Prince William, Princess Kate Middleton and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, arrived at VE Day anniversary events in London on Monday, May 5, just days after Prince Harry said he was open to “reconciliation” with his estranged family.
Kate’s chic purple, vintage-inspired suit and hat were a symbolic nod to the occasion: the 80th anniversary of VE — Victory in Europe — Day, which is celebrated in May every year in the U.K., marking the end of World War II in 1945.
Kate, 43, stood out against the rest of her family, who were all dressed in more somber navy blue, as they took their seats in the front row for the military procession outside Buckingham Palace.
She and husband William, 42, chatted animatedly to veterans, with Louis, 7, seen dutifully and very cutely dusting down his dad’s jacket on what was a slightly blustery afternoon in London.
Later, the reliably entertaining young prince looked impressed by the flypast of military aircraft, and was seen dancing along to the accompanying music from his prime viewing spot on a balcony.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla also waved at onlookers as they and other prominent members of the royal family, including the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, arrived at the event.
Across the U.K., street parties are taking place to mark the big day, along with a number of more formal military events including the procession involving 1,300 members of the Armed Forces, the flypast of Royal Air Force planes and a formal tea party hosted by King Charles.
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Unsurprisingly, Harry, Meghan Markle and their family were absent from the event, which took place shortly after Harry spoke to the BBC about his relationship with the royals. “I would love reconciliation with my family,” he said on Friday, May 2. “There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore. Life is precious. I don’t know how much longer my father has.”
The interview came after what Harry described as a “devastating” loss in the Court of Appeal, in which his bid for increased security in the U.K. was rejected — which he said meant he and his family could never return to the country.
“I can’t see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the U.K. at this point,” he said. “The things that they’re going to miss is, well, everything. I love my country. I always have done. Despite what some people in that country have done. I miss the U.K., I miss parts of the U.K., of course I do. I think that it’s really quite sad that I won’t be able to show my children my homeland.”
Harry has been fighting for security after stepping down from his senior royal duties with Meghan in 2020. The couple moved to California, where they are raising their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
