Central London was teeming with patriots this morning, as the final day of England’s four-day celebrations to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day officially got underway.
Thursday, May 8, marks 80 years since the Allies formally accepted Germany’s surrender, while Monday, May 5, saw armed forces from Nato allies join a procession in the capital before King Charles was joined by four generations of senior royals on the Buckingham Palace balcony to watch the Red Arrows flypast.
Kicking off the final day of celebrations today, royals and politicians arrived at Westminster Abbey for the annual Thanksgiving Service, which features readings, wreath-laying and a speech from the Prime Minister.
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Catherine, Princess of Wales arrived wearing a cream and black polka dot dress by Alessandra Rich, previously worn for the Garter Day service in 2023. She accessorised with a tan top-handle bag, matching heels and a black fascinator.
Her husband, William, Prince of Wales, was matching with his father, King Charles III, in navy suits with white shirts, striped ties, and their various medals.
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Queen Camilla was also in white, opting for a white crepe silk dress and white coat with graduated black stitching by Anna Valentine, with a black and white hat by Philip Treacy. She adorned the look with the brooch of the 12th Lancers, thought to be a nod to her late father’s regiment.
Elsewhere, Victoria Starmer sported a cobalt blue dress with a folded chest, as well as a matching hat, which was rented for the day. More colourful offerings came in the form of Akshata Murty’s bright orange, high-collar midi dress, and Samantha Cameron’s lace green look.
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On Monday, the fashion was more of a family affair. Catherine, the Princess of Wales selected a berry-purple Emilia Wickstead coat dress, previously worn to welcome the South African Prime Minister to the UK in November 2022. She finished the look with a matching shade Sean Barrett pillbox hat and a gold winged RAF brooch which is thought to nod to her paternal grandfather Peter Middleton, who served as a fighter pilot during the Second World War.
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She was joined by her husband, William, Prince of Wales and three children, Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte. The latter celebrated her 10th birthday on Friday, May 2, marked by a new picture taken by her mother during a walking trip to Cumbria earlier in the year.
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Prince Louis, aged seven, showed some signs of unrest in his navy suit, white shirt and tie, as he sat in the royal box between his father and Prince George, aged 11, before members of the royal family watched the flypast from the balcony of the Palace.
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Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh opted for spring shades wearing a light pink, double-breasted button gingham dress by Suzannah London and a raised headband. It is an old favourite of the royal, who has also worn the outfit to a Buckingham Palace Garden Party in 2023 and the Trooping the Colour in 2022.
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Queen Camila meanwhile opted for a cobalt blue ensemble with matching hat as she stepped out alongside King Charles. The family will hope that this display of pomp will distract from recent comments made by Prince Harry, in a surprise interview with the BBC, which dominated last week’s headlines.
The Princess Royal instead wore the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry uniform, which her late mother Queen Elizabeth II also wore on Buckingham Palace’s balcony, with Winston Churchill, as she celebrated the first VE Day in 1945.
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Sir Keir arrived with his wife Lady Victoria Starmer ahead of the military procession. She opted for a white polka-dot maxi dress with long sleeves from Sandro — not dissimilar to an Alessandra Rich polka-dot design worn by Kate Middleton to Royal Ascot in 2022.
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Kemi Badenoch, Leader of the Opposition, dressed for the slight chill in a plain trench coat.
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After the flypast, the King hosted veterans, along with key members of the family, at a tea party in Buckingham Palace.
See our full coverage from VE Day 2025 here.
The best dressed attendees at VE Day 2025:
Lady Victoria Starmer
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