A ROYAL TRIBUTE

The King is joined by his nearest and dearest at Buckingham Palace to mark the historic 80th anniversary of VE Day

- SUZANNE WINTROB

The streets around Buckingham Palace were brimming with marching bands, horses and a sea of Union Jacks as the Royal Family kick-started the nation's four-day celebration of the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day (VE Day).

Dressed in military attire, King Charles, 76, was visibly emotional while greeting mounted troops riding past him after winding their way through central London to the delight of cheering crowds.

More than 1,300 members of the British armed forces – along with troops from Ukraine and the U.K.'s NATO allies – took part in the impressive VE Day military procession, marking eight decades since the end of the Second World War, and the monarch happily welcomed them with a formal salute.

Joining him in the royal box were his devoted wife, Queen Camilla, 77, the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children, as well as the Princess Royal, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duke of Kent and dignitaries.

Like her male counterparts, Princess Anne, 74, wore a military uniform in keeping with the historic theme.

Held on a bank holiday to give everyone the chance to rejoice, the day began at Parliament Square with a fitting nod to the past.

BRITAIN'S HOUR

After Big Ben tolled at noon, actor Timothy Spall - who played Sir Winston Churchill in the 2010 film The King’s Speech – read excerpts from the late British prime minister's famous address to the nation on May 8, 1945.

“My dear friends, this is your hour,” began Timothy, 68, invoking the unforgettable words and voice of the late Queen Elizabeth II's favourite leader.