King Charles to address the nation next week as Buckingham Palace releases statement
8 August 2025, 15:09
His Majesty the King is set to deliver an important message in a matter of days, the Royal Family has revealed.
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King Charles is preparing to address the nation next week as he's set to deliver a poignant message in remembrance of VJ Day.
The monarch's speech on 15th August will pay tribute to the 80th anniversary of 'Victory over Japan Day', which marks the end of World War II.
The 76-year-old royal has recorded an audio message which will be released by Buckingham Palace the morning of the commemoration next Friday.
Honouring the British soldiers who lost their lives before allied forces celebrated their victory, His Majesty is expected to mirror his grandfather's sentiments from his historic speech in 1945.
A royal insider revealed that King Charles was keen to recognise the "duty and sacrifice of our greatest generation" in the upcoming statement, reportedly written by himself.
80 years ago this month, King George VI delivered his iconic speech to signal the Second World War was over and marked the beginning of a new era in Britain.
Commending the military men who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country, the late royal said: "Japan has surrendered, so let us join in thanking Almighty God that war has ended throughout the world, and that in every country men may now turn their industry, skill, and science to repairing its frightful devastation and to building prosperity and happiness.
"Our sense of deliverance is overpowering, and with it all, we have a right to feel that we have done our duty.
"I ask you again at this solemn hour to remember all who have laid down their lives, and all who have endured the loss of those they love."
A two-minute silence will be held at 12 noon on 15th August across Britain, alongside a series of remembrance services honouring those who fought and died in World War II.
The BBC will broadcast live from the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, capturing the day's celebrations, which will feature "a spectacular tribute to veterans involving 400 members of the Armed Forces, the Red Arrows and historic aircraft from The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight".
101-year-old Second World War veteran Tom Berry, who served on HMS Tartar in the Pacific when Japan surrendered, said it will be a moving moment for him.
"For veterans like me and all those who carried on fighting until VJ Day was announced, this will be a very emotional day – a moment in history.
"I’ll be watching the service at home, and I’d ask the country to do the same – to stop and remember all those who gave so much for our freedoms, and those who never made it back."
King Charles's special address comes after the monarch updated Brits on his health following his cancer diagnosis in February 2024.
During a visit to Jockey Club Rooms in Newmarket in July this year, he reportedly told a fan that he was "feeling a lot better now and that it was ‘just one of those things.'"
Despite his ongoing treatment for an undisclosed type of cancer, the father-of-two is continuing his royal duties alongside his wife Queen Camilla.
- Read more: What cancer does King Charles have? What we know about his health condition
- Read more: What happened to King Charles' fingers?
