the crowd lining the Mall, with other members of the public around them and green foliage in the background.

A person looks on while wearing a blue and white checkered suit and a union flag bow on her head, with other crowd members waving British flags alongside the side of the Mall during the procession.

A group of Ukrainian soldiers also joined the march, solemnly parading a Ukrainian flag and wearing military uniform.

Military personnel wearing camouflage uniforms walk through Parliament Square while carrying a blue and yellow Ukrainian flag with Big Ben in the background.

Once the pageantry and pomp of the ceremony, procession and flyover had ended, attention turned towards tea, cake and partying to celebrate the day.

The royals hosted guests inside Buckingham Palace, while the prime minister threw a tea party on Downing Street. Bank holiday street parties were also held around the country including in Manchester, Middlesbrough and Seaford.

Queen Camilla speaks with veterans wearing badges and formal attire while they enjoy tea and cakes inside Buckingham Palace. Workers can be seen in the background in front of gilded artwork on the walls.

Keir Starmer apprehensively pours a teapot into a teacup held by a person wearing military uniform, with other attendees around the table that contains various bits of afternoon tea in front of Number 10 Downing Street. Union flag bunting adorns the building.

Two fathers hold their baby children who wave union flags in front of a union flag banner reading 'lest we forget' as they celebrate at a street party in Manchester.

A young girl shouts as she chases bubbles along a road as her father blows bubbles, outside houses at a street party in Middlesborough.

A view of a group of street party attendees gather outside Bishopstone Station wearing union hats and waving union flags, in Seaford.

Away from the main drag of the Mall and Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London displayed almost 30,000 ceramic poppies for the opening of an exhibition titled The Tower Remembers, created by designer Tom Piper.

They were originally displayed as part of artist Paul Cummins's Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red installation at the Tower in 2014.

The commemorative display resembles a 'wound' at the heart of the Tower, which was bombed during the Blitz. The exhibition will run until Armistice Day on 11 November.

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