Queen Elizabeth II delivered short comments commemorating the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, praising the resilience of the hundreds of thousands of soldiers who fought in the cause of freedom.
“Your excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. When I attended the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings, some thought it might be the last such event,” the queen said Wednesday at a ceremony commemorating D-Day. “But the wartime generation, my generation, is resilient and I’m delighted to be with you in Portsmouth today. Seventy-five years ago, hundreds of thousands of young soldiers, sailors, and airmen left these shores in the cause of freedom.”
“In a broadcast to the nation at that time, my father, King George VI, said, ‘What is demanded from us all is something more than courage and endurance. We need a revival of spirit, a new unconquerable resolve.’ That is exactly what those brave men brought to the battle as the fate of the world depended on their success. Many of them would never return. And the heroism, courage, and sacrifice of those who lost their lives will never be forgotten. It is with humility and pleasure on behalf of the entire country, indeed the whole free world that I say to you all, thank you.”
President Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May were at the event along with other world leaders.
“The Normandy landings 75 years ago were a moment of historic international cooperation,” May said. “And it is right that at the heart of today’s commemorations are the veterans who fought to secure the liberty and the peace that we now enjoy.”
The D-Day invasion which occurred June 6, 1944, was carried out by more than 150,000 Allied troops which landed on beaches in Normandy in northwest France. The operation was a turning point in WWII in the defeat of Nazi Germany in May of 1945.
