News Reader.info

* PRINCE CHARLES AND THE DUCHESS OF CORNWALL LED THE COUNTRY IN A SOLEMN TWO-MINUTE SILENCE TO MARK VE DAY * THE ROYAL COUPLE LAID FLORAL TRIBUTES IN MEMORY OF SECOND WORLD WAR HEROES AT A

MEMORIAL AT BALMORAL  * CAMILLA'S NOTE PAID TRIBUTE TO HER 'DARLING FATHER' MAJOR BRUCE SHAND, WHO SERVED IN THE 12TH LANCERS   * THE RED ARROWS CARRIED OUT A SPECTACULAR

FLYPAST AND THE QUEEN WILL ADDRESS THE COUNTRY AT 9PM TONIGHT By STEPHANIE LINNING FOR MAILONLINE Published: 07:22 EDT, 8 May 2020 | Updated: 10:03 EDT, 8 May 2020 Prince Charles and the

Duchess of Cornwall led the nation in a solemn two-minute silence to remember the fallen on the 75th anniversary of VE Day.  Charles, 71, and Camilla, 72, known as the Duke and Duchess of

Rothesay in Scotland, each laid a floral tribute at a war memorial at Balmoral Castle, Aberdeenshire, before falling silent in memory of the heroes of the Second World War. The moment held

added poignancy for Camilla, who left a touching handwritten note to her 'darling father' Major Bruce Shand, a decorated officer who fought with the 12th Lancers.    The royals and

politicians today lead the nation in remembrance after large scale commemorative events were cancelled due to the coronavirus crisis.  This morning the Red Arrows performed a spectacular

flypast over London and at 9pm the Queen will address the nation in a special broadcast from Windsor Castle.  Scroll down for videos  At Balmoral, Charles wore Highland Day Dress - a Hunting

Stewart kilt with a Gordon Highlanders tie and lapel badge - as well as wearing medals and neck order.   Camilla, her 4 Rifles dress, because she is Royal Colonel of the regiment, and her

12th Royal Lancers regimental brooch, looked sombre as she laid the flowers at Balmoral, where she and Prince Charles have been in isolation for several weeks. The bouquet was handpicked by

the Duchess from the grounds of Birkhall.  Tied to the stems of Camilla's bouquet was a monogrammed note card with a message that read: 'In memory of my darling father, and all the

officers and men of the 12th Lancers, who fought so bravely to give us peace. Camilla.'  She took a moment to remember her father, Major Bruce Shand, who joined the army in 1937 as a

cavalry officer with the 12th Lancers and went onto become a decorated war hero, as she laid her flowers. She enjoyed a close relationship with her father until his death in 2006 at the age

of 89.  Charles' handwritten message with his floral tribute read: 'In everlasting remembrance'.  The Queen will address the country from Windsor Castle at 9pm this evening

and afterwards, Britons will be invited to join in with a singalong to Vera Lynn's wartime classic, We'll Meet Again. HOW CAMILLA'S 'DARLING FATHER' MAJOR SHAND

BECAME A SECOND WORLD WAR HERO - AND SURVIVED A POW CAMP The Duchess' father, Major Bruce Shand, joined the army in 1937 as a cavalry officer with the 12th Lancers and went onto become

a decorated war hero.  In 1942, already decorated with the Military Cross and bar from the early campaign in France, but by then serving in North Africa, he was praised by Churchill during a

surprise morale-boosting visit by the Prime Minister. Churchill spotted his medals and remarked: 'You're a very young man [to have won two medals]. How splendid. But you look so

thin.' Soon after, he was posted to the Libyan desert to face the might of Rommel's tanks in the battle of El Alamein. Later, he described an encounter with the Germans in which

his sergeant and the driver of their armoured car were both killed.  Himself already wounded, he managed to jump on to another scout car, but was once again hit.  He recalled in his memoirs,

Previous Engagements: "Something like whiplash stung my cheek and Sergeant Francis beside me slumped to the bottom of the car with a large hole in his chest, killed instantly... 

'I do not remember hitting the ground. A buzz of German voices greeted my return to consciousness."  Shand spent the rest of the war at Spangenburg PoW camp: "It wasn't

Claridge's, but at least the reception was warming," he recalled. In fact, the regime was grim and the wait for release long and demoralising, though Shand sat it out with his

usual stoic charm.  General Sir Nick Carter, Chief of the Defence Staff, this morning urged the public to 'spare a thought' for those stuck at home at a time of celebration as he

said the scaled-down commemorative events necessitated by strict lockdown measures made it 'tough' on veterans. The Prime Minister has also written to veterans, assuring them their

efforts will 'always be remembered'. In a heartfelt message to the nation this morning, Boris Johnson said 'our gratitude will be eternal' to the 'soldiers, sailors

and airmen fought the Nazis with courage, ingenuity and stubborn endurance.'  In a video addressing the nation this morning, the PM said: 'Seventy five years ago, the people of

this country celebrated victory against Hitler's aggression. In cities scarred by enemy bombing, the crowds gave thanks for a national exertion greater than anything else before or

since. What our country and our allies did was to save freedom. 'Britain and the Commonwealth and Empire were the only nations who fought Hitler from the first day of the Second World

War to the last without being defeated and occupied. For a whole year, 1940-41, we stood alone against him, the last barrier to his tyranny. If we'd gone down, then it wasn't just

our country that would have been destroyed, but liberty and democracy everywhere. UNITED IN REMEMBRANCE: HOW THE ROYALS MARKED VE DAY WITH MOVING INSTAGRAM POSTS  The Duke and Duchess of

Cambridge have kicked off celebrations for the 75th anniversary of VE Day by sharing a post dedicated to the Queen. Kate Middleton, 38, and Prince William's, 37, Instagram account

@KensingtonRoyal posted a collection of photographs from the celebrations to mark the big day. Amoung the images was one of Her Majesty - then Princess Elizabeth - aged 19, with the caption

detailing how she worked as a mechanic in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. Sharing a snap of celebrations in Trafalgar Square, the caption went on: 'When the guns fell silent on this

day in 1945, Princess Elizabeth and her sister Princess Margaret joined the jubilant crowds in central London — the future Queen attempted to stay anonymous during the celebrations by

pulling her cap down over her eyes.' Meanwhile  the Queen's, 93, Instagram account paid tribute to her father's King George's historic speech, sharing a clip of the King

saying: 'There is great comfort in the thought that the years of darkness and danger in which the children of our country have grown up are over and, please God, for ever.' 

'During the war Her Majesty The Queen - then Princess Elizabeth - joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service, where she trained as a mechanic, becoming the first female member of the

Royal Family to join the Armed Services as a full-time active member.' It finished: 'Members of The Royal Family, including The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, will mark the day —

keep an eye on our feed, and on @RoyalFamily for more later today.'  Meanwhile the Queen's Instagram page also shared a post to mark the celebrations. It shared a clip of King

George's iconic evening speech,  captioning the video: 'Today is the 75th anniversary of VE Day: the day when people across the Commonwealth marked the end of war in Europe with a

mixture of jubilation and quiet reflection on the many sacrifices which had been made for peace.' 'On 8 May 1945, King George VI made a radio broadcast to the people of the

Commonwealth to mark the end of war in Europe. 'This evening, The Queen will make a special address at 9pm, the exact time her father spoke 75 years ago.' And Prince Charles and

Camilla's Instagram page also shared a series of black-and-white images to mark the day and invoke the VE Day spirit. The final story shared by the couple read: 'Thank you. Today,

the Royal Family will help remember those who lost their lives and reflect on the events 75 years ago.'  But we did not fail: thanks to the heroism of countless ordinary people, who may

be elderly today, but who once carried the fate of freedom itself on their shoulders. Across the world, our soldiers, sailors and airmen fought the Nazis with courage, ingenuity and

stubborn endurance. 'On the home front, women defended out cities against air raids, worked the factories, ran the hospitals and broke enemy codes. People of every age, race and

background came together in one supreme effort, and they paid a grievous price, with over 450,000 British people laying down their lives. 'And yet they triumphed over every ordeal and

hardship and because of their victory, hundreds of millions of people live in peace and freedom today. The countries who we fought are now among our closest friends, and most of Europe has

enjoyed 75 years of peace. We are now engaged in a new struggle against the coronavirus, which demands the same spirit of national endeavour. 'And that means we can't hold the

parades and street celebrations we enjoyed in the past. But all of us, who were born since 1945, are acutely conscious that we owe everything we most value to the generation who won the

Second World War. Today we celebrate their achievement, we remember their sacrifice and we take pride in being their compatriots. We are a free people because of everything they did, and our

gratitude will be eternal.' Other VE Day celebrations have been put on and adapted so that the public can get involved, while still adhering to social-distancing guidelines. The

Government has created a template pack to enable people to host a 1940s-style afternoon tea from their living rooms or gardens, consisting of VE Day bunting, recipes, and games for children.

The family tree discovery service Ancestry.co.uk will be free throughout the Bank Holiday weekend to give people the opportunity to uncover personal stories of the war, the Department for

Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said Other broadcast events include a Royal British Legion's (RBL) VE Day 75 Livestream, which can be accessed at here, featuring a national toast to

war veterans at 3pm. The National Museum of the Royal Navy, the National Army Museum and the Royal Air Force Museum are also joining forces to host a free online festival, bringing to life

the stories of those who helped deliver Victory in Europe. King Charles IIIRoyals