D-Day – latest: Veteran warns ‘UK on a knife edge’ as Biden says world ‘won’t surrender’ at 80th anniversary

Brigitte Macron appeared to try and hold Queen Camilla’s hand as they laid flowers at the British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings on Thursday, reports Holly Patrick.

France’s first lady and the Queen, dressed in white, placed wreaths and stepped back to take a moment of reflection when Ms Macron reached out to the monarch.

Ms Macron appeared to slightly squeeze Camilla’s hand before the pair stood in silence by the monument.

The mayor of Arromanches led a D-Day parade with a Royal Guard Of Honour on Thursday, with veterans Alan Kennett, Stan Ford, and Albert Keir among those singing “Auld Lang Syne”.

Veterans were greeted by a standing ovation and world leaders as they arrived at the international ceremony in Saint-Laurent-Sur-Mer in France, where president Emmanuel Macron spoke and awarded orders of merit to veterans.

Some of the men wore military uniforms and medals and were greeted by senior guests including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Several of the ex-servicemen clapped, smiled and saluted as they entered the event with many being pushed in wheelchairs by carers.

A veteran was seen laughing with Mr Trudeau as he joked with the Canadian Prime Minister about needing a haircut.

Mr Zelensky and a second veteran shook hands and embraced as the ex-serviceman said to the Ukrainian President: “You’re the saviour of the people”.

French President Emmanuel Macron smiled as he presented three American veterans with the Legion d’honneur, France’s highest order of merit, at the ceremony.

Before awarding the honours, Mr Macron said: “We thank all of the veterans being present here and I just want to express the gratitude of the French people.”

He added that the three men had a “special relationship” with one of the beaches before shaking hands with the veterans in turn and attaching the medals to their jackets.

The BBC has apologised for an “inappropriate comment” that was captured during a programme commemorating D-Day.

D-Day 80: Tribute To The Fallen, which aired on June 5, was presented by Kirsty Young, from the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in Bayeux, France.

A clip from the live broadcast has been circulated on social media and features a voice that appears to say: “French a***holes”.

A BBC spokesman said: “We sincerely apologise for an inappropriate comment that was captured during live coverage of the D-Day 80 event in Bayeux.”

French president Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to the bravery of those who served in the Second World War and to the courage of Ukrainian president Zelensky at the D-Day commemoration ceremony.

Addressing veterans and world leaders present at the event, Mr Macron said: “When we look at war coming back to our continent, when we look at people questioning the values for which we fought, when we look at those who want to change borders by force by rewriting history - let us stand with dignity and look at those who landed here.

“Let us have their courage. Here, the president of Ukraine – your presence here today shows us this in a very forceful way.”

As his speech ended, a flyby trailing red, white and blue smoke flew over the event at Saint-Laurent-Sur-Mer in Normandy.

An 80-strong boat flotilla, one for each year since the D-Day landings, has been sailing off the coast of Falmouth, where troops departed on D-Day to travel to Normandy.

British paratroopers were made to show their passports after parachuting into France ahead of D-Day commemorations, my colleague Jabed Ahmed reports.

Hundreds of soldiers parachuted into the same rural drop zone which was used on D-Day 80 years ago in Sannerville, Normandy, on Wednesday.

More than 300 troops jumped into the field, including parachutists from Belgium and the US. As they landed, they were met by a makeshift customs desk and asked to produce their travel documents by French immigration officials. Crowds also went to watch the jump and the troops were applauded after landing.

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska received a huge round of applause when they arrived at the site of Omaha Beach in Normandy for the international ceremony, marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

French president Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron greeted all their senior guests, heads of state or their representatives from around the world, and giant screens showed them warmly welcoming the couple.