Extraordinary D-Day 80th anniversary drone display above Portsmouth thrills crowds as giant Spitfire and battleship appear in the skies - as fireworks wow veterans over in Normandy

06/06/2024

Last night's extraordinary D-Day 80th anniversary drone display above Portsmouth thrilled crowds as a giant Spitfire and battleship appeared in the skies.

Commemorations took place in the Hampshire city and Normandy for the landings on June 6.

The spectacular displays were broadcast on a BBC special programme which left viewers emotional as it marked 80 years since the Allied forced began the liberation of Europe.

On this day in 1944, Operation Overlord was launched and saw tens of thousands of soldiers embark from Portsmouth to cross the Channel, establishing a foothold across the French coast.

More than 150,000 troops would land on five beaches in Normandy.

A tribute to the fallen took place in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's Bayeux War Cemetery in Normandy and Southsea Common in Portsmouth featuring stunning light displays, readings and music to mark the significant moment.

The drones in Portsmouth traced the words 'I can remember...' in the sky as recordings of veterans were played

Last night's extraordinary D-Day 80th anniversary drone display above Portsmouth thrilled crowds as a giant Spitfire appeared in the skies

They also made a parachute, a letter, a paper aeroplane, spitfire and a boat.-

The drones then impressively then morphed into the silhouette of a soldier

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Each of the 4,600 headstones of those that fell were be individually illuminated across Bayeux War Cemetery.

The drones in Portsmouth traced the words 'I can remember...' in the sky as recordings of veterans were played.

They then morphed into silhouettes of a soldier, a letter being written, a paper aeroplane, spitfire and a boat.

Prince William says Kate 'would have loved' to attend D-Day anniversary event as he gives update on wife's health and speaks affectionately of her codebreaker grandmother

Those that watched the light show were stunned, with one saying on X: 'Popped into Portsmouth to watch the #DDay80 drone show and I was not disappointed

Others called it 'breathtaking,' 'tear jerking' and a 'lovely tribute'.

One posted: 'Beautiful drone light show to round off a fantastic day, remembering D-Day 80 years on. Today's technology is just incredible.'

A third said: 'It was so lovely to hear my late grandfathers voice during the wonderful drone display at the end of this evening's BBC D-Day80 Tribute to the Fallen from Normandy and Portsmouth. He never forgot the comrades who never came home.'

It came after The Prince of Wales, 41, joined King Charles and Queen Camilla at the earlier event in Portsmouth yesterday afternoon.

After delivering a moving speech to veterans and leading politicians, William met with members of the public - including war hero who asked after his wife amid her ongoing cancer treatment.

In footage posted on X, the Prince is seen telling him: 'She is better, thanks. She would've loved to be here today.'

Viewers called it 'breathtaking,' 'tear jerking' and a 'lovely tribute'

Drones make a bird shape during a drone display telling the story of D-Day

A D-Day themed drone display takes place above the Portsmouth Naval Memorial

Drones make a parachute during a drone display telling the story of D-Day

One posted: 'Beautiful drone light show to round off a fantastic day, remembering D-Day 80 years on. Today's technology is just incredible'

The royal went on to reveal how he had been speaking with women who worked at Bletchley Park as codebreakers along with Kate's grandmother Valerie Middleton.

Camilla was overcome with emotion today as a D-Day veteran recounted the horror of losing his best friend on the beaches of Normandy 80 years ago.

Camilla's tears for fallen D-Day hero: King and Queen are overcome with emotion as war veteran recounts horror of losing his 'dear friend' on beaches of Normandy 80 years ago

Tears welled up in the Queen's eyes as former Royal Navy serviceman Eric Bateman recalled his experience on Utah beach - while King Charles also appeared visibly moved.

Mr Bateman, who served on the warship HMS Erebus, described how you could 'walk across the Channel' because there were so many boats involved in the invasion.

And paying tribute to his fallen comrades, he said: 'So many men and women, including my dear friend Fred, joined up with me but unfortunately never made it.'

Charles and Camilla joined the Prince of Wales, leading UK politicians and veterans at a major event in Portsmouth, where the King gave his first public speech since being diagnosed with cancer.

He told the crowd: '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.'

A British soldier photographs graves at the Bayeux War Cemetery, in Bayeux, France

A British officer looks at illuminated graves at the Bayeux War Cemetery, in Bayeux

The D-Day ceremonies on June 6 this year mark the 80th anniversary since the launch of 'Operation Overlord'. A British soldier stands in front of the lit up graves

Queen Camilla is overcome with emotion as a war veteran recounts the horror of losing his best friend on the beaches of Normandy

The King and Queen watched proceedings from the Royal Box after Charles had delivered his speech

D-Day veteran Eric Bateman speaks alongside his son-in-law Keith and great grand daughters Annabel and Imogen

Royal Navy HMS Erebus Battleship. Launched in 1915, HMS Erebus entered active service a year later. One of its first major missions was a bombardment of Belgian ports where enemy warships were based, which led to the ship being seriously damaged

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