King Charles’ Touching Speech at D-Day 80th Anniversary Event

King Charles’ Touching Speech at D-Day 80th Anniversary Event

their majesties the king and queen [Music] [Applause] ladies and gentlemen 80 years ago today field Marshall Montgomery commander-in-chief of the Allied Ground Forces wrote in his message to all soldiers on the eve of D-Day to us is given the honor of striking a blow for Freedom which will live in history history and in the better days that lie ahead men will speak with pride of our doings today we come together to honor those nearly 160,000 British Commonwealth and Allied troops who on the 5th of 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 those who gathered here in Portsmouth would never forget the site 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 air crew flying overhead Sailors Manning warships or troops in assault craft battering their way through the stormy swell to the shore whether dropping by Parachute Landing in a wooden glider or taking that terrible leap of faith onto the beaches all must have questioned whether they would survive and how they would respond when faced with such mortal Danger The Poet Keith Douglas who was killed in action 3 Days Later wrote of the embarcation actors waiting in the wings of Europe we already watched the lights on the stage and listen to the Colossal Overture begin for us entering at the height of the D it will be hard to hear our thoughts hard to gauge how much our conduct owes to fear or Fury at this remove eight decades later it is a near impossible task to imagine the emotion of their 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 I recently myself spoke to Veterans who to this day remember with such heartbreaking Clarity the sight of those many soldiers lying on the beach who drowned before they could even engage in combat the stories of Courage resilience and solidarity which 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 Now tragically dwindling to so few it is our privilege to hear their 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 our rights and the Liberty won at such terrible cost bring with them responsibilities to others in the exercise of that Liberty the Allied actions of that day ensured the forces of Freedom secured first a tow hold in Normandy then liberated France and ultimately the whole of Europe on the Stranglehold of a brutal totalitarianism and as you remember with humility pride and gratitude let us never forget that the soldiers who fought in the campaign launched from this place came from 30 nations from across the United Kingdom the Commonwealth and Allied countries while elsewhere where in Europe Allied Forces continued to make vital progress in their successful Italian campaign and while halfway around the world at that same moment the critical battles of infal and kohima raged on in what was then Burma the 1944 Victoria Cross role of Honor included seek Muslim and Hindu soldiers a reminder that events that year shaped our world then and the society we share today while it was the Frontline troops who faced the greatest personal dangers the privations and sacrifices of War were endured by so many more the Allied VI country 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 US soldiers Sailors and Airmen to Prevail so as we give thanks for all those who gave so much to win the victory whose fruits we still enjoy to this day let us once again commit ourselves always to remember cherish and honor those who served that day and to live up to the freedom they died for by balancing rights with Civic responsibilities to our country for we are all eternally in their debt [Applause]

King Charles and Queen Camilla were given a loud applause by crowds in Portsmouth, after His Majest made a speech to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

The King spoke about the importance of D-Day and how it shouldn’t be forgotten – a message that resonated strongly with the people of this naval city.

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