The Royal Family Will Soon Return to the Buckingham Palace Balcony for a Special Occasion

The Royal Family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after attending Trooping the Color on June 15, 2024, in London.
May 2 2025, Published 11:16 a.m. ET
The royal family is reportedly preparing for their next Buckingham Palace balcony appearance, which is set to be on May 5, 2025. The event will celebrate a milestone anniversary and is expected to receive worldwide attention. King Charles and the rest of the royal family will honor a powerful chapter of history—the 80th anniversary of VE Day, the end of World War II in Europe.
The Palace announced that the royal family will appear on the balcony alongside Prime Minister Keir Starmer and several World War II veterans. As reported by People magazine, there will also be a military procession and flypast, marking the start of a four-day event. Additionally, Charles and Queen Consort Camilla will be hosting a tea party at the Palace for the veterans. As reported by the BBC, the parade will begin in Parliament Square, with Winston Churchill’s famous VE Day speech read aloud as Big Ben chimes at noon.
Subsequently, the royal family will gather at Westminster Abbey on May 7 for a Service of Thanksgiving. The next day, on May 8, Charles and Camilla will end the VE Day events in grand style—taking their seats at a live concert at Horse Guards Parade. It will include stories and music from artists like Samantha Barks and Toploader. VE Day 80 will be special, as it may very well be the last big anniversary with World War II veterans still in attendance.
A veteran, Alan Kennett, shared, "I remember Battle of Britain pilot Johnnie Johnson bursting in and shouting 'the war is over.' A big party soon followed, filled with lots of drinking and celebrating the news.” He added, "The 80th anniversary of VE Day brings back so many memories, and it will be such a privilege to be there with everyone." The late Queen Elizabeth II, who was just 19 during World War II, also once shared her experience of seeing the war end. She recounted how it was one of the most memorable nights of her life.
As per sources, the late Queen allegedly said, “We cheered the King and Queen on the balcony and then walked miles through the street. I remember lines of unknown people linking arms and walking down Whitehall, all of us just swept along on a tide of happiness and relief.” For VE Day’s 75th anniversary, Elizabeth gave a speech at 9 p.m.—the exact time her father, King George VI, spoke to the nation after the end of the war in 1945. Other occasions when we see a Buckingham Palace balcony appearance are during major events like Trooping the Color, jubilees, and coronations.