Camilla’s tears for fallen D-Day hero on eightieth anniversary

At the Portsmouth commemorations – hosted by Dame Helen Mirren – William read an extract from the diary of Captain Alastair Bannerman, a soldier who was part of D-Day, addressed to his wife on the morning of the landings.

He told the flag-waving crowd he was ‘deeply honoured’ to be part of proceedings on Southsea Common and said ‘we will always remember those who served’.

Delivering his speech to the crowd, the King said: ‘The stories of courage, resilience and solidarity which you 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, now tragically dwindling to so few.

‘It is our privilege to hear that testimony, but our role is not purely passive. It is our duty to ensure that we and future generations do not forget their service and their sacrifice in replacing tyranny with freedom.’

Charles faced breezy conditions on stage as he spoke, with his speech notes blowing around in his hand.

In his programme notes for the event, the King spoke of his ‘profound admiration and respect’ for those who took part in D-Day, adding: ‘It remains our solemn duty to continue to honour the outstanding gallantry, service and sacrifice of those who took part in that perilous mission.’ 

Later, Call The Midwife star Helen George led an ensemble of singers in a rendition of Dame Vera Lynn’s We’ll Meet Again at the D-Day national commemorative event in Portsmouth.

Veterans in the audience were seen singing along to the lyrics as members of the crowd waved union flags.

The song, released in 1939, has become closely associated with the Second World War and became the basis of a 1943 musical of the same name set during the Blitz in London.

Rishi Sunak read an address by Field Marshal Montgomery, which was delivered to the troops ahead of the D-Day landings.

In his contribution to the commemorative event in Portsmouth, the Prime Minister read out the short address which began: “The time has come to deal the enemy a terrific blow in Western Europe. The blow will be struck by the combined sea, land and air forces of the Allies together constituting one great allied team, under the supreme command of General Eisenhower.”

It continued: “To us is given the honour of striking a blow for freedom which will live in history; and in the better days that lie ahead men will speak with pride of our doings. We have a great and a righteous cause.”

Prince William took centre stage at the event by making the opening address, in which he spoke of the families who ‘watched their loved ones go into battle’ as they left for the largest seaborne invasion in history in June 1944.

Addressing the crowd at Southsea Common, William said: ‘We will always remember those who served and those who waved them off.

‘The mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters who watched their loved ones go into battle, unsure if they would ever return.

‘Today we remember the bravery of those who crossed this sea to liberate Europe. Those who ensured that Operation Overlord was a success. And those who waited for their safe return.’

He said those who fought on D-Day ‘came from across our nation and from all walks of life to join in the fight against tyranny’.

‘Many of those that took up arms had never seen combat before, some were still only in their teens,’ he added.

The prince read a moving and poetic letter by Captain Alastair Bannerman of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, written in his diary at 3am on the morning of D-Day, just hours before the landings, and addressed to his wife.

It spoke of the moon shining though heavy clouds and the ‘row of small ships and of darker balloons silhouetted in front and behind us against the grey sea’.

Captain Bannerman thought of his wife and two young sons asleep in their nursery – and photographs of the soldier and his blond-haired children were shown on the screen behind William as he read the words.

”I can imagine how you listen to the news at 9 o’clock and think of me with love. I hope that Andrew’s golden head rests gently and quietly upon his small pillow and that Richard is nice and comfortable lying in his narrow little carry-cot’,’ the prince said.

William continued: ”The whole Channel between us and Cherbourg is filled with little ships which all quietly and efficiently sail towards France.

”The British, Canadian and American fighting forces on the war-path.

”I do not believe that I can now write for very long. We can now see the French coast and very soon we will have to play our part.

”I must go now and look for the landing markings with my binoculars to ascertain our landing points. So, my darling, on we go! I know that you are with me. Au revoir, God bless, I love you!”

William shared how Captain Bannerman survived the landings and the war, was taken prisoner, but returned home to his wife and sons in April the next year.

He added, quoting Rupert Brooke’s famous war poem The Soldier: ‘Too many never returned. They remain in ‘some corner of a foreign field that is forever England’.’

The prince said he was ‘deeply honoured’ to join the commemoration to recognise the bravery of those who took part in the landings.

William delivered his speech before the arrival of the King and Queen, with Charles also making his own address.

During the service, he sat between Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Defence Secretary Grant Shapps.

The prince was wearing his Golden Jubilee, Diamond Jubilee, Platinum Jubilee and Coronation medals and his Great Master of The Most Honourable Order of the Bath neck order.

Dame Helen Mirren formerly introduced the event just after 11am by addressing the assembled veterans, saying: ‘The presence today of some of those who contributed to that remarkable venture is an extraordinary privilege. 

‘Your bravery remains as inspiring now as it was eight decades ago. Thank you.’

The commemorations in Portsmouth opened with a musical performance and a flypast of two historic Dakota military transport aircraft, widely used by the Allies during the Second World War.

Charles and Queen Camilla will join the Ministry of Defence and Royal British Legion’s commemorative event at the British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer tomorrow. 

Charles is said to have been determined to mark the landmark anniversary given it will be the last event of its kind that D-Day veterans will be able to witness. 

This has been aided by a good recovery that has allowed his public duties to be brought forward by ‘about a month’, a source told The Times. 

Meanwhile, William will attend the Canadian ceremony at Juno Beach Centre at Courseulles-sur-Mer hosted by the Canadian government, alongside veterans and Canadian armed forces personnel.

The Prince of Wales will then attend the international commemorative ceremony at Omaha Beach, Saint Laurent sur Mer, later on June 6 alongside 25 heads of state and veterans from around the world.

William took his place in the royal box today alongside military veterans shortly after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.

Some veterans will attend two days of remembrance events in Portsmouth to mark the historic milestone.

The Normandy landings were the largest seaborne invasion in history, with the 1944 battle laying the foundation for an Allied victory.

Troops from the UK, the USA, Canada, and France attacked German forces on the beaches at Normandy in northern France on June 6, 1944.

Allied troops departed from Portsmouth on June 5, so the UK and French governments will host memorial events at both ports to commemorate the D-Day landings.

Over the course of two days, the King, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, a slew of other dignitaries, and-most importantly-those who fought on the beaches in 1944 will come together to remember the battle that became the turning point towards an Allied victory.

However, the proceedings have already begun for dozens of other Second World War veterans.

Yesterday, a slew of former D-Day soldiers boarded a ferry to make the journey from Portsmouth to Normandy once again, retracing their steps 80 years ago.

The morning will culminate in a flypast by the Royal Air Force Red Arrows.

The Prime Minister will then deliver a reading to the crowds and meet with veterans to hear their D-Day stories to mark the occasion.

In the afternoon, tributes will move to the beaches of Normandy, where hundreds of allied defence personnel will parachute into a historic D-Day drop zone to commemorate the airborne invasion of 80 years ago.

The Royal British Legion will host a commemoration service at Bayeux War Cemetery before the Ministry of Defence and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission host a joint UK-France thanksgiving service at Bayeux Cathedral.

Tonight, as the sun sets, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Bayeux War Cemetery will light up in honour of those who fought on the beaches. The light show will be streamed live on the BBC so all can witness the occasion.

On Thursday – the 80th anniversary of D-Day – commemorations will begin in Normandy at 7.25am, the same time the beach invasion began in 1944.

A military piper will land on the beaches of Arromanches-les-Bains in a Royal Marines landing craft and begin playing a lament in tribute to those who led the beach landings.

The official British commemoration for the 80th anniversary of D-Day will take place at the British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer, where the King will join French President Emmanuel Macron and Mr Sunak.

Charles and Camilla hosted four D-Day veterans at Buckingham Palace yesterday, hearing moving personal stories and seeing their poignant keepsakes.

Football boots carried on the straps of a military backpack, dog tags still bearing blood, and photos of a much cherished wife were among the mementoes shared with Charles and Camilla.

Charles, in turn, read aloud from his grandfather’s handwritten diary, recounting George VI‘s D-Day entry about the breaking news of the ‘successful landings’ in June 1944.

The special meeting was filmed and will be broadcast as part of BBC One’s D-Day 80: Tribute to The Fallen on June 5.