Queen's VE Day speech: What time is the address and how can I watch?
Her Majesty's speech marks the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day
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Your support makes all the difference.On Tuesday 28 April, it was announced that the Queen is to make a special televised address to the nation on VE Day.
The rare speech will mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day, otherwise known as 'Victory in Europe Day' which commemorates the day towards the end of the Second World War when fighting against Nazi Germany in Europe came to an end.
“At a time when many are looking for unity and hope, the BBC will bring households together to remember the past, pay tribute to the Second World War generation and honour our heroes both then and now,” said Tony Hall, BBC director general.
Here is everything you need to know about the speech, from when it will occur to how you can watch.
When is it taking place?
The address is scheduled to occur on Friday 8 May, taking place at 9pm in the evening – the exact time her father, King George VI, made his radio address to the nation in 1945 to announce victory in Europe after what he called “nearly six years of suffering and peril”.
It will be broadcast to members of the public in the United Kingdom and across the Commonwealth.
How can I watch?
The message will be shown on broadcast on BBC One, in addition to being aired on the radio.
It will also be shown across the royal family's official social media channels on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, so people can still watch it if they miss the live broadcast.
Are other members of the royal family taking part?
The BBC will also air a pre-recorded video message from Prince Charles, who will read an extract from his grandfather King George VI's diary from VE Day describing the day’s events, including the royal family’s Buckingham Palace balcony appearances.
What other events are happening to mark the anniversary?
The Queen’s message will form the centrepiece of a televised musical event VE Day 75: The People’s Celebration, which will begin at 8pm.
After the broadcast on BBC One, the public will be invited to take part in a country-wide singalong of Dame Vera Lynn's wartime anthem "We'll Meet Again".
Additional events throughout the day will include a two minute silence at 11 a.m. and a broadcast of then Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill’s victory speech in the afternoon.
On radio, Jeremy Vine will also discuss the pivotal moments that led to the end of the war and Radio 3’s Words And Music will share diary extracts from 1945 with interludes of poetry and music themed around gratitude.
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