Queen to address nation during 75th anniversary of VE Day

The Queen will lead the nation in marking the 75th anniversary of VE Day with an address to the country - her second televised message during the coronavirus outbreak.

The message will form part of a series of events on May 8 commemorating the sacrifices of the Second World War generation, whose qualities of stoicism

and bravery have been held up as characteristics to emulate during the Covid-19 pandemic.

After the broadcast, the public will be invited to join a moment of celebration and thanksgiving by taking part in a rendition of Forces' Sweetheart Dame

Vera Lynn's wartime anthem We'll Meet Again, during a BBC One programme of music and memories.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden announced a new programme for the VE Day commemorations after the original plans, which included a veterans' procession and street parties, had to be cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.

He said: "We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to the greatest generation that served in combat and on the home front during the Second World War.

"Whilst we now need to celebrate VE 75 in our homes and on our doorsteps, rather than in parades and street parties, I know the nation will come together to mark this historic occasion.

"In these difficult times, acts of remembrance are even more poignant and I am sure that millions will want to join me to remember and give thanks to those who gave so much to secure peace, freedom and prosperity in Europe."

The Queen's pre-recorded televised address will be broadcast on the BBC show at 9pm - the exact moment her father, King George VI, gave a radio address on May 8 1945.

It will follow her address to the country on April 5 when she delivered a message of hope, saying if we remained resolute in the face of the outbreak "we will overcome it".

And she echoed Dame Vera's words by telling those in lockdown "we will meet again"