The king and queen will attend a service on Friday

On Friday, King Charles will address the nation to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day (Victory over Japan Day).

The day remembers the surrender of Japan, which effectively ended World War II.

This year marks a huge 80 years since it took place. And to mark the occasion, the king, 76, and queen, 78, will attend a service at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

Early on Friday morning (August 15), the king will pay tribute to the war heroes in a pre-recorded six-minute speech.
Camilla and Charles will attend a service on Friday to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day (Credit: Zak Hussein / SplashNews.com)

VJ Day 2025 service

King Charles and Queen Camilla will join Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for a service at the National Memorial Arboretum. A national two-minute silence will conclude with a flypast from the RAF Red Arrows.

Meanwhile, the king and queen will then join a reception for VJ veterans and their families. The Royal British Legion will host the event.

Elsewhere, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will attend a service at the Scottish National War Museum at Edinburgh Castle.

Earlier this week, Duchess Sophie met 105-year-old James “Jim” Wren, a war veteran who survived being torpedoed at sea and over three years in a Japanese prisoner camp.

King Charles’ address to the nation

In his personal message to mark VJ Day, the king will describe how the war heroes “gave us more than freedom; they left us the example of how it can and must be protected”.

The monarch will also say that this demonstrated that “in times of war and in times of peace, the greatest weapons of all are not the arms you bear but the arms you link”.

King Charles will vow that those who fought and died “shall never be forgotten”.

The full message, recorded from the Morning Room at Clarence House earlier this month, will be released at 7:30am (BST) on Friday.

Other royals will take part in VJ Day commemorations (Credit: Zak Hussein / SplashNews.com)

Royals to mark VJ Day

Charles and Camilla aren’t the only royals that are expected to make an appearance on Friday, however, as the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester also have duties.

They’ll attend the Far East Prisoners of War VJ Day 80th Anniversary service at Norwich Cathedral. They’ll also attend a second service in tribute to the children and families of the Far East Prisoners of War in Suffolk.

William and Kate may not attend any services or events (Credit: Zak Hussein / SplashNews.com)

Will Kate and Prince William attend?

In a surprising turn of events, it’s unclear if Prince William and Princess Kate will attend. Their names weren’t mentioned in the reports of events.

While they may still attend, it looks unlikely. The reason for this is unknown. However, they’re currently on their summer break with their three children.

Royal Insider contacted reps for Kensington Palace for comment.