World leaders and veterans gathered in France on Thursday to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings. King Charles and the Prince of Wales both made speeches praising the bravery and sacrifice of those who served during the campaign to liberate Nazi-occupied north-western Europe. The King laid a wreath at the British Normandy Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer while Prince William joined heads of state at Omaha Beach in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer for the final event of the commemorations.
The King spoke about the lesson to learn from the D-Day landings, stating that free nations must stand together to oppose tyranny. The delegation at the commemoration was reminded of what the veterans stood for and the sacrifices they had made. The UK’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also attended the event.
Five years ago, 225 British veterans made their way to Normandy for the commemoration, with just 23 veterans, including some centenarians, attending this year. A US Navy veteran, Robert “Al” Persichitti from Rochester, New York, travelling to France, unfortunately, died on his way to the event.
In addition to US President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, other world leaders also attended commemorations across several locations. Prince William spoke at the Canadian commemorative ceremony on Juno Beach while President Macron of France honoured the bravery and sacrifice of those who fought. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine also took part in the day of tributes.
Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg also joined the commemorations in Normandy. Their 1998 film Saving Private Ryan depicted the US landings on Omaha Beach. On Thursday, the film was being shown in approximately 300 French cinemas to mark the D-Day anniversary
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