Westminster Abbey joins nation to mark 80th anniversary of VE Day

VE Day was the public holiday that marked the formal end of the Second World War in Europe. Short services of thanksgiving were held every hour in the Abbey from 9.00am to 10.00pm attended overall by 25,000 people. A service was also held the following Sunday, 13th May, when the standards of Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa were laid on the High Altar to symbolise the loyalty of the whole Empire during the war.

Westminster Abbey has continued to mark VE Day regularly. Special services of remembrance were held on the 40th, 50th, 60th and 70th anniversaries, with thanks given for the reconciliation of former enemies and prayers said for lasting peace.

The Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, said:

'A service will take place at Westminster Abbey that will be both an act of shared remembrance and a celebration of a nation stepping from deadly struggle into peace.  It is a moment to give thanks, to honour a generation that showed extraordinary courage and resilience and to recommit ourselves to the courage and resilience necessary to sustain peace.'

The service will form part of the nation’s celebrations marking the 80th anniversaries of VE and VJ Day. Events for VE Day, including the Abbey’s service, will take place over four days beginning on Bank Holiday Monday, 5th May, and will also see the Cenotaph dressed in Union flags, military procession and a flypast in London. Attendance at the Abbey service on Thursday 8th May will be by invitation.

Further reading

Official VE | JV Day 80th anniversary website