King Charles and Queen Camilla were visibly emotional during a powerful service marking the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, held at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. The moving ceremony honored the heroes of the Pacific War and featured testimony from veterans of what was once called the “Forgotten Army.”
The highlight of the afternoon came when 104-year-old Captain Yavar Abbas departed from his prepared remarks to pay tribute to the King’s courage in attending despite his ongoing cancer treatment. “Before I read the excerpt, I make an apology for briefly going off script to salute my brave King,” said Abbas, who served in the 11th Sikh Regiment of the British Indian Army.
The veteran continued, “Who is here with his beloved Queen, in spite of the fact he’s under treatment for cancer, which I share with him, and if it provides comfort, of which I have been rid for the past 25 years and counting.” His heartfelt words brought tears to Queen Camilla’s eyes and prompted sustained applause from the 1,500 attendees.
A Personal Connection
The ceremony, organized by the Royal British Legion, included two-minute silences, flypasts by the RAF Red Arrows, and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer joined the royal couple for the outdoor service, held in 25°C sunshine.
When Captain Abbas returned to the Royal Box, he saluted the King once more. Charles stood to speak with the veteran, clasping his hands for nearly a minute before both men saluted each other. They later reunited at the reception like old friends.
Among the moving moments was 101-year-old former RAF pilot Ron Gumbley reading Laurence Binyon’s poem “For The Fallen,” and testimony from prisoners of war who endured brutal captivity under Japanese forces. The only sound during the two-minute silence was pigeons rustling in the trees above.
Royal Message of Remembrance
Earlier that morning, King Charles released a six-minute audio message from Clarence House, echoing his grandfather King George VI’s VJ Day broadcast from 80 years ago. In his address, Charles acknowledged the “immense price” paid by citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, calling it “a price we pray no nation need ever pay again.”
The King praised the veterans’ courage and camaraderie as “a flame that shall blaze for eternity,” while warning about war’s true cost extending “beyond battlefields, touching every aspect of life.” He vowed that the sacrifice of VJ Day heroes “shall never be forgotten.”
Personal Moments with Veterans
During the reception, the King spent nearly an hour moving between tables, chatting with veterans and their families. Speaking to 104-year-old Charlie Richards, one of the last surviving Chindits who fought behind enemy lines in Burma, Charles said, “The things you did, I could never get over. We owe you all such a huge debt of gratitude.”
The King also met 100-year-old Alfred Conway, who served on HMS Wager, the sister ship to HMS Whelp where Prince Philip served as First Lieutenant. They spoke for several minutes before the royal couple departed in the State Bentley.
Queen Camilla, wearing a white Dior dress and Philip Treacy hat with The Rifles brooch, was equally moved by the testimonies. She later told veteran Edwin Habberley, “I found it so incredibly moving.”
A Night of Illumination
The commemorations concluded with hundreds of buildings across the UK being illuminated to mark VJ 80, including Buckingham Palace, 10 Downing Street, the Tower of London, and international sites like the Kranji War Memorial in Singapore.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, though not present at the ceremony, shared their own tribute on social media, writing: “Today, on the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, we remember the courage, sacrifice and resilience of all who served.”
The service honored not only British forces but also the hundreds of thousands of soldiers from pre-partition India, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Nepal, and various African nations who fought alongside them in the Pacific theater until Japan’s surrender on August 15, 1945.
