Spectacular drone display concludes D-Day 80 events in Portsmouth

The skies over Portsmouth have been lit up by a spectacular drone display as part of events to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

More than a hundred of the devices formed images such as a Spitfire, a battleship and a landing craft during the event on Southsea seafront on Wednesday night (June 6th).

It ended with an image of a bird flying towards France.

It came at the end of a day of commemorations to mark the biggest land, sea and air operation ever seen, which played a critical role in the Allied victory in World War Two.

The King, Queen and Prince of Wales attended a special service on Southsea Common, alongside veterans, to remember the role of armed forces personnel in the landings on the beaches of Normandy.

Addressing the crowd, Charles said:

"The stories of courage, resilience and solidarity we have heard today and throughout our lives cannot fail to move us, to inspire us and to remind us of what we owe to that great wartime generation.

"It is our privilege to hear that testimony, but our role is not purely passive.

"It is our duty to ensure that we and future generations do not forget their service and their sacrifice in replacing tyranny with freedom."

Later, The King and Queen will pay tribute to fallen soldiers at the UK's national commemoration event at the British Normandy Memorial, in Ver-sur-Mer, along with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron.

The site, which opened in 2021, pays tribute to 22,442 service personnel under British command who died on D-day and during the Battle of Normandy in the summer of 1944.

Meanwhile, William will attend the Canadian commemorative event at the Juno Beach Centre, Courseulles-sur-Mer, before joining more than 25 heads of state and veterans for the official international ceremony on Omaha Beach, Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer.

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