Royals and world leaders are set to gather with veterans in Normandy to mark 80 years since D-Day on Thursday.
A military piper began commemorations early this morning by playing a lament at sea at the exact moment of the beach invasion in 1944.
The King and Queen will pay tribute to fallen soldiers at the UK’s national commemoration event at the British Normandy Memorial, in Ver-sur-Mer, along with Rishi Sunak, Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Charles and Camilla both appeared to have tears in their eyes as they paid tribute to veterans at the memorial event in Portsmouth on Wednesday.
Charles told the crowd “we are eternally in debt” to veterans, as he said: “It is a near-impossible task to imagine the emotion of that day.”
He added: “It is our duty to ensure that we and future generations do not forget their service and their sacrifice in replacing tyranny with freedom.”
The King’s appearance was his first public speech and his most high-profile appearance since his cancer diagnosis.
Prince William also emphasised the importance of remembering “those who served and those who waved them off”.
