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Queen Camilla was visibly moved at a VJ Day memorial ceremony on Friday as a 105-year-old war veteran paid an emotional, unscheduled tribute to King Charles’s ongoing cancer treatment.
The King and Queen joined prime minister Sir Keir Starmer and 33 veterans, aged between 96 and 105, who served in east Asia and the Pacific.
The national service of remembrance, held at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, marked the 80th anniversary of VJ Day on 15 August, commemorating the end of the six-year war.
Often overshadowed by VE Day in May 1945, this significant date serves as a poignant reminder for those who served in east Asia, historically labelled “the forgotten army”.
Yavar Abbas, a former captain in the 11th Sikh Regiment, took to the stage. While scheduled to read extracts from his 1945 Burma diaries, Mr Abbas, originally from Lucknow in India, paused his prepared remarks to address the monarch directly.
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“I make no apologies for briefly going off the script to salute my brave King, who is here with his beloved Queen in spite of the fact that he is under treatment for cancer,” the centenarian declared.
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Charles and Camilla as former captain Yavar Abbas referenced his cancer battle(Reuters)
Camilla looked at her husband sitting next to her and appeared to wipe away a tear. Applause also erupted from the crowd of around 1,500 guests.
Mr Abbas, who has battled cancer, added that he hoped his own 25-year remission from the disease would bring “comfort” to the King, offering a shared understanding of the health challenges faced.
He added: “I salute him for gracing this occasion, because by his presence here, he has gone a long way to make sure that his grandad’s Fourteenth Army is never given the sobriquet again of ‘the forgotten army’.”
The ceremony was hosted by actress Celia Imrie and featured readings by actor Robert Lindsay and veterans, as well as musical performances from the National Children’s Choir of Great Britain, Jennifer Pike and the Royal Corps of Signals Pipes and Drums.
Ahead of the service, the King, in a pre-recorded audio address to the nation, vowed that the sacrifice of heroes who fought and died in the campaigns “shall never be forgotten”.
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King Charles shakes hands with veteran Abbas (centre)(PA)
He also significantly acknowledged the devastation caused by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which led to Japan’s surrender, describing the “immense price” paid by its citizens as one “we pray no nation need ever pay again”.
He said: “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.”
After the service of remembrance, which started with a two-minute silence and a Red Arrows flypast, the King made his way to the Far East Corner of the arboretum, where he met Silas Sarbah and Khadak Chettri, the grandsons of Second World War soldiers, as well as William Slim, the great-grandson of general Bill Slim, who led the so-called “forgotten army”.
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He viewed tributes at the Burma Railway memorial, which is constructed from 30m of original track from the so-called “railway of death”, and took a moment of reflection at the Burma Star Memorial and the Chindit Memorial, before heading to a reception for VJ veterans and their families.
The King and Queen were joined by the prime minister and Lady Victoria Starmer, as they met some 30 veterans who served in east Asia during the Second World War for the British and Commonwealth Armed Forces, accompanied by their families and carers.