“Never give up, never despair”: Queen Elizabeth II delivers inspiring message on VE Day

The Queen delivers her VE Day message. Image screen shot from Youtube.

"Never give up, never despair," said Queen Elizabeth II in a moving message in time for the 75th anniversary of the Victory in Europe (VE) Day on May 8. The speech couldn't have been timelier, as the UK and the Commonwealth is gripped by coronavirus (COVID-19)

In a pre-recorded message from Windsor Castle, the monarch’s special address was aired at 9pm on BBC One, on the same hour her father, King George VI, did on May 8, 1945. She said she "vividly" remembered the "jubilant scenes" that signalled the triumph of the Allied forces and the end of World War II.

Her rousing message was a tribute to those who fought for freedom and peace, and at the same time, a call for everyone to never give up in these trying times. The Queen also made reference to the country’s current lockdown and the huge casualties that coronavirus had claimed. She said: “Today it may seem hard we can’t mark this special anniversary as we would wish. Instead we remember from our homes and doorsteps. But our streets are not empty. They are filled with the love and the care that we have for each other.”

The Queen’s address was aired after a BBC primetime special on VE Day, and comes at a vulnerable time for the U.K., which has recorded the second highest number of deaths from coronavirus in Europe. The Queen’s VE Day message followed her April speech, which was viewed by over 20 million people around the world and gave millions more the reassurance that “better days will return: we will be with our friends again; we will be with our families again; we will meet again.”

You can read the Queen's 75th VE Day Anniversary here.