this is bbc news. the headlines... prince charles leads the uk in remembrance, as locked—down communities fell silent for two minutes to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the second world war in europe. victory in europe was announced on this day in 1945 by the prime minister, sir winston churchill. winston churchill: this is. . .your victory! in all our long history, we have never seen a greater day than this. the red arrows flew over central london,

and modern raf typhoons appeared overhead in edinburgh, cardiff and belfast. in paris, president macron laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier. and german chancellor, angela merkel, laid a wreath at the new guardhouse memorial in berlin. as events take place at home and online to pay tribute, some communities are still managing to hold socially—distanced celebrations. this is the scene at inverness war memorial, where ve day commemorations continue. in other news, there's to be limited easing of lockdown restrictions in wales with people able to exercise more than once a day and garden centres re—opening.

let's take you straight to inverness war memorial where ve day commemorations continue. let us hear a little of this life. bagpipes play.

just one of the many celebrations and commemorations up and down the country. a two—minute silence has been held across the united kingdom to commemorate the 75th anniversary of ve day. events are taking place all day, but public gatherings have been cancelled as the country remains in lockdown because of coronavirus. victory in europe day marks the day in 1945 when britain and its allies accepted the unconditional surrender of nazi germany, bringing the war in europe to an end. the prince of wales and the duchess of cornwall led the silence from balmoral, and the queen will address the nation this evening. our first report is from our royal correspondent nicholas witchell. in the streets largely deserted due to the lockdown, britain remembered and gave thanks for the day when the second world war in europe came to an end.

the nation's tribute was led by the prince of wales with the duchess of cornwall at the war memorial on the balmoral estate. a cannon at edinburgh castle marked the start of a two—minute silence and carefully managed moments of remembrance across the nation. at balmoral, as the silence ended, the prince of wales laid his wreath in tribute to the second world war generation which overcome the tyranny of nazi germany. the cost had been high. nearly 400,000 members of britain's armed services

lost their lives in the second world war, and a further 60,000 civilians. over the white cliffs near dover, two spitfires, the wartime fighter aircraft which played such a key role in the defence of britain, flying today in remembrance of the few, linking the community over which they flew with the events of 75 years ago. keeping watch is a man who led the english to victory in an earlier time. his column stands at the very centre of the commonwealth of nations. crowds below him, rejoicing day and night. on this day in 1945, many tens of thousands of people took to the streets in joyous celebration that the war in europe was over. the contrast with those same streets today is striking.

mass commemorations have been made impossiblem but the nation's remembrance has been made all the more poignant by the coronavirus losses. 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. we remember the millions of people from across the united kingdom, from across the world, who came together in world war ii to fight for our shared values. values of freedom, of democracy, of peace. 75 years after the end of the second world war, a nation in lockdown looked beyond its present challenges to give thanks. thanks which will be expressed tonight in a special broadcast by the queen. nicholas witchell, bbc news. events are planned throughout the uk today, but the commemorations are taking a different tone,

with large gatherings cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic and people urged to celebrate at home. but that's not preventing the occasion from being marked in style. duncan kennedy reports from portsmouth. last post plays. names, real people, lives lost, hope to come. staring out from the portsmouth naval memorial, the list of some of those who couldn't come back and celebrate ve day. this morning, they made their absence felt on this national day of commemoration. i think our veterans need to be reminded how thankful we are for what they have achieved and what they have done. i think it's also important to let them know they still inspire us

today from that generation. off the coast of dover, where spitfires and hurricanes once defended the nation, the red arrows soared over, thrilling those below. in rutland, 96—year—old second world war glider veteran ken 0dell marking his own silence in his own way. # we're going to hang out the washing on the siegfried line... with today's two—minute silence came the first of the nationwide street parties. this was chester. coronavirus was not part of the planned ve day events so here and everywhere celebration has come with safety. this street would normally be having a big street party anyway, so why don't we try and do something here?

we waited until after the nhs clapped, we'd had a drink, and i said, who fancies some singing? at wallington in surrey, they are getting ready for their party. up goes the bunting to connect with the nation's mood of gratitude and relief at war‘s end. i think the sacrifices people made back in 1939—45, without them we wouldn't be living in the world we live in today. this is a special moment — shared, collective. 0n ve day, winston churchill said, "even if it is a hard struggle, we will not be the ones who fail." we didn't fail. and now we mark that perseverance, determination and will to overcome. it was at this very time — 75 years ago — that the prime minister sir winston churchill

addressed the nation to confirm that the war in europe had ended. let's hear some of what he said... this is your victory. it is the victory of the cause of freedom in every land. in all our long history, we have never seen a greater day than this. iam i am pleased to say that we can speak to his great grandson. duncan sandys, who joins us from the united states. what does today it mean for you? what does today it mean for you ?|i am extremely proud of my family heritage, but i am humbled and

amazed that people are still so inspired by my great grandfather, more than 50 years after he died. we have seen today, you just played the video of him speaking on the balcony, overlooking whitehall. all he did was he did what he thought was his part, and it was the british people, it was millions of others across the world who were working ha rd to across the world who were working hard to win that victory, and he just saw it as that. remarkable. every nation needs a strong leader, though. i think i am right in saying that your father was with his grandfather on ve day, is that correct? yes, so my father was the eldest grandchild of winston and client team, and he was seven years old on ve day. my grandfather

suggested to winston that he took my father out on the balcony with him, and it was something that my father remembered for the rest of his life. that is what i was going to ask you. how much did your father talk about it? i appreciate as you have nodded too, your whole family history, you cannot escape it. on a father or son level, what did your dad say to you when you were growing out app and what did he relate to you? he did not talk about it that much, but when the anniversary came around in 1955, he wanted to go to london. i think the thing that stuck to him the most where the crowds. he went and stood outside with thousands of others shouting that they wanted the king and queen to come out on the balcony, and he wanted to go back for the 50th anniversary and just stand in front of buckingham palace as he had done in 1945 as a little boy. what have you always considered

the importance of reminding younger generations about what went on, reminding them, explaining, teaching them about the work with mike well, i think it was a remarkable generation, the second world war generation, the second world war generation, the second world war generation, the greatest generation as they are sometimes called. we would not be living the lives we lived today without the sacrifices that they made, and i think that in the time we are in at this very moment, fighting coronavirus, i think we can draw great inspiration from them. they went through very, very tough battles, but what does mike hearwe are very tough battles, but what does mike hear we are today, and we can inspiration from the fact that they did come through it and we will come through this as well. it is interesting you raise that. i wonder whether you feel there has just been a few too many war analogies with this. it is a terribly difficult time, of course it is fine downright frightening, but in duration, it is not remotely in the same league as a

watch that generation went through. do you think too many parallels are being made? well, i am not really sure on that, but i think that we can draw inspiration from that generation. we are in our own time, we are in our own fight at the moment. very different to what it was between 1939 and 1945. but we can draw inspiration. they came through it and we came through it. 0ne through it and we came through it. one of the things that winston churchill managed to do during the war was to inspire people, to make people feel that there was hope for a better tomorrow, that that tomorrow would come, and if everybody plays their partjust as he played his part, then we will come through this. fascinating to have your insights, and i really appreciate your time today of all days. thank you very much indeed, very good to speak to you.

his father was with sir winston churchill on the occasion of making that remarkable address, and very interesting to hear him use the word inspiration are so many times in that interview. we are going to stay with our coverage of the ve day commemorations,... the news of the end of the war was announced by then—prime minister winston churchill, who delivered that famous speech 75 years ago. let us continue to discuss that and the importance and relevance of the day's commemorations. we can speak now to the author and military historian sir antony beevor. good afternoon. good afternoon to you. i hope you are able to hear some of that, and he used the words inspiration so many times. from your perspective as a historian, explain particularly for a much younger viewers, just how important sir winston churchill and his rhetoric was during that period. well, i

think that churchill's rhetoric was vastly important. i think it was murrow who described the way he that the english language into battle, andi the english language into battle, and i think that had a vast influence on britain at a crucial moment, particularly in 1940. above all, we must remember that the one moment when hitler, the only moment when hitler could have really won the whole war was in late may 1940 when church hill refused to allow any question of negotiation with the axes. this is when the army was touched off at dunkirk. it seemed we we re touched off at dunkirk. it seemed we were facing defeat. —— cut off. churchill did not allow any question of allowing the italians to find out the terms that the germans with execs from us, and he knew it would lead to defeat. that was the one moment when hitler could have won the war. and you and i could be

talking in very different terms or in very different circumstances. indeed. 0f in very different circumstances. indeed. of course, nothing in history is inevitable. a very important rule for all historians. at the same time, even especially with the benefit of hindsight, i think we are able to look back and see the different turning point of the war, and that was the first and most essential turning point of all. and in terms of thinking about today, what was happening 75 years ago today, now we think about it collectively as a period of immense celebration, we are familiar with those wonderful images from trafalgar square, people celebrating. but it was also a very tough time, and there will have been people in those clouds they had lost soi’is people in those clouds they had lost sons in particular, those who had lost all their sons. —— sons in particular, those who had lost all theirsons. —— in sons in particular, those who had lost all their sons. —— in those crowds. are we right to think of it as purely a celebration? there were difficulties around it as well. know, one cannot think of it purely

asa know, one cannot think of it purely as a celebration because you are right. many people were remembering those they had lost, and many who did not know whether relatives of theirs had survived. there was still theirs had survived. there was still the war going on in the far east, and there were many who did not know whether their son, brother or father had died in a japanese whether their son, brother or father had died in ajapanese prisoner of war camp. had died in ajapanese prisoner of warcamp. so had died in ajapanese prisoner of war camp. so there were a lot of question marks still having over. even when one looks from country to country, there was a tremendous variety of emotions in every country on the 8th of may. very good of you to give us your time. i'm sorry we cannot speak a little longer, but good to speak to you this afternoon. that is the historian sir anthony beever. the anniversary of ve day has been marked across europe. the french president francois macron and the german chancellor angela merkel have laid wreaths in commemoration. in a minute, we'll hear from our correspondents in paris and moscow, but first, jenny hill is in berlin for us..

75 years ago, the reichstag was in ruins, berlin was destroyed and germany defeated. today, berliners have a public holiday as this country commemorates not victory over but liberation from the nazis. germany's past still overshadows society and politics today. it's one of the reasons, for example, that germany has been reluctant to assume a more significant military role in overseas conflicts. today, 1600 international guests should have gathered here for commemorations. instead, because of the corona outbreak, events are rather more low—key. but today is still a chance for this country to reflect on the atrocities perpetuated in its name which, to this day, for many germans, remain a great source of shame. well, in russia, its may 9th which is celebrated as victory day, and it was a victory secured at enormous cost here. more than 27 million soviet citizens were killed in what russians refer

to as the great patriotic war. and normally on victory day, there are big patriotic events taking place all over russia. but not this year. coronavirus has forced the kremlin to postpone what was going to be a massive military parade on red square and a big public event in the city centre afterwards. but president putin will be making an address to the russian people and there will be a fly past by the russian air force, 75 aircraft to mark 75 years since the defeat of nazi germany. never in 75 years of commemorations has the tomb of the unknown soldier here at the arc de triomphe been so empty. no crowds of dignitaries and onlookers, just a small group of ministers carefully spaced around president macron. at a time when people are talking about about solidarity in crisis, world war ii brings up mixed memories for france. joy at liberation but also

shame at the years of occupation that preceded it. 75 years ago today, that was something general charles de gaulle, then leader of the free french, understood. he framed the war as a story of national resistance to replace the memories of division and defeat. this morning, president macron laid a wreath at the statue of charles de gaulle here in paris. he's called on people to hang the colours of the french flag from their windows and balconies. a moment of shared european history remembered today in isolation. lucy williamson there in paris. coronavirus lockdowns mean there will be no large scale street parties or parades, but people are still finding ways to mark the anniversary of ve day. let's speak now to our correspondent fiona trott, who is in sunderland for us.

well, this is probably the most modern cul—de—sac in sunderland, but right now, it does very much feel like the 1940s. we have the bonding out here today, the flags in the windows, the poppies as well, and of course the tunes playing in the background. it is notjust this house, it is happening at the other end of the street as well. everybody going out into their own driveway or their own garden and having a street party, a safe distance away from their neighbours. they have gone to a lot of effort, even differed here at this house is red white and blue. the lady behind it all here in this pa rt the lady behind it all here in this part of sunderland is faith. tell us why you have organised this. in these uncertain times, we wanted the community to come together, have some afternoon tea and a few drinks and just have a really good time and spread some cheer. actually, it has

not rained yet. it has been threatening to, but it is still dry. it is lovely and sunny and looks like it will be sunny again. we can live in hope. i want to introduce you to their neighbour sue, because you to their neighbour sue, because you have been very hard at work picking up all these declarations. how have you managed to do this? everybody is a social distancing. we tried very hard, but we managed, with precision, and johnny next door did everything and told us to step back, and then we helped out and moved tables and chairs, but we got there eventually. the third as well of course. you have gone to so much trouble, but it has not been easy to get everything you need. of course, you have been quite —— you have been baking as well, which is quite difficult at the moment. we made things that they did back in the day, we have made sandwiches, and just worked really hard and helped

each other out and got there eventually. you have a tea cup there but it does not look like t. yes, well spotted. no, it is not tea. it isa well spotted. no, it is not tea. it is a bit ofa well spotted. no, it is not tea. it is a bit of a tipple. enjoy the rest of the afternoon, and well done for all your hard work. back to you in the studio. thank you very much, fiona. i bet she loves you for an outing you on that one. it is a proper street party, as this is britain after all. 0n ve day, the queen — or princess elizabeth, as she was then known, was 19 years old. four decades later, she described her experiences of that day in a bbc broadcast. the royal family has just released that audio file on their social media channels, and we can listen to that now. i remember the thrill and relief after the previous day's waiting for

the prime ministermake an announcement at the end of the war in europe. my parents went out on the balcony and responded to the huge crowds outside. i think we went on the balcony nearly every hour, six times. and then, when the excitement of the flood lights being switched on got through to us, my sister and i realised we couldn't see what the crowds were enjoying. my see what the crowds were enjoying. my mother had put her tiara on for the occasion, so we asked my parents if we could go out and see for ourselves. i remember we were terrified of being recognised, so i pulled my uniform cap well down over my eyes. we had an officer in the party of around 16 people, and he said he would refuse to be seen in the company of another officer improperly dressed, so i had to put

my cap normally. we cheered the king and queen on the balcony. we then walked miles through the streets. i remember lines of unknown people linking arms and walking down whitehall, all of usjust linking arms and walking down whitehall, all of us just swept along on a tide of happiness and relief. i remember the amazement of my cousin, just back from four and a half years in a prisoner of war camp. he walked freely with his family in the friendly strong. i also remember when someone exchanged hats with a dutch sailor, coming along with us in order to get his cap back. after crossing green park, we stood outside and shouted, we wa nt we stood outside and shouted, we want the king. we were successful in seeing my parents on the balcony,

having cheated slightly because we sent a message into the house to say we we re sent a message into the house to say we were waiting outside. i think it was one of the most memorable nights of my life. that is wonderful. that has just been released, of my life. that is wonderful. that hasjust been released, an audio recording from more than 30 years ago, but the queen remembering ve day. that has just been released ago, but the queen remembering ve day. that hasjust been released by the royal family. people all over the uk are commemorating the 75th anniversary of ve day, the day when nazi germany surrendered to allied forces and the second world war in europe was declared over. there is much more to come, and the queen will be addressing the nation this evening of course, but earlier on today we had a nationwide two—minute silence, and that was led

by the prince of wales at balmoral. bagpipes play.

remembering the end of the second world war in europe. much more to come. let us pause, and right now we will catch up with the weather prospects from thomas. hello. it is very warm out there today, and the weather's

mostly behaving itself. i say mostly because there is a possibility of a few downpours and even a crack of thunder, so do not be surprised. 24 in london, likejune orjuly. 18 degrees in the north. now, the showers will clear eventually. they may last into the evening hours, but after midnight, it is certainly looking clear across many central and eastern areas of the uk. a bit more cloud towards the west here. then this lump of rain across the very far north, that is a cold front, and that cold front is going to bring a very big change to our weather by sunday. the process starts on saturday. in fact, cloud and rain in scotland, in the north, and much colder, whereas south of the central lowlands on saturday, it is still very warm and sunny with the odd shower. so there is going to be a huge difference between saturday and sunday. take a look at london for example. 24 on saturday, only 15 on sunday.

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