Why it matters: Commemorations across the town highlighted King Charles's call to "protect and continue the precious legacy" of the wartime generation while reminding residents of the unity that secured victory in 1945.
The details: At 11am, the people of Ipswich turned out in force at Christchurch Park to pay their respects. In a service organised jointly by Ipswich Borough Council and the Royal British Legion, ceremonial wreathes were laid by the Cenotaph.
The Mayor of Ipswich and the Deputy Lord-Lieutenant of Suffolk attended the morning service, alongside local councillors.
In the evening, Ipswich's Cornhill was transformed with a 1940s singer, military choir and a ceremonial beacon lighting for the anniversary celebrations.
The evening entertainment concluded at 9:15pm with speeches from civic dignitaries from the Town Hall steps, followed by the lighting of a ceremonial beacon at 9:30pm.
The evening lighting display on the Orwell Bridge served as a visible reminder of the historic occasion and concluded the day's events.
For context: The commemorations mirrored national events, with King Charles delivering a speech at Horse Guards Parade in central London at precisely 9pm – exactly 80 years after King George VI addressed the nation to mark VE Day.
What they're saying: "We unite to celebrate and remember with an unwavering and heartfelt gratitude, the service and sacrifice of the wartime generation who made that hard-fought victory possible," the King said. "While our greatest debt is owed to all those who paid the ultimate price, we should never forget how the war changed the lives of virtually everyone."
The King quoted Churchill, saying: "Meeting jaw to jaw is better than war," as he called for the country to "rededicate ourselves not only to the cause of freedom but to renewing global commitments to restoring a just peace where there is war, to diplomacy, and to the prevention of conflict."
Behind the projections: The projections were beamed onto the bridge by Ipswich-based projection mapping specialists, Motion Mapping.
The bottom line: As the King stressed in his address, it now "falls to us to protect and continue their precious legacy – so that one day hence generations yet unborn may say of us: 'they too bequeathed a better world'."
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The Lanman Group
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