Heartbreaking Reasons Why King Charles Was In Uncontrollable Tears On The D-Day

King Charles and Queen Camilla have arrived in France to pay tribute to the fallen soldiers and mark the 80th anniversary of the D-day landings in Normandy. The King and Queen are joined by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and France’s President, Emmanuel Macron, for the UK’s national commemorative event at the British Normandy Memorial, in Ver-sur-Mer.

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. Charles and Camilla appeared visibly moved as the memories of a D-Day veteran were read out, with both the King and Queen seen wiping away a tear as the audience in Ver-sur-Mer heard the experiences of Joe Mines, 99, from Hornchurch in London. Camilla dabbed her eye before smiling with the King as Mr Mines waved his arms in the air.

Shortly afterwards the King stood to deliver a speech where he spoke of his “profound sense of gratitude” to those who fought in the D-day invasion as he addressed veterans during 80th anniversary commemorations in Normandy. Veterans could be seen wiping their eyes with tissues as Charles made his address at the national commemorative event in France on Thursday. During his speech, Charles told the audience: “It is with the most profound sense of gratitude that we remember them and all who served at that critical time”.

The King’s trip to Normandy marks a significant first for the 75-year-old monarch, as it is his first overseas trip since his cancer diagnosis at the start of the year. Charles, who is proudly wearing his military uniform for today’s event, was determined to attend the historic event despite his ongoing cancer treatment, as he knows that it is likely to be the last event of its kind that D-Day veterans would be able to witness. Royal commentator Dickie Arbiter previously told the Express: “It is important that he attends because he is head of state and his mother was the last head of state who saw service in World War Two.

“The last time he attended commemorations was with his mother in 2019, which was the 75th anniversary.” Mr Arbiter, who served as the late Queen’s press spokesman from 1988 until 2000, added: “It is extremely important that he is at the British Normandy Memorial.” The royal couple will meet and speak to veterans after the commemorative event has finished. Later, they are set to open the Winston Churchill Centre for Education and Learning. Today’s events began early with a lone piper on the beach at Arromanches helping to mark the biggest seaborne invasion in military history, before commemorations continued in the French town including a veterans parade, air and firework display.

Major Trevor Macey-Lillie played a lament at sea as he came ashore at Gold Beach in Arromanches, at the exact moment the beach invasion began on June 6 1944. Bayeux War Cemetery, the largest Commonwealth cemetery of the Second World War in France, will host a service led by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales is also set to 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.

Today’s events follow Wednesday’s emotional ceremony in Portsmouth where the King appeared to wipe away a tear during an event where he paid tribute to the “courage, resilience and solidarity” of veterans and Queen Camilla looked visibly emotional during the poignant engagement.

The Normandy landings were the largest seaborne invasion in history, with the 1944 battle laying the foundation for an Allied victory. Troops from the UK, the USA, Canada, and France attacked German forces on the beaches at Normandy in northern France on June 6, 1944.