A Country Commemorates

As Britain marks 80 years since VE Day, we explore the London museums and memorials paying tribute to those who lived through the Second World War

LAURA SILVERMAN

On Tuesday, 8 May 1945, at 3pm, the bells of Big Ben rang out on the BBC Home Service. Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister, took to the airwaves live from 10 Downing Street to announce that the war in Europe had come to an end, following Germany’s surrender the previous day. The Second World War had lasted nearly six years and cost millions of lives. Throngs of Londoners, many dressed in red, white and blue, gathered outside Buckingham Palace, cheering when King George VI appeared on the balcony. Summer 2025 marks 80 years since VE – Victory in Europe – Day. To commemorate the anniversary, there will be flypasts, street parties and celebrations at town halls up and down the country. Councils and care homes, pubs and restaurants will light…

You're reading a preview of

Britain (Digital) - 1 Issue, Britain 2025

DiscountMags is a licensed distributor (not a publisher) of the above content and Publication through Zinio LLC. Accordingly, we have no editorial control over the Publications. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including those made in Publications offered on our website, are those of the respective author(s) or publisher(s) and not of DiscountMags. DiscountMags does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness, or usefulness of all or any portion of any publication or any services or offers made by third parties, nor will we be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on information contained in any Publication, or your use of services offered, or your acceptance of any offers made through the Service or the Publications. For content removal requests, please contact Zinio.