King Charles has used his powerful VJ Day address to send a stark message about current global conflicts, warning that “war’s true cost extends beyond battlefields” in a pointed reference to ongoing crises in Ukraine and the Middle East.
In a six-minute audio recording to mark 80 years since the end of the Second World War in the Far East, the monarch drew direct parallels between the sacrifices of the wartime generation and today’s international tensions, declaring it “a tragedy all-too vividly demonstrated by conflicts around the world today”.
The King’s message, recorded in the Morning Room at Clarence House earlier this month and released this morning, echoes the historic address made by his grandfather King George VI on 15 August 1945, when he announced Japan’s surrender to a war-weary nation.
Those heroes of VJ Day gave us more than freedom; they left us the example of how it can and must be protected,” King Charles said, emphasising that victory was achieved through unprecedented international cooperation.
“Countries and communities that had never before fought together learned to coordinate their efforts across vast distances, faiths and cultural divides,” he continued. 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.
The King added pointedly: “That remains a vital lesson for our times.”
His intervention comes as world leaders prepare for today’s high-stakes summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska, with the fate of Ukraine hanging in the balance. The monarch’s emphasis on international cooperation appears carefully timed as diplomatic efforts intensify to end Russia’s invasion.
In his address, King Charles reflected on the brutal experiences of prisoners of war who endured “years of brutal captivity: the starvation, disease and cruelty that tested the very limits of human endurance.
He continued: “Innocent civilian populations of occupied territories faced grievous hardships, too. Their experience reminds us that war’s true cost extends beyond battlefields, touching every aspect of life – a tragedy all-too vividly demonstrated by conflicts around the world today.
The King’s support for Ukraine has been evident throughout the conflict. In July, he welcomed President Zelenskyy to Windsor Castle for a private audience, continuing his backing for the embattled nation since Russia’s invasion began.
Last December, the monarch also attended a reception for charity workers operating in the Middle East, personally thanking them for their humanitarian efforts amid the ongoing Gaza crisis.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who will join the King and Queen Camilla at today’s National Service of Remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, echoed the monarch’s sentiments.
“Our country owes a great debt to those who fought for a better future, so we could have the freedoms and the life we enjoy today,” Starmer said. “We must honour that sacrifice with every new generation.”
The Prime Minister revealed he had hosted President Zelenskyy at Downing Street yesterday, noting Ukraine’s leader is “fighting for the same values as we were fighting for” during the Second World War.
King Charles acknowledged the atomic bombings that ended the Pacific war, saying Hiroshima and Nagasaki paid “an immense price” which he prayed no nation would ever pay again.
The monarch paid special tribute to American allies, noting that “final victory in the Pacific was achieved under the strategic command of our steadfast American allies,” whilst also remembering his great-uncle Lord Mountbatten’s leadership in Southeast Asia.
An estimated 71,000 soldiers from Britain and the Commonwealth died fighting Japan, including more than 12,000 prisoners of war who perished in captivity. The King described these forces as sometimes considering themselves “the Forgotten Army” – a reference to how VJ Day has historically been overshadowed by VE Day celebrations three months earlier.
Today’s commemorations will include a military flypast featuring the Red Arrows alongside historic Dakota, Hurricane and Spitfire aircraft. A two-minute silence will be observed at midday, with dawn performances by military bagpipers at the Cenotaph in London, Edinburgh Castle and the National Memorial Arboretum.
This evening, hundreds of buildings across the UK will be illuminated to mark VJ Day 80, including Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Blackpool Tower, Cardiff Castle and the White Cliffs of Dover.
The King concluded his message by quoting the famous epitaph from the Commonwealth War Graves cemetery at Kohima: “When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say, For Your Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today.”
His pledge that the wartime generation’s sacrifice “shall never be forgotten” carries particular resonance as global tensions mount and international alliances face new tests – making his call for nations to link arms rather than bear them all the more urgent.
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