VE DAY 2020
VE day 2020
As many will have noticed by now, the traditional May bank holiday that normally takes place on the first Monday of the month was rescheduled to Friday 8th May this year following an announcement made during celebrations of D-Day in 2019. This reason for such a change was for the country to have the chance to come together and celebrate the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) day, though many are still unsure what this means.
What is VE day?
VE day saw Britain and its Allies accept, formally, the Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender after just under 6 years of war.
On this day 75 years ago the then Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, announced via the radio, that war for Europe has officially come to an end following the surrender by Germany just one day previous.
Inevitably, celebrations quickly broke out across the UK with popular figures including the Queen, at the time Princess Elizabeth, along with her sister venturing out to the streets of London to experience the excitement first-hand.
The events of the day for 2020:
10:50am – Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle and Lord West will lay wreaths on behalf of the Houses of Commons and Lords
11:00 – a national 2 minutes silence of remembrance will be held.
15:00 – as Churchill’s speech will be broadcast once more, people will be invited to stand and raise a glass in a national toast, whilst declaring “To those who gave so much, we thank you”.
21:00 – the Queen’s pre-recorded address will be broadcast, mirroring the exact moment her father, King George VI gave a radio address 75 years ago.
21:30 – spotlights will light up the sky in Portsmouth to recall the experience of blackouts during the war, the public are invited to shine a torch toward the sky in an act of remembrance.
