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VJ Day 80th anniversary: King Charles says heroes will never be forgotten'
Sunday Island
|August 17, 2025
(BBC) King Charles III on Friday honoured those whose “service and sacrifice” helped to bring an end to World War Two in a personal message marking the 80th anniversary of VJ Day.
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In an audio message recorded earlier this month, the King vowed that those who fought and died in the Pacific and Far East “shall never be forgotten”.
The King and Queen, alongside Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, will later attend a service of remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire to commemorate the anniversary.
VJ Day, or Victory over Japan Day, is commemorated on 15 August each year, and marks the date in 1945 when Japan surrendered to the Allied forces, ending the war.
An estimated 71,000 soldiers from Britain and the Commonwealth died fighting in the war against Japan, including upwards of 12,000 prisoners of war held in Japanese captivity.
The King’s message started by reflecting on the moment 80 years ago that his grandfather, King George VI, announced to the nation and Commonwealth that the war was over:
This story is from the August 17, 2025 edition of Sunday Island.
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