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| Sean Coughlan | Royal Correspondent |
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| Welcome to Royal Watch. Today is the 80th anniversary of VE Day, which marked the end of World War Two in Europe. The King and Queen have been leading memorial events this week, including a thanksgiving service in Westminster Abbey this morning. Prince Harry laid bare the scale of the rift within the Royal Family, in an extraordinary interview with the BBC. Plus, the shortlist of designs for the national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II has been announced. And the King is showing support with an important trip to Canada. Keep sending your comments and suggestions for the newsletter to royalwatch@bbc.co.uk. We love hearing from you.
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VE Day's poignant anniversary | On Monday, there was a royal gathering on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch a flypast marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day. King Charles, Queen Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children were among the royals at the commemorative event in central London. |
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 | The Royal Family appeared on Buckingham Palace's balcony to watch the Red Arrows flypast. Credit: PA | It was an inescapably poignant moment. At the centre of events were representatives of the shrinking number of veterans who served in World War Two. There were about two dozen viewing the parade, and afterwards they went to the Palace for a tea party. While commemorations tried to evoke a 1940s atmosphere, for veterans that time period is a first-hand memory rather than a history lesson. |
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 | Catherine, Princess of Wales, chatted to guests at the veterans' tea party. Credit: PA | We often hear politicians talk about fighting for democracy, but these men and women, now in their late 90s and older, actually did that and won. It's unlikely there will be many veterans at the next such major anniversary. So this was the public's chance to say a final thank you. |
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 | Prince William laid a wreath after the two-minute silence at midday. Credit: Reuters | Commemorations continued today with the fourth and final day of events. This morning saw a solemn service of thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey, with the King and Queen and Prince and Princess of Wales in attendance. There were prayers for peace as well as recollections of war. The two-minute silence that filled this usually busy part of London left everyone with their own memories. VE Day concerts at London's Horse Guards Parade and the Royal Albert Hall will follow this evening. |
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A raw and remarkable interview | Prince Harry made headlines around the world over the weekend with an interview to the BBC revealing the strife within the Royal Family and his hopes for the future.
"There have been so many disagreements between myself and some of my family," he said. "I would love reconciliation with my family. There's no point continuing to fight any more, life is precious."
But he said that his father, King Charles, "won't speak" to him. |
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 | Prince Harry was emotional and spoke candidly during the interview | The prince's remarks came after his failed court attempt to challenge the downgrading of his security when he visits the UK. The Duke of Sussex seemed upset and angry as he gave his reaction to the courtroom defeat, in which a judge said his "sense of grievance" didn't translate into a legal argument.
Buckingham Palace also rebuffed his complaints about security, saying: "All of these issues have been examined repeatedly and meticulously by the courts, with the same conclusion reached on each occasion."
The interview in California was a remarkable moment; it had a rawness that no one expected and was one of those rare times when television gets behind the curtain of the royal world.
It remains to be seen whether that makes a family reconciliation more or less likely. |
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