King and Queen attend VE Day 80th anniversary service at Westminster Abbey

The King and Queen have paid their respects to Britain’s war dead at a service to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day.

The royal couple were among 2,000 people – including 78 veterans – who attended the ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London.

The thanksgiving service, which included music and readings, paused at midday for a national two-minute silence in memory of those who died.

Other attendees included the Prince and Princess of Wales, along with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and some of his Downing Street predecessors, including David Cameron and Boris Johnson.

The King laid a wreath, which featured the message “We will never forget”, at the grave of the Unknown Warrior, followed by the Prince of Wales.

At their side, watching from his wheelchair, was veteran Ken Hay, 99, who served in the infantry regiment.

Actor Josh Dylan read a letter from Lance Corporal Fredrick Burgess to his seven-year-old son Freddie, written while he was serving in Italy.

He quoted the serviceman, whose granddaughter Susan was among those in the abbey, as writing: “When I do come home, and it will not be very long now, I’m going to buy you something extra specially nice for being such a good boy.”

Lance Corporal Burgess also described the rain in Italy and how his small tank, which he named Freddie II after his son, had been damaged with a “whacking big hole” by a bomb.

Dylan revealed: “Seven months after writing this letter, Lance Corporal Burgess was killed.”

An excerpt of wartime prime minister Sir Winston Churchill‘s 1945 victory speech, in which he declared the war in Europe was over, was also played.

His great-great-grandson Alexander Churchill, aged 10, lit a peace candle and later read a prayer for “peace in Europe and across the world”.