King Charles and Queen Camilla have arrived in Portsmouth to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
King Charles and Queen Camilla were met with a standing ovation and applause as they arrived at a poignant D-Day event in Portsmouth this morning.
The royal couple were introduced on stage by host Dame Helen Mirren and the King responded to the warm welcome by waving at the crowd.
The 75-year-old monarch gave a moving speech shortly after arriving on stage, where he paid tribute to D-Day veterans at a commemorative event in Portsmouth ahead of the 80th anniversary.
He said: “The stories of courage, resilience and solidarity we have heard today and throughout our lives cannot fail to move us, to inspire us and to remind us of what we owe to that great wartime generation.”
Addressing the crowd, the monarch said: “Today we come together to honour those nearly one hundred and sixty thousand British, Commonwealth and Allied troops who, on 5th June 1944, assembled here and along these shores to embark on the mission which would strike that blow for freedom and be recorded as the greatest amphibious operation in history.
King Charles delivered a poignant speech
King Charles pictured on Wednesday (Image: GETTY)
“Those who gathered here in Portsmouth would never forget the sight. It was by far the largest military fleet the world has ever known. Yet all knew that both victory and failure were possible, and none could know their fate.”
The King read a message from Field Marshal Montgomery, Commander in Chief of the Allied Ground Forces, and a poem by Keith Douglas during his powerful speech marking the D-Day anniversary.
Charles continued: “At this remove, eight decades later, it is a near impossible task to imagine the emotion of that day: the pride of being part of so great an enterprise, the anxiety of in some way not coming up to scratch, and the fear of that day being their last.”
He said it was our duty to ensure that future generations “do not forget their service and their sacrifice in replaying tyranny with freedom”, adding: “Our rights, and the liberty won at such terrible cost, bring with them responsibilities to others in the exercise of that liberty.”
King Charles wore many medals on his jacket (Image: GETTY)
The King also paid tribute to the war effort back at home, noting that it was not just the soldiers on the frontline who faced sacrifices.
“While it was the frontline troops who faced the greatest personal dangers, the privations and sacrifices of war were endured by so many more,” he said. “The Allied victory was a truly collective effort, born of the fortitude and hard work of those who remained on the Home Front, toiling in factories, under our land in the mines, out in the fields, or working in secret – men and women alike.
“Their collective industry, ingenuity and commitment helped our soldiers, sailors and airmen to prevail.”
He concluded by paying tribute to the soldiers involved in D-Day, adding: “For we are all, eternally, in their debt.”
Queen Camilla was also in attendance (Image: GETTY)
To mark the occasion, the King is wearing a full medal bar. These medals include the Queen’s Service Order (New Zealand), the Coronation Medal, the Silver Jubilee Medal, the Golden Jubilee Medal, the Diamond Jubilee Medal, the Platinum Jubilee Medal, the Naval Long Service Good Conduct (LSGC) with three additional service bars, Canadian Forces Decoration with three additional service bars, the New Zealand Commemorative Medal and the New Zealand Armed Forces Award.
King Charles is also wearing the order of merit around his neck.
This marks the first of two days of commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Tomorrow, the royal couple will head to Normandy to mark the occasion with veterans.
Prince William is also at today’s event, and will also head across the Channel to mark 80 years since the largest seaborne invasion in history that saw thousands of soldiers killed.
The Normandy landings took place on June 6, 1944 and went on to lay down the foundations for the Allied victory.
