King Charles III has published a rare speech to note the 80th anniversary of VJ Day – however, some people have a trouble.
For those unfamiliar, VJ day (Victory over Japan Day) celebrates the end of World War II in Europe after Japan surrendered to the Allied forces.
The 76-year-old British monarch paid tribute to veterans and brought a poignant message on current conflicts during the six-minute long declaration.
His audio message was aired at 7.30am this morning (15 August) after being announced earlier this month.
And later today, the King and Queen Camilla, alongside UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, will later attend a service of remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire to keep the day.
In his touching speech, he harmoniously commended the ‘courage and camaraderie’ of heroes who fought in the Pacific and Far East in ‘humanity’s darkest hour’ as ‘a flame that shall blaze for eternity’.
Charles admitted the devastation caused by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki which caused Japan’s surrender, illustrating the “’immense price’ on its citizens as one ‘we pray no nation need ever pay again’.
And his reflection on the nuclear conflicts, which paved the way for the end of the Second World War, significantly come at a time of increased problem about the global threat of nuclear conflict.
He said that allied prisoners of war ‘endured years of brutal captivity: the starvation, disease and cruelty that tested the very limits of human endurance’ and also harrowingly spoke about the ‘mental and physical scars’left on those who survived.
The King shared that the service and sacrifice of VJ Day heroes ‘shall never be forgotten’ as he told their families and the ‘sadly dwindling band of veterans’: “Please know that the courage and camaraderie displayed in humanity’s darkest hour is a flame that shall blaze for eternity – a beacon that honours our past and guides our future.”
In the powerful speech, he announced: “Those heroes of VJ Day gave us more than freedom; they left us the example of how it can and must be protected.
“Countries and communities that had never before fought together learned to coordinate their efforts across vast distances, faiths and cultural divides.
“Together they proved 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.
“That remains a vital lesson for our times”.
Royal family fans have commented on social media to dub the speech as ‘powerful and moving,’ however, some people do have one gripe with the recording – and it’s actually nothing to do with the content.
Instead, a small minority of people are dissatisfied with such an important message was announced via audio message and a picture rather than video of Charles actually speaking.
One Twitter user commented: “Why is King Charles III only shown as a photo? Surely, if he is addressing the nation, he should be on video. After all, his mother in the 50s was able to do this with the then limited technology.”
However, others were of course more interested in the words of the speech and another user added: “Incredibly powerful & moving speech from King Charles to mark the 80th anniversary of #VJDay.
“His emphasis on our need -more than ever- not to raise arms against one another but to link arms together in peace, is vital. The courage, bravery & stoicism of veterans is inspiring.”
